Behind the glitz of Coach Prime’s revolution, a fractured identity and massive roster turnover reveal why Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk’s departure was an inevitable coaching casualty.
The Colorado Buffaloes football team is faced with an identity complex. There are avid Colorado fans that want to see the team compete for a Big 12 conference championship, with a bid to play in the College Football Playoff each season. But then there are the fans of Deion Sanders that move wherever he does, and when he changes the narrative. They are going to follow his lead, while echoing the message that he wants to put before the masses. This is not to say there is something wrong with people following behind someone whom they believe in them, especially when they consider that person to be a leader.
It is safe to say that Colorado and Coach Prime fans don’t remember the Jackson State introductory press conference when Sanders said, “God called him collect, and he had to accept the charges.” Then he talked about “leveling the playing field” and changing the game by making Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU's) a viable option for NFL hopefuls. The playing field wasn’t leveled, because Coach Prime had more talent than most of the teams in the Southwestern Athletic Conference at the time. However, Coach Prime forced his opponents to make the necessary adjustments and still fell short of winning an HBCU National Championship.
Which raises the question of why none of the CU Aunties or social media pundits ask the questions about the play calling during the game, or why the team looked disjointed from a scheme scenario because they don’t have personnel to run a particular offense or defense? Also, the refusal to use playmakers that could have helped the team in any capacity secure a win on any particular Saturday? Why does Coach Prime keep hiring former NFL players that have no coaching experience?
I’m sure most of the fans forgot he said in his opening statement that “we’re going to outwork them, we’re going to out recruit them, we’re going to out scout, we’re going to out develop, we’re going to get our education, we’re going to graduate these young men.” Coach Prime also stated that “I just want you to know we’re on the way. Not to compete, but to win.”
I’m sure many of the donors are playing this back in their minds, wondering why Colorado keeps losing top tier athletes at the end of each season. Could it be coaching, a lack of development, and the team is not winning? Tough to pinpoint a single root cause. But as of now, the Buffs have lost 167 players in seven transfer portal cycles under Sanders. Not to say he hasn't swapped out talent year-after-year, it's just CU is starting to feel like a stepping stone for bigger programs.
Out of the 36 players who left Boulder after the 2025 season, eight of them landed in the SEC and another 13 went to other Power Four schools.
As for coaching moves, that's happened as well. Deion Sanders hasn't kept the same offensive and defensive coordinator in consecutive seasons since arriving at Colorado. To Coach Prime's credit, he took a chance on Warren Sapp and Marshall Faulk, asking them to come to Boulder and help with coaching duties.
Sanders has always felt former NFL players would be more equipped to make in-game adjustments and teach athletes how to be professional, which builds good character in the locker room. One content creator who has jumped on the Prime bandwagon is IsmokehiphopLive on YouTube. He recently stated that “Marshal Faulk saw a situation with Colorado Football that could help skyrocket his career. Here is the cheat code: If you're a coach who has never coached before, all you would need to do is be friends with Deion Sanders and hope he gives you some type of job.”
The statement is furthest from the truth. Faulk's name came up in coaching conversations back in 2021. He was a candidate for the head coaching opening at Southern University. Faulk wasn’t ready to have that conversation about becoming a head football coach, and he didn’t have an understanding of what would be required of him if he took the position. Fast-forward five years later and Faulk is the head coach at Southern.
Faulk didn’t use Coach Prime to advance his career. Could it be true that former coaches, along with Faulk, didn’t like how the program was being run? Based on preparation, development and personnel based on how they played the game, wanted a change?
Why are former players like Jordan Seaton, Cormani McClain, Ryan Staub, and others leaving the program if it is being run the right way? The first comments from Seaton and Staub after leaving were about a night and day difference when it comes to coaching and preparation.
Colorado can't afford another subpar season while excuses are made. If the team can find ways to win close games and be competitive until the end, that's an entirely different conversation. But the end of last season, which included back-to-back blowouts by a total of 105-24 against Utah and Arizona, was hard to watch. For Sanders, this will be a critical season for his future in Boulder.
