Deion Sanders wanted to make it clear Tuesday that he is going to get Colorado back to the winning ways it experienced in the 2024 season.
The Buffaloes host Arizona State on Saturday in their first game since losing to West Virginia on Nov. 8. That loss dropped Colorado to 3-7 on the season and eliminated the Buffs from bowl contention.
“Please understand, if anyone is built for adversity, I am,” Sanders said when asked about the events that have transpired over the 2025 season. “If anybody is built to change, I am. If anybody is built to overcome situations and trials and tribulations, I am. You got the right man, I promise you, you do. And I’m going to prove that to you. I am, just give me an opportunity and give me a little more time and I’m going to prove that to you. I will. I promise you that.”
Sanders has coached this season after he was diagnosed with bladder cancer earlier in the year. He revealed over the summer that he had his bladder removed to eliminate any chance of the bladder coming back. He’s also dealt with foot and lower leg pain during the season and said after a game that he thought he was having a recurrence of blood clots. Sanders has dealt with blood clots in recent years and had to have multiple toes amputated.
The loss to West Virginia was the third straight and the fifth in six games for Colorado. Though the 29-22 defat was also an improvement from the previous two losses. Before losing to the Mountaineers, Colorado had been outscored 105-24 by Utah and Arizona.
“I ain’t forgotten how to coach in a year. I hadn’t forgot how to coach in a year,” Sanders said. “Lot of these wonderful coaches out there that’s not winning this season, they haven’t forgotten how to coach in a year. We did some things we shouldn’t have done. That’s on us. That’s on us.”
After going 9-4 in 2024, Colorado’s has struggled to find a successor to QB Shedeur Sanders. Freshman Julian Lewis became the third different QB to start a game this season for Colorado against West Virginia. Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter was the team’s Week 1 starter and Ryan Staub also started a game.
Sanders’ comments about his desire to turn Colorado around came after outgoing Colorado athletic director Rick George said that Sanders’ seat as head coach “was not hot” on social media. George hired Sanders to come to Colorado from Jackson State and Sanders figures to have a significant voice in Colorado’s search for George’s successor.
“I know what I want, I know what I should see and [next year] I should see it,” Sanders said when asked what he learned about player evaluation over the 2025 season. “That’s the best way I can place it to you. I’m gonna see it. No if ands or buts about it. I’m going to see what I want to see.”
