Deion Sanders Reveals Key Staff Position Won't Be Filled Next Season

Coach Deion Sanders doesn't shy from the unconventional, and he trusts this season's staff like no other. So he's willing to take a risk or two.

On Friday, in his first press conference of the spring, "Coach Prime" implied that the Colorado Buffaloes would not have a special teams coordinator in 2026. It was confirmed shortly after, leaving the position Michael Pollock departed in January vacant.

Colorado Won't Have Special Teams Coordinator This Fall

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. | Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

When asked about having to hire three new coordinators this offseason, Sanders issued a telling correction.

"We got three new coordinators?" Sanders said. "We don't have a special teams coordinator."

Uncle Neely of Thee Pregame Show confirmed that the Buffaloes will not fill that position this season, noting Sanders outlined the move in private conversations. Neely highlighted new tight ends coach Josh Niblett among a platoon of assistants who'll help with special teams.

"What he's taken in this [year's] approach is more ownership as far as the coaches that you depend on to feed into special teams," he said of Sanders after Friday's press conference. "The guys who coach the [defensive backs], the guys who coach the tight ends, the guys who coach the linebackers, etcetera, they're all now having a say in special teams ... You will see probably coach Nib[lett] in front of special teams' kind of stuff, but it's also all the other coaches."

Sources also indicated the move to BuffStampede.com.

Coach Prime's remark turned heads on social media, but it's not unusual for power programs. Since 1990, less than half of Colorado's seasons have had a designated special teams coordinator, instead having position coaches and analysts work in tandem.

Oct 19, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Colorado Buffalos head coach Deion Sanders (left) embraces kicker Alejandro Mata against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

And it's not like coaching the unit by committee remains to be seen under Sanders, either. Colorado didn't have a set special teams coordinator in 2024, when the team went 9-4 and reached a bowl game. Pollock served as a quality control assistant for two seasons before taking the official title in 2025.

Pollock discussed his departure from Colorado on Thee Pregame Show's "The Morning Run Live" in January.

"When you go 3-9 and you've got coordinator attached to your name, you've got a bullseye on your chest," Pollock said. "Sometimes, you have to make tough decisions with guys that you really care about who are even doing a great job.

"The fans and people above us that are making decisions, they want to see some change, so that's what has to happen. That's the risk you take when you accept a coordinator's role. That's part of the business. There's been a lot of great coaches out there in the history of this game that have had to move on from situations."

The Buffs' special teams unit ranked 109th in net punting and had four blocked kicks allowed, a poor campaign but one that had a coordinator. Niblett and other assistants will look to rectify the situation in addition to addressing their positional needs.

Deion Sanders Raves Over New Coaching Staff

MSU defensive run game coordinator Chris Marve speaks to reporters at Media Day on Saturday, August 10, 2019 at the Leo Seal Complex. | Keith Warren, Keith Warren via Imagn Content Services, LLC

The move is a testament to Coach Prime's faith in this season's staff. On Friday, he called the best group of assistants he'd assembled during his tenure.

Colorado's two new coordinators, Brennan Marion for the offense and Chris Marve on defense, arrived to replace Pat Shurmur and Robert Livingston, respectively. Marve was initially hired as linebackers coach in December before receiving a promotion after Livingston's sudden departure to the Denver Broncos less than a week before spring camp.

But Marve has history calling the shots, as he served as Virginia Tech's defensive coordinator from 2022-2024. Sanders was prepared for a situation transpiring as such, and he believes Marve can keep the defense energized.

"They're changes to you all, they're not changes to us," Sanders said of the staff swaps. "You don't think we knew there was a possibility of something [that] could possibly happen? ... We got a guy that is overqualified for this position right on staff, and we don't have to go outside and find somebody on the street at the last minute. We knew what time it was, and I'm thankful that we knew."