Coach Prime, Coach Payton Ready to Inspire and Dominate Colorado
One is a Pro Football Hall of Famer who left HBCU football to transform a once-prominent football program in Boulder. Today, the other head coach is close to casting his image in Canton as an offensive genius — but he needs another Super Bowl ring for his cause.
Coach Prime and Coach Payton are unlikely dynamic duo who will be forces to reckon with in Colorado for many a year.
University of Colorado head coach Deion Sanders and Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton
Both are only separated by less than 30 miles along US-36. Deion Sanders and Sean Payton are close enough to help one another re-establish a winning culture in an metropolitan area desperately hoping excitement returns to their collegiate and professional teams.
I can't think of two more enormous personas that are fixated on winning than when I covered coaches Deion Sanders (Jackson State) and Sean Payton (Saints).
The University of Colorado's fanbase has been energized since Coach Prime jetted out of Jackson, Mississippi, after winning his second SWAC Championship over Southern University. His message for Boulder and the Buffaloes has been the same as in Jackson: "We will win and dominate." Each video of Sanders focuses on setting the Colorado program on a course for winning, and nothing less.
The new sheriff in Denver is Sean Payton. He's the New Orleans Saints former head coach who knows a thing or two about recasting a team, changing the atmosphere, and bring credibility to a losing organization.
Payton requires his ownership, staff, and players to share in his vision and allow his to go to work with minimal pushback and oversight.
Coach Payton may have found his life's next conquest in Denver, being a member of a franchise with a prosperous past and legacy of winning.
He inherited a Super Bowl-winning quarterback named Russell Wilson. Short, written-off, and in need of reassurance after signing a mega-deal and following up with a subpar season. Payton can get Wilson back to his winning ways and meld him back to form as an elite NFL quarterback.
Denver is now Payton's team. Will it will require plenty of work to get Denver back to the postseason? Yes. However, my bet is on Payton to make it happen.
Having Deion Sanders and Sean Payton in the same vicinity should inspire Colorado and Denver fans. Coaching means everything to a team, just as having the right quarterback.
Well, get your popcorn ready, Colorado! Coach Prime and Coach Payton are great for telling the truth. Great for one-liners and jaw-dropping quotes. But most of all, they're great for winning.