What Deion Sanders Can Learn From Colorado High School Coaching Legend Dave Logan

Former Colorado Buffaloes star and Cherry Creek high school coach Dave Logan goes for a record 13th Colorado state championship with Cherry Creek, while the Colorado Buffaloes should look to learn from his sustained success under Colorado coach Deion Sanders.

Feb 9, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos general manager John Elway (left) talks with radio host Dave Logan during the Super Bowl 50 championship parade celebration at Civic Center Park. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Long before Colorado coach Deion Sanders arrived in Boulder, the standard for sustained football success in this state wore No. 88 for the Colorado Buffaloes.

Dave Logan, who caught 68 passes for 1,078 yards in his CU career, earning first‑team All‑America honors in 1975 and a spot in the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame, is back in the spotlight as he won his 13th Colorado high school state championship as Cherry Creek defeated Ralston Valley in the Class 5A title game between 13‑0 teams.

For Colorado fans who watched a 3‑9, 1‑8 Big 12 season unfold under Coach Prime this fall, Logan’s latest run is a living example of what long‑term winning looks like in this state and a reminder of what the program in Boulder has once produced.

Colorado Great With A Record That Keeps Growing

Sep 13, 1981; Cleveland, OH, USA; FILE PHOTO; Cleveland Browns receiver (85) Dave Logan in action against the Houston Oilers at Cleveland Stadium. The Oliers defeated the Browns 9-3. Mandatory Credit: Tony Tomsic-USA TODAY NETWORK | Tony Tomsic-Imagn Images

Logan’s resume is difficult to match at any level. At CU, he was a two‑sport standout, averaging 14.1 points in 58 basketball games while doubling as one of the Big Eight’s most productive receivers and even sharing punting duties. He is a rare athlete that was drafted in the NFL, NBA and MLB in the same year, hearing his name called by the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Kings and Cincinnati Reds in 1976.

After nine seasons in the NFL, Logan returned home as a radio personality and then slowly built what has become one of the most remarkable high‑school coaching careers in the country. He has won 13 state championships at four different schools—Arvada West, Chatfield, Mullen and Cherry Creek—and currently has a 341‑70 record. No other coach in Colorado prep history has matched his combination of longevity and titles, and few nationally can match the success he has made in one state.

Saturday’s game at Canvas Stadium offers Logan a chance to extend that record with a sixth championship at Cherry Creek in the last seven years, a run that mirrors the type of sustained relevance Colorado is still trying to rediscover at the college level.

Dave Logan’s Blueprint For The Buffaloes

Nov 29, 2025; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders yells at his team during a timeout in the fourth quarter against the Kansas State Wildcats at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images | Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

The contrast between where Logan’s Bruins are and where the Colorado Buffaloes finished this fall is hard to ignore. While Cherry Creek rolls into another championship game, Colorado closed the 2025 season with three wins, as Coach Prime has been open about the program’s need for depth, toughness and consistency.

​​Those are the same pillars Logan has leaned on for three decades. He has spoken often about structure, discipline and internal belief as non‑negotiables for his teams. His programs rarely overwhelm opponents with one superstar, but they smother them with physical line play, sound defense and smart football that dominates in November and December.

As the Buffaloes finished near the bottom of the Big 12 in rushing offense and rush defense, averaging 123.3 rushing yards per game while allowing far more than that on the other side, Logan’s high‑school teams have routinely controlled the line of scrimmage regardless of opponent.

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A Shared Standard Of Colorado Football

Feb 9, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller (left) talks with radio host Dave Logan (right) on stage during the Super Bowl 50 championship parade celebration at Civic Center Park. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

There is also an emotional thread that ties Logan’s latest title push back to Folsom Field. In years past, Logan has routinely surfaced as a name that pops up any time the Buffs head coach job has opened, even if his own interest is usually lukewarm at best.

He still ranks among the program’s all‑time leaders in receiving yards and has helped connect generations of fans through his work as the play-by-play voice of the Denver Broncos. For older alumni, Logan is a reminder of the Buffs legendary past. For current recruits, he is living proof that Boulder can be a launching pad for a lifetime career in football.

Colorado coach Deion Sanders has spent three seasons trying to reestablish that kind of identity. The Buffaloes are still searching for the week‑to‑week consistency that fans once took for granted. Logan’s body of work offers a nearby example of what it looks like when a culture of dominating is present, exactly what Coach Prime is desiring to establish.

What Comes Next For Coach Prime And Dave Logan

Nov 22, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; General view of Folsom Field during the first half between the Arizona State Sun Devils against the Colorado Buffaloes. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

As Cherry Creek and Ralston Valley squared off in Fort Collins, Coach Prime and his staff are deep into roster evaluations and the transfer portal, searching for the pieces that can turn close losses into wins in 2026. 

The Buffaloes program can benefit from the kind of continuity and detail Logan has built at the high‑school level, with year‑round development and clear expectations.

Logan winning another state title reinforces something that should matter in Boulder as one of the most accomplished athletes to wear a Colorado Buffaloes uniform has built a model of sustained winning less than an hour down the road. 

As Coach Prime tries to push the Buffs out of a 3‑9 season and back into national relevance, there is value in looking around the state and seeing what has already worked. It’s is a reminder that the bar for football in this state remains high, that a CU great is still adding to his legacy, and that, with the right mix of talent and stability, the Colorado Buffaloes should aim to chase something that looks a lot like what Dave Logan has been doing for 30 years.