College Football

Deion Sanders confirms Hall of Famer Warren Sapp joining Colorado coaching staff next year

Updated Nov. 23, 2023 3:16 p.m. ET

As Deion Sanders aims to bolster Colorado's play in the trenches and shore up the Buffaloes' main current weakness heading into 2024, he is already making one major addition on the defensive line — bringing his "dear friend" and fellow Pro Football Hall of Famer Warren Sapp in to help coach the position group next season.

Sanders confirmed the news during a recent live episode of his Colorado radio show.

"I'm excited about Coach Sapp," Sanders said. "He's a dear friend that I love to life. He's going to be invaluable to what he brings to the table. The [players] are going to love him … The recruits as well."

Sanders' announcement did not come out of nowhere, as Sapp himself has been around Colorado frequently in an unofficial capacity during Sanders' first season as the Buffaloes' head coach. Other NFL legends, like Sanders' former Dallas Cowboys teammate and current "Undisputed" contributor Michael Irvin, have been around the team frequently as well. (Sanders, Irvin and Sapp all previously worked together at NFL Network.)

Sapp also told another former NFL Network colleague, Rich Eisen, on Eisen's talk show in September that he is working on completing his college degree — a requirement for assistant coaches — in hopes of asking Sanders for a formal spot on Colorado's coaching staff. He said he became infatuated with coaching after spending time with Colorado's defensive linemen before the season.

"For the first time in my life, I was loved on by some defensive linemen," Sapp said then. "They wanted to know the keys to the vault. I've never had somebody shake my pockets like that and ask for the keys to the vault.

"They were willing to work and they infected me. They really infected me. And I told Prime before I left, ‘I'm coming back.' He said, ‘I've got a spot for you.'"

Sanders said during his show that Sapp also made a strong impression on Colorado's defensive line.

"I think the most beautiful moment I've seen after practice, he was in the hot tub with the whole darn defensive line and he was just going over stuff. It was unbelievable. … There were probably about 4,000 pounds in the hot tub."

Many former players shy away from becoming college head coaches due to the long hours usually required. Sanders, however, is willing to give his assistants more flexibility.

"I know [Sapp]. I know what I need. You don't need to come here and sit around all day," Sanders told Eisen in September. "I think more NFL athletes that have really done it and been successful if they had those types of schedules and understandings, they would [coach]."

Deion Sanders’ Colorado struggles and successes

Colorado has stumbled to a 4-7 record before its regular season finale at Utah this weekend after surging to a 3-0 start in nonconference play, during which Colorado became one of the most popular teams in all of sports with quarterback Shedeur Sanders — Deion's youngest son — drawing Heisman Trophy buzz.

Though it's unclear what Sapp's title will be, it now seems likely that Colorado will have not one but two NFL legends on its football coaching staff as the Buffaloes attempt to improve next season.

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