Coach Prime's commitment to sticking with Colorado football could change at any time
AthlonSports' Alek Arend isn't completely convinced Coach Prime will stick with the Colorado football program for the rest of his career as he has recently claimed -- with Arend believing Deion Sanders' stance about staying could change at any time even with his love of Boulder.
"A large contingent of football fans believe Sanders will one day bolt to the NFL," Arend prefaced before saying, "While that certainly remains a possibility, it doesn't sound like that's featured in Sanders' five-, 10- or 20-year plan. Sanders told Savanah Sellers that he intends to remain Colorado's head coach until he retires. In the meantime, his goal is to win multiple national championships with the Buffaloes.
"Those plans could change at any given time. But Deion Sanders sure does seem to love the Colorado Buffaloes."
Sanders' interview with NBC News's Savannah Sellers painted a picture of achieving every significant coaching feat possible at the University of Colorado.
“I love Boulder, Colorado and Colorado," Sanders said. "I’m not chasing finances. I’m not chasing the bag. I’m not chasing notoriety. I’m not chasing hype. I love what I do and I do what I love, and I love Boulder, Colorado. I don’t plan on being anywhere else in my coaching career. It is my desire to one day retire, and just walk off… not walk off — I want to ride off on a white horse with a black hat in the sunset in Boulder, Colorado. Winning a championship. Championships. Plural. That’s what I want to do."
Coach Prime has been consistent with messaging about wanting to stay with Colorado football
Coach Prime's declaration of loyalty to Colorado Arend is referring to is not the first time the 56-year-old has denied wanting to leave. In fact, in an interview published on September 26 with USA Today's Brent Schrotenboer, Sanders claimed he doesn't "look for stepping stones" and referenced how he never intended to leave the Atlanta Falcons following the 1993 season, but was made a free agent by the franchise.
"I don't look for stepping stones," Sanders prefaced before saying, "I'm not like that. I never wanted to leave Atlanta (in the NFL). The Falcons made me a free agent. I never wanted to leave for San Francisco (in the NFL). They made me a free agent. I never said, 'I'm out.' Never, in nothing I've ever done pretty much.
"It's always been like encouragement that's pushed me out or something that's done that don't allow me to stay. But trust me, I've never... I'm not built like that."
Coach Prime did add a lighthearted caveat that he will walk away from a relationship that's not working with a woman and get divorced if need be. Let's hope that when the honeymoon phase eventually ends in Boulder, if it hasn't already, it doesn't mean he'll then see Colorado football as a partner that he can't work things out with.