Deion Sanders should follow Bobby Bowden's footsteps and stay at Colorado

It was a question on many minds prior to the amazing celebration of life for the Buffs greatest coach, Bill McCartney. 13 years at the helm, most wins ever and a national title. Nobody else has such a resume. The question was, “Would Prime attend?”

The answer is a resounding yes. Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders and many current players were inside the CU Events Center. At least for your scribe, it was not surprising. It was also very respectful.

Prime rarely travels without a posse of security, videographers and public relations folks. An entourage. Not this time. Always in the spotlight, the charismatic coach along with a dozen or so players, quietly slipped into an area near the court on the arena’s northwest side. They were acknowledged often by speakers eulogizing William Paul McCartney. The big dreamer who took the Buffs to college football’s mountain top.

Often when former Buff greats Jon Embree or Mike Jones shared inspiring words about their beloved coach and mentor? They would shift their gaze toward Prime and current players. In encouraging fashion, the standout CU tight end and linebacker would exhort today’s squad, “Carry on the pride and tradition this man created and we experienced. It is good!”

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Athletic director Rick George did the same. In 1987, McCartney hired George as recruiting coordinator. The next year was my first year as the “Buff Guy” for KCNC, now CBS Colorado. Then, “Home of the Buffs.”

Rick and your correspondent got to know each other on road trips. The TV guy and recruiting coordinator rode early buses to opposing stadiums. Usually, plenty of time to kill before the game. We’d talk. It was enjoyable. There’s a thread here: Coach Mac brought Rick George to Boulder and George brought Prime to the foot of the Flatirons. Your scribe’s watched it all unfold from a decent vantage point.

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Jones, Embree and George. A terrific trio of men and, shoulder to shoulder, Buffs to the bone. All made terrific remarks and intentionally would look the way of the current band of Buffs and their leader. Challenging them with, “Coach Mac taught us the strength of the buffalo is in the herd.”

Long-suffering Colorado football fans energized by the rise of fortune since Prime arrived hope the current clan heard the message. “You have a chance to reclaim the pride and tradition of the Colorado Buffaloes. It will not be assigned to the timid and the weak.”

The Cowboys have named a coach. So have the Raiders who select earlier in the 2025 NFL Draft and are in dire need of a quarterback. Prime, Shedeur and Shilo as a late-round draft pick or free agent in Vegas? Not happening now. The Sanders traveling road show would have completed a journey never before manifested: A father coaching his sons from youth, through college and then to the professional ranks.

As written about last week, I’m a big advocate for Prime staying a long time. CU needs someone to drive a stake in the ground and follow in McCartney’s footsteps. Eight coaches since Billy Mac from Hackensack walked away three decades ago. Do the math.

It’s tough to build a program when coaching tenures average less than four years. Realistically, with today’s NIL and transfer portal craziness? Considering the constant turnover? It’s tough to build a program. The words of former McCartney assistant Gerry Dinardo ring in my ears.

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Dinardo left McCartney’s staff in the early 90’s and became head coach at Vanderbilt, LSU and Indiana. Now a Big Ten TV analyst, the affable guy stated, “In college football today? The best coaches will be the ones who can build a sustainable culture.

Prime and his players were present for a special moment to celebrate a life well-lived concerning family, football and faith. Speaker after speaker would implore them to embrace the spirit of the McCartney-led herd of Buffs. One Heartbeat.

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In eulogizing his father, Mike McCartney, a one-time graduate assistant during the glory years said it best, “My dad could see things others couldn’t envision.”

Prime and players witnessed this celebration. May it inspire them to see the same in their Colorado futures. Sanders have said he wants to be like the late Bobby Bowden, who made a legacy at Florida State. Could Prime continue to build a powerhouse at the Foot of the Flatirons?