Deion Sanders under fire again as critics claim he was never qualified to coach Colorado
Breiden Fehoko says Coach Prime’s celebrity helped mask lack of coaching credentials
Deion Sanders has never followed a conventional coaching path, and that was part of what made Colorado’s decision to hire him so compelling. Breiden Fehoko now argues it should have been a warning sign instead.
The former NFL defensive lineman has intensified his criticism of Sanders , saying Colorado prioritized celebrity, recruiting power and personality over the kind of coaching background normally associated with a major college football job.
“I know he was never qualified to take the Colorado job,” Fehoko said on The Breiden Fehoko Show.
“He had no FBS coaching experience before Colorado. He went from coaching at Jackson State, who was a FCS school, directly to a Power Five program. We have never seen that type of jump before in the history of college sports.”
Fehoko also pointed to Sanders ’ lack of experience as a traditional college coordinator. That criticism comes at a pivotal point in Sanders’ tenure.
Colorado enters another season after going 3-9 in 2025, a sharp reversal from the 9-4 campaign that had appeared to validate much of the optimism surrounding Coach Prime .
Colorado chose star power over coaching pedigree
Colorado was in desperate need of a reset when Sanders arrived in December 2022.
The Buffaloes had just finished 1-11, were struggling for national relevance and needed a hire capable of generating immediate attention. Sanders certainly did that.
He had gone 27-6 at Jackson State , won consecutive SWAC titles and established himself as one of the most recognizable figures in college football recruiting. Fehoko believes Colorado confused that impact with qualification.
“When I look at Colorado, they hired a phenomenon instead of hiring a coach,” he said.
“They hired somebody who had aura and a resume instead of getting somebody who was qualified to lead men and restore Colorado to where people and the true fans of Boulder wanted to be.”
Sanders has already acknowledged mistakes of his own, particularly when it came to replacing his son Shedeur at quarterback.
“I made a big mistake, man,” Sanders told ESPN this summer. “You got to understand it. I’ve coached my son my whole entire life. So everything was like, compared to that. It’s hard to get.”
Criticism goes back years
His latest comments also come with personal history attached.
Fehoko recently described meeting Sanders when he was 17 at the Under Armour All-American game and asking his childhood idol for a picture and advice.
“I said, ‘Man, Deion, I’m a big fan of you,’” Fehoko recalled. According to him, Sanders simply replied: “Hey, man. Move along.”
Fehoko said the encounter permanently changed his opinion of Sanders , but his current argument is ultimately about results and credentials rather than one old interaction.
Colorado now faces another important season with a rebuilt roster, new coordinators and growing pressure to prove 2024 was more than a temporary breakthrough.
