Former NFL Legend Named a College Football Hot Seat Candidate for 2026

There arguably hasn't been a more polarizing figure in college football over the last few seasons than Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders.

The Pro Football Hall of Famer was hired by Colorado before the 2023 season. The Buffaloes were in the midst of five straight losing seasons, not counting the Covid-shortened season. They were also coming off a 1-11 season, tied for the fewest wins in a season in program history.

So, Sanders was hired to rejuvenate the program and bring energy to a program that lacked it. He did just that as Colorado became the talk of college football for simply having him on the sidelines.

In his first year, the team raced out to a 3-0 start. The vibes were high, but they ended the season going 1-8.

Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders before the start of the spring game. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

In 2024, Sanders led the team to a massive season. Colorado went 9-4, his son, Shedeur Sanders, was one of the best quarterbacks in college football, and wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter took home the program's first Heisman Trophy since Rashaan Salaam in 1994.

Sanders was turning skeptics into believers, and looked like he had the program heading in the right direction. However, Shedeur and Hunter both went to the NFL following that season, and Colorado had its worst season under Sanders, going 3-9 in 2025.

Due to that poor season, "The Film Guy Network" host Brooks Austin feels that Sanders deserves to be in the top 10 of coaches on the hot seat heading into 2026.

"Deion's got to go on this list," Austin said.

Austin ultimately ranked Sanders No. 9 on his list. The reality is that Colorado likely views football differently than the national perception.

They seem to be a program satisfied with being relevant. That doesn't mean they aren't trying to win, because they are. But they'd rather lose and be relevant than lose and not be relevant.

The one thing Sanders will always provide is relevancy. That comes with his big personality and popularity.

Before Sanders arrived, the Buffaloes were terrible, and no one was talking about them. Since he arrived, they've had two bad seasons and one good season, but they've still been talked about nationally because of him.

For some programs, that is good enough. Colorado might be one of those programs. For that reason, Sanders is likely not on the hot seat. They likely wouldn't part with someone like him, for fear of slipping back into irrelevancy.

So for now, Sanders' job looks safe. But that could change in the next few months.

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