Fact Check: Deion Sanders is a Candidate for the Florida State Job

After Florida State fired Mike Norvell on Sunday, one name emerged as a potential candidate to lead the Seminoles as the next head coach. Many linked Deion Sanders to the current opening, but mostly to having familiar ties to the program.

Would the Noles legend return home and leave Colorado? This is where the conversation becomes one-sided. While Sanders might reportedly be trying to find an exit strategy in Boulder, there was no indication Tallahassee would be his next stop. Outside Coach Prime facing his own hot-seat pressure this season, FSU officials have shot down any interest in bringing the "Prime Effect" to the panhandle.

"Coach Prime isn't an ideal candidate for the job," an FSU source with knowledge of the situation told Roundtable. "There might be interest from some in Sanders' camp, but that's about as far as it goes. There have been discussions with coaches who would be a better fit for the culture at Florida State."

The Seminoles are also in the middle of a search for a new athletic director after Michael Alford was fired before Norvell this season. Not to mention, FSU athletics have been at the forefront of private capital and private equity discussions. This is similar to a deal Utah made with Otro Capital during the offseason. The hope is to generate revenue amid chaos and a revenue-generation structure that isn't set by a market.

Sanders might fathom the idea of being back in his home state. However, the fall of his former school is real. The program needs stability during an era of change that Coach Prime hasn't been able to provide at Colorado. This has been by no fault of his own either. The media exposure that was once shining a spotlight on Boulder is dim right now.

Since winning nine games in his second season with the Buffaloes in 2024, Sanders is 5-14 with four games left this season. His 18-25 overall record in his fourth year at Colorado speaks volumes. This includes a 9-21 record in conference play.

During his time at Jackson State before taking the Colorado job, Sanders revealed in 2021 that he interviewed for the Seminoles' vacancy prior to their hiring of Norvell. Sanders was told by his former FSU coach Mickey Andrews that he was the best candidate to interview for the job, but lacked a college degree. Sanders played four years for the Seminoles from 1985-1988, but did not get his degree from FSU. That came at Talladega College in 2020.

"I graduated from an HBCU," Sanders said during a press conference in 2024. "I thought it was from where you graduated from, isn't it? Why do you keep calling me that if it wasn't where I graduated from? I'm an HBCU grad."

Sanders moves on with Colorado facing Arizona State on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2).