Deion Sanders has always been known for doing things his own way, both as a player and coach, and that’s not going to change in his first season as head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes.
There may be nobody who understands that more than former three-time national championship coach Urban Meyer, who made a name for himself by reshaping basement-dwelling programs into championship contenders.
Meyer, speaking to Tim May of On3 Sports, said the Buffaloes are facing “the ultimate experiment” under Sanders.
“I saw coach Prime when he said the guys don’t like football and some of their eyes, look dead in their eyes, and I’m thinking, ‘Yeah, when you have a takeover team that’s going to happen,'” Meyer told May. “But now if you can just transition your roster like that, which is legal, you know what’s going to happen if he wins, which I do, I think he’s going to win some games this year.
“Every AD and every new coach in the country’s going to come in and kick guys off the team, and that’s what you have to ask yourself: Is that really good for college football?”
Despite concerns about roster management, Meyer visited Colorado three weeks ago to observe a practice and walked away impressed.
“I went to watch him practice about three weeks ago and I was really impressed,” Meyer said. “I did not expect that. It’s the grand experiment. He took over arguably the worst program in the country, they were 1-11 last year. The point differential was one of the worst I’ve ever seen, it was 500-something to 100. That means the opponent scored that many more. It was a terrible team.
“He comes in and says, ‘You’re a terrible team, I’m getting rid of everybody.’ That’s what he did. When I say grand experiment, this is something you’re going to have to watch, all of us. Bob Stoops and I had a little text about it kind of laughing about it and you were never allowed to just get rid of guys. You couldn’t do that.”
If Sanders hits pay dirt with his roster overhaul, he could lay the blueprint for future coaches for years to come.
[On3]
