Can Deion Sanders just be the Colorado head coach for a little while without talking heads pondering his exit?
For the entirety of his tenure in Boulder, Colorado fans have had to endure baseless rumors about Coach Prime's eventual exit from the program. Those rumors hit a fever-pitch this summer with Sanders dealing with at the time unknown health issues. Some assumed Sanders was planning his exit since his sons, Shedeur and Shilo, along with Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, had moved on to the NFL.
Instead, Sanders reaffirmed his commitment to Colorado in an emotional press conference where he revealed he had been battling bladder cancer. Of course, the good vibes between Coach Prime and Colorado couldn't last for long before the talk-show hosts, who have too much air to fill and not enough content until the football season officially starts, began once again pondering what Sanders will do next.
On First Take this week, Stephen A. Smith discussed with Paul Finebaum his desire to see Sanders be the head coach at Alabama or another SEC program with deep pockets and seemingly unlimited resources.
“Well, just imagine if (Sanders) was in Tuscaloosa, what if instead of DeBoer it was him coaching Alabama?" Smith asked Finebaum. "What if it was him coaching at Texas A&M with that oil money, you know, with those alumni members contributing to the program and beyond? What if he was coaching at some place like Florida?”
What if we just let Sanders coach Colorado for a while without pondering what it would be like if he coached somewhere else? Is that asking too much?
The Coach Prime rumors will never end
It is indeed asking for too much. The good news is that the season is just a week away, and Colorado fans can expect a brief reprieve as the focus turns to what's actually happening on the football field. That's only going to last until the first major job opens up and the coaching carousel begins to spin.
In reality, it will only last until the first week of the season when hot seats begin to sizzle. What if Mike Norvell and Florida State get blown out at home against Alabama in Week 1? You don't think that talking heads like Smith will immediately start pushing for Coach Prime to take over at his alma mater?
What if it's the other side of the coin and Florida State pulls off a massive upset of Alabama next Saturday? Smith will poke his chest out with an "I told you so" and begin beating the drum for the Crimson Tide to move on from DeBoer in favor of Sanders.
The rumors will never cease as long as Coach Prime remains in Boulder. No matter the level of program he builds, no matter how many times he reaffirms his commitment to the Buffaloes.