Deion Sanders Hires New Director of Player Personnel at Colorado

The Colorado Buffaloes are heading into the offseason with significant roster turnover, along with changes off the field. Director of player personnel Corey Phillips has left the program to become the new general manager at Memphis under newly hired head coach Charles Huff.

Buffs coach Deion Sanders moved quickly to fill the vacancy, with Darrius Darden-Box expected to be promoted from director of recruiting to serve as Colorado’s new director of player personnel.

Deion Sanders Darrius Darden-Box Corey Phillips Charles Huff Colorado Buffaloes Memphis Tigers Big 12 Football Transfer Porta — Sep 20, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders before the game against the Wyoming Cowboys at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Darden-Box has been with the program under Sanders and has served as director of recruiting for the past three seasons. The promotion keeps continuity within the staff as Colorado transitions into the offseason.

His familiarity with the program and recruiting operations should provide stability as the Buffaloes manage roster decisions and portal movement in the months ahead.

With a busy transfer portal period ahead, Darden-Box will play a key role in shaping the next phase of Sanders’ roster. His promotion ensures Colorado maintains a consistent approach to personnel decisions entering a pivotal offseason.

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What to Expect From Darrius Darden-Box in His New Role

The recruitment and transfer portal additions aren’t where they should be and this could be an opportunity to reevaluate the process. Something isn’t working, or at least wasn’t working under Phillips. If Sanders and his staff wanted to retain him, they easily could have matched his deal or even given him a salary increase.

Sanders must have a lot of confidence in Darden-Box to promote him immediately.

The program should expect a different approach, as the Buffaloes need to find better ways to recruit, ones that fit the culture and program he’s building. As a former zero-star recruit, Darden-Box might be able to look at the lower-tier recruits and find a hidden gem.

The Buffaloes need to find an edge in recruiting and through the transfer portal, or they could fall further behind other Big 12 programs.

If Darden-Box can identify overlooked talent and streamline Colorado's recruiting process, the Buffaloes could quickly regain momentum. His success this offseason will be a key factor in determining how competitive the program can be in the coming seasons.

Meet Darrius Darden-Box, Colorado’s New Director of Player Personnel

Darden-Box is still relatively new, but he’s been with the Buffaloes for three seasons. During that time, he’s built strong relationships and earned the trust of Sanders and the staff.

He played wide receiver at Southeast Missouri State for three years as a zero-star recruit. His college stats—29 catches for 242 yards and two touchdowns—weren’t huge, but he showed enough to start a career in coaching and recruiting.

It’s not fully clear what his day-to-day will be as Colorado’s new director of player personnel, but Sanders trusts him to step into the role. His experience with the team should help him get up to speed quickly.

While the role is still taking shape, Darden-Box’s background with the Buffaloes gives him a good foundation. How he handles recruiting and roster moves this offseason could have a big impact on the program’s future.