From calling Deion Sanders “irrelevant” to saying he would make the perfect coach for the Trojans? Wild how the tables have turned! However, it also explains why Paul Finebaum loves to express random opinions. On July 16th on SEC Network, Paul Finebaum had taken major jabs at multiple coaches. However, the one that stood out was his callout for Lincoln Riley. “I thought last year was one of the worst coaching jobs I’ve ever seen. I would’ve fired Lincoln Riley,” Finebaum said. This on so many levels can be called outrageous.

But if Riley was fired, who would take up his helm? On July 22nd on ESPN First Take, Paul explained why Deion Sanders would be the perfect replacement for Lincoln Riley. “And instead of harping on Lincoln Riley, I’ve decided to come up with a solution. I thought about this the other day. Okay, maybe he does well, maybe he doesn’t, but the answer is moving forward. And I believe the answer after this season is Deion Sanders,” Finebaum mentioned.

The Trojans have had a rough 2022 and 2023 seasons under Riley. Even though during year one, Riley took the team to 11-3 and made Caleb Williams a Heisman winner in 2022. On top of that, even in 2021, Finebaum agreed Riley was perfect for the Trojans. “This is one of the best hires in recent memory. I think he will win a national championship at Southern Cal,” he had mentioned on ESPN.

What’s more shocking is that Finebaum now thinks that Deion Sanders’ image and the presence he carries with him would be perfect for Trojans. “And I think Deion Sanders as the coach at Southern Cal is the answer to the problems. Lincoln Riley is a good coach. He’s got a great resume. Deion Sanders just exudes exactly what that community is all about,” Finebaum went on to say.

This, in itself, is weird, coming from Finebaum who on SEC Network had also said, “I’m not sure Deion Sanders is ever going to get them to the playoffs……They are irrelevant in the big picture of college football.” How do you go from claiming that a man won’t take his team to the playoffs to saying, “Deion Sanders walks into Big Ten media days, everybody else gets out of the way”?

The Deion Sanders aka Coach Prime effect!

“Irrelevant” is something that will never happen to Coach Prime. Looks like Finebaum, despite his initial comments, now agrees. And even on July 21st, Outkick Hot Mic also mentioned the same thing.

“They’re not relevant? They are because of the number. They’re relevant because the fans are watching games with Deion Sanders on the screen,” Outkick has mentioned on their show. Despite having a terrible season back in 2023, Deion Sanders is still standing here with a potential No. 1 QB on his team and also the best player in college football, aka Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter.

And the hype around the buffs is quite real. As Andy Staples from On3 summed up perfectly, “Everybody who plays Colorado wants to kick the crap out of Colorado.”

Maybe this is what Finebaum is hoping would save the Trojans. Deion Sanders oozes a unique charm and exceptional recruitment ability because of his stunning reputation. Well, for now, Coach Prime has no plans to switch and Riley is yet to be fired.