Former Nick Saban assistant led Colorado football to Coach Prime

According to Denver Sports' Jake Shapiro, Nick Saban's former Alabama assistant, Mel Tucker, led the Colorado football program, indirectly, to Coach Prime taking the Buffs' head coaching position in December 2022.

"Oddly enough, Saban’s turnaround at Bama began with a run-in with Colorado—where he beat the Buffaloes in the 2007 Independence Bowl," Shapiro prefaced before saying, "Because of his greatness, he also has had a big impact at Colorado. The Buffaloes were one of many programs to hire away one of Saban’s assistants. This happened when Colorado hired Mel Tucker, which bizarrely has led them to current coach Deion Sanders."

Of course, Tucker is in the news for all the wrong reasons these days. Per a Michigan State statement released in September, Tucker's contract as Spartans head coach was terminated "for his admitted and undisputed behaviors which have brought public disrespect, contempt and ridicule upon the university; and constitute a material breach of his agreement, and moral turpitude" (h/t ESPN).

Mel Tucker called 'Anti-Deion': Colorado football analyst's source

Tucker was called the "Anti-Deion" by one former player source to BuffsBeat in a shot at the fired and disgraced former Colorado and Michigan State head coach and the player-friendly, highly-popular current CU head man.

“Texting with a former CU player source about Mel Tucker being fired at Michigan State: ‘Great! He treated a lot of kids badly in Boulder,'” the source prefaced before saying, “He gets what he deserves. He’s the anti-Deion. That man cared zero about us.'”

While many in the national media will never paint Coach Prime in a positive light, many current players would tell you that Sanders is a caring leader. Of course, ask the cut 2022 Buffs who were accused by Coach Prime of having dead eyes and you'll get a much different response.