Renck: Deion Sanders’ ugly third season as CU Buffs head coach demands significant changes

Deion Sanders is built for adversity His organization is not Deion Sanders triumphs over criticism His players do not The clock is ticking on Prime Time Not on his employment But on the need to make important changes in how he does business As his underwhelming third season draws to a close the evaluation of Sanders must focus on the skeleton the details the foundation It is no longer about praising him for TV ratings which are declining It is no longer about crediting him for sellout crowds when the fans save for a pocket of bare-chested T-shirt twirlers exited at halftime during the last home meeting It is no longer about the attendee applications he brings in when the university has provided million million each year in direct institutional assistance in and according to its NCAA financial reports It is about the modern staples of college football retention recruitment coaching and winning The Buffs are trailing if not failing in these areas which is unacceptable when Sanders is making million per season CU spent on Sanders recognizing that relevance was tied to him But as the novelty of Coach Prime wears off the school requires success on the field for this financial peril to pay off The product this year has been embarrassing based on Coach Prime s own boasts The Buffs were knocked out of the bowl eligibility with two games remaining This is why there is much at stake this offseason You got the right man Sanders commented this week I promise you do Just give me an opportunity and a little more time and I am gonna prove that to you The Buffs have been so bad social media posts not from credible media outlets popped up about Sanders job precaution Outgoing athletic director Rick George responded to one saying The seat is not hot We believe in what is ahead for this effort George and the school have no other choice Sanders contract insulates him Even if the school wished to fire him no one is writing a check for roughly million The Buffs don t need him gone they need him to change CU is teetering and with another dud of a season the Buffs would be staring at a sinking activity and questions about how to pay the bills Related Articles Brihanna Crittendon Colorado s top girls basketball prospect commits to Texas Longhorns Rookie QB Shedeur Sanders will make first NFL start for Browns on Sunday in Las Vegas CU Buffs Deion Sanders hopes to have strong relationship with next AD Deion Sanders emotional moment Shedeur s NFL debut with the Browns Renck vs Keeler Better job for Kordell Stewart or anyone CSU head coach or CU AD CU is banking again on the belief that Sanders knows best even if this season has brought that notion into doubt Sanders deserves patience but it must come with renewed purpose and commitment Deion s greatest asset at this point is Deion His personality For starters he must find a way to keep quarterback Julian Lewis the core building block and left tackle Jordan Seaton who necessities a rebound season to restore his draft stock And then get them help Want to beef up the roster It is time Sanders begins leaving campus to recruit using his charisma to make up the difference when other schools offer more money If Bill Belichick can go to a home there is no reason Sanders should be absolved from this duty wellness willing Speaking of Belichick he serves as a cautionary tale on the dangers of hiring a flashy name without the right infrastructure Sanders like Belichick has leaned on the Friends Family plan when it comes to coaching and help staff which totals people including Sanders personal bodyguard per USA This day A bachelor of mathematics is not required to recognize the lack of return on funding According to Sports CU s current recruiting class ranks roughly No nationally and last in the Big Sanders requirements to replace celebrity coaches not Marshall Faulk who has improved the running backs with grinders who are content texting talking driving and flying in their spare time And Sanders must improve in the transfer portal He shifted the paradigm of college football three years ago by overhauling his roster Now everyone is doing it And often better than him Sanders admitted in a pregame interview on TNT with Champ Bailey that he missed on multiple players No names were mentioned but quarterback Kaidon Salter benched multiple times and defensive lineman Jehiem Otis eight tackles are the obvious accused This goes back to the point of Sanders recruiting in person getting to know the players better Watching the effort against Utah and Arizona suggested a deeper-seated issue with custom with too countless players looking like mercenaries This is not a activity brimming with NFL talent that can overcome me over we guys Better coaching is required starting with Sanders For all of the complaints about Belichick he still receives high marks as a trainer Sanders does not get such praise and his clock management remains a mess It is obvious Sanders has to bring in a new offensive coordinator to replace Pat Shurmur who was privately demoted earlier this month And the episode can be made to move on from defensive boss Robert Livingston though his system will work with upgraded talent If both are axed that would mean Sanders enters his fourth season with new coordinators for the third time That type of turnover makes it hard to land good young coaches And Sanders has not proven easy to work for running off Sean Lewis to San Diego State was a mistake Coach Prime must nail these hires by making it clear he is at CU for the long haul Was bringing in Sanders the right decision Of syllabus He brought the initiative back to life Was giving him a million extension the right move That is becoming a matter of debate The attention is waning The perception is changing Another lost season without change would definitely feel like a downhill nudge of a boulder in Boulder Want more sports news Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver s teams