Deion Sanders possesses a quintessential style of coaching that’s hard to pin down. The Coach Prime has transformed the University of Colorado from an epic 4-8 to 9-4. The first season was a visible failure, but Sanders reevaluated his mistakes and embraced a lot of additions and omissions throughout the year. Most of it didn’t go in vain, as the Buffs hit their bowl eligibility mark after 17 years. But whether you call it a success or a decent improvement, Sanders owes it to his sons, Shedeur Sanders and Shilo Sanders, and the two-way star, the beaming Heisman hero Travis Hunter.

Now, as three of them left the building for good, it raises the question of how Sanders’ overall coaching affects players not carrying his blood.

Deion Sanders NFL alternative revealed amidst sons’ career change

Deion, without his sons, has always been a tricky area to shed light on. Coach Prime has unapologetically been focused on his sons’ growth on and off the field as a coach and as a father. So, whenever Shedeur Sanders suits up and mounts an impressive touchdown or makes some big plays, people frown at his advantage of learning from his dad in a comfortable frame of state.

However, for Stephen A. Smith, math is actually quite the opposite. He believes Coach Prime might feel a bit uneasy and inept in coaching other than his kids if he goes to the NFL. From teaching them how to stay out of the negativity and keep their eyes hooked on the prize to calling out every minor loophole in their performance, the CU head coach chiseled the best out of his sons. It becomes easier for the 57-year-old coach as he can read his sons, Shedeur and Shilo, like an open book.

Smith thinks that whether or not Deion can coach anyone other than his sons should be a real debate. Articulating his stance on this, the analyst noted, ”See, I believe in Deion Sanders. I believe in the job that Deon Sanders has done to prepare his son for the next level. I believe that.” That is straight facts! Deion showed both Shilo and Shedeur the way, and they haven’t looked back. Even his older son Buckey has established a name for himself.

However, remember the time when Shilo didn’t have a good game, and “Coach Prime” called him out in the media? Well, the public criticism worked, and Shilo showed up in the next game. There lies the concern. “What I would ask is okay when your son ain’t the quarterback anymore, you know your son backward and forward, he’s got your DNA, your swag, and everything that comes with it, but what about when is somebody else?” Smith asked.

Sanders has already proven his prowess in training other kids in Boulder. Look at Travis Hunter, the biggest example of not being Coach Prime blood and still carrying his lessons with pride. But there could again be another argument: not everyone can be Travis Hunter. Will that really affect his coaching style?

Staying away from this controversy, Smith cuts the NFL out of the equation. Suggesting a new move, the analyst noted, ”I would love to see him in the SEC with a big-time program with major dollars where recruiting and nil and all of that stuff wouldn’t be an issue.”

Whatever Coach Prime’s next move is, if you look thoroughly, the Sanders brothers can actually be benefitted getting out of Boulder. The best thing that will ever happen to those boys is to get away from their father’s territory, blaze their own trail, and make their own legacy in the big league.

Coming to Papa Sanders, he made a bold, unfiltered comment on his NFL coaching choices that triggered the aforementioned controversy in the first place.

Deion Sanders received heat for spilling out his honest NFL coaching choice

When it comes to throwing some uncomfortable truth right on the plate, nobody does it better than Deion Sanders. You may call it hardcore honesty or a lack of smooth communication skills, but the truth is Coach Prime is celebrated for his uniqueness both on and off the field

After spending two bittersweet seasons with the Buffs, the ever-poking rumor suggested the veteran could move to the pros alongside his sons. But according to Coach Prime, there’s only one condition under which he can think of considering the NFL offers.

“The only way I would consider [coaching in the NFL] is to coach my sons,” Sanders’ cutthroat reply sparked controversy on “Good Morning America,” podcast show. Sanders’ sons, quarterback Shedeur Sanders and safety Shilo Sanders, had stuck to their father since childhood. After their storied Jackson State (2021-22) tenure, they produced two mixed-bag seasons at Colorado (2023-24). Now, it’s just time to adapt to an outright different circumstance, and all for the good.

Either way, it is not a crime to be dead honest about his preferences for training his kids. Even if it sounds a little marrowish, it can have an alternative perspective other than how you see it. Deion could simply mean he was ready to coach anyone willing to put in that work, to adapt his style as perfectly as his sons did, and not some unserious grown men who walk in with a knowing-it-all attitude.

The rest depends on your judgment!