Deion Sanders' Colorado football GA hire labeled 'bringing his buddy into the fold'

Deion Sanders' hiring of Warren Sapp as a Colorado football GA was labeled by BuffZone's Pat Rooney as Coach Prime "bringing his buddy into the fold" in Boulder; though Rooney didn't write off the potential of Sapp having a positive on-field influence.

"Certainly it’s not as if Sapp can’t be a positive influence," Rooney prefaced before saying, "Obviously he has Hall of Fame credentials on the field. Sapp’s name has the potential to draw recruits, yet given he has zero coaching history, combined with the fact that graduate assistants can’t recruit off-campus, it’s questionable just how impactful Sapp will be in that regard. One of his recent passions has been to lend his voice to the cause of CTE and head injuries in youth football players. Anyone who has followed my work at BuffZone knows this is a deep and personal issue for me, and for those efforts I applaud Sapp.

"Yet make no mistake, this is Sanders bringing his buddy into the fold, his legal troubles be damned. Don’t overlook this takes away an opportunity from an up-and-coming coach prospect looking for their first big break, who would likely be hungrier and certainly would be cheaper. No other coach in the CU athletic department would get the green light for a similar hire, and other football assistant coach candidates with legitimate coaching credentials have been dismissed from the applicant pool due to far fewer blemishes on their background checks."

Warren Sapp passed background check before Colorado football hiring

Hiring him as a GA may have been Coach Prime's personal favor to Sapp, but according to a CU spokesperson, the legendary defensive lineman did pass a background check before being hired.

“Warren Sapp successfully completed all of the necessary steps required of anyone who is employed at CU Boulder, including a background check,” CU told BuffZone in a statement. “Furthermore, Athletic Director Rick George personally met with Warren to clearly articulate the department’s standards and expectations, to which he acknowledged and agreed.”

Whatever you think of Sapp, you can't say his hiring was illegitimate. You can certainly point out the massive role Coach Prime played in it, though.

Without Sanders, Sapp is undoubtedly unemployed right now.