Scott Polacek@@ScottPolacekFeatured Columnist IVJanuary 15, 2025
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Colorado head coach Deion Sanders already publicly commented on the notion he could become the next coach of the Dallas Cowboys, and the discussions are reportedly not over.
ESPN reported Wednesday that the conversations between Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Sanders regarding the vacancy after the team parted ways with Mike McCarthy “are expected to continue” even after they spoke Monday night.
Sanders opened up about the idea to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and said, “To hear from Jerry Jones is truly delightful, and it’s intriguing.
“I love Jerry and believe in Jerry. After you hang up, and process it, and think about it, it’s intriguing. But I love Boulder and everything there is about our team, the coaches, our student body and the community.”
It should be noted Sanders didn’t specifically say no to the idea of coaching the Cowboys even while discussing how much he loves his current position with the Big 12 program.
A jump to the NFL would be notable timing for the Hall of Famer, as his son, Shedeur Sanders, and Colorado’s Heisman winner, Travis Hunter, are set to make the same jump in the upcoming draft. The Buffaloes may struggle in 2025 without their two star players, and Sanders would be leaving the college game at the same time as his son.
Still, he would also be departing Colorado at a time when it has plenty of momentum.
The team went 4-8 in his first season as head coach in 2023 but improved to 9-4 in 2024. It battled for a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game before falling just short and seems to be on an impressive trajectory in a small amount of time with Sanders as head coach.
Yet opportunities to coach arguably the NFL’s most prominent team don’t come around every day.
Sanders is also quite familiar with the organization and Jones seeing how he played in Dallas for five seasons from 1995 to 1999. He was a Pro Bowler in each of those five campaigns and was named to the first-team All-Pro team three times.
The Cowboys also won the Super Bowl in his first season with the team.
Perhaps they will be chasing another one with Sanders depending on how the coaching search unfolds.