Deion Sanders on the hot seat? Colorado AD Rick George pushes back amid Buffs' disappointing season
Colorado is 3-7 but isn't looking to join the very active coaching carousel
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1 min read
Deion Sanders' third season at Colorado has seen the Buffaloes take a considerable step back. After going 4-8 in his first season at the helm, Colorado went 9-4 in 2024 with two-way star Travis Hunter winning the Heisman Trophy, helping build some real excitement about the direction of the program in Boulder.
This year, with Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders gone to the NFL, the Buffaloes have fallen back to the bottom of the Big 12 standings at 3-7 (just 1-6 in conference play). That means Colorado will not go to a bowl game this winter. And with Sanders being paid like a top-10 coach at $10 million per year, many have wondered how long he'll remain in Boulder.
On Tuesday, athletic director Rick George (who will step down and move into an advisory role next year) issued a clear statement to shut down rumblings of Sanders being on the hot seat.
"The seat is not hot," George wrote. "We believe in what is ahead for this program."
Colorado AD Rick George to step down in 2026: What it means for Deion Sanders' future as Buffaloes coach
Carter Bahns
George's statement came in response to a social media comment that Sanders' seat was getting hot after Sanders implored fans for a little patience and vowed to turn things around at Colorado.
"I want you to understand. If anybody is built for adversity, I am. If anybody is built to change, I am. If anybody's built to overcome situations and trials and tribulations, I am," Sanders said Tuesday. "You got the right man. I promise you, you do. And I'm going to prove that to you. Just give me an opportunity and give me a little more time and I'm going to prove that to you. I will."
This year has seen one of the most active and aggressive coaching carousels in recent memory with a number of big programs firing coaches. However, Sanders and Colorado are a fairly unique situation. Though this season has taken away some of the shine away from Coach Prime, the Buffaloes have plenty of reasons to stick with Sanders for a bit longer.
George will be in charge of the athletic department through the end of the school year and appears committed to Sanders. The question will be whether that remains the case when a new athletic director steps in next summer.
