Jan. 14 (UPI) — Former star cornerback-turned-college-football-coach Deion Sanders, one of the most revered players in NFL history, says he is intrigued by the idea of filling the Dallas Cowboys head coaching vacancy.
Sanders, who spent five of his 14 seasons with the Cowboys, made the comments during an interview with ESPN. He spoke with Jones on Monday, the same day the NFC East franchise terminated coach Mike McCarthy.
A league source told UPI on Tuesday that no formal interviews are scheduled between Sanders and the Cowboys. Sanders, 57, has never coached in the NFL.
“To hear from Jerry Jones is truly delightful, and it’s intriguing,” Sanders told ESPN. “I love Jerry and believe in Jerry. After you hang up and process it, and think about it, it’s intriguing. But I love Boulder and everything there is about our team, the coaches, our student body and the community.”
Sanders coached Colorado to a 13-12 record over the last two seasons, leading a Buffaloes roster that included Heisman Trophy winning wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter and his two sons, quarterback Shedeur Sanders and safety Shilo Sanders.
Hunter and Shedeur Sanders are projected Top 5 picks in the 2025 NFL Draft and in the mix to be the first player selected.
Deion Sanders also coached his sons, and Hunter, at Jackson State before leaving to become Colorado’s coach. With Shedeur and Shilo both leaving the roster hoping for successful NFL careers, Sanders loses his familial ties to the Buffaloes’ roster.
Sanders signed a five-year, $29.5 million contract with the Buffaloes in 2022. His contract inlcudes an $8 million option for a buyout, which Jones’ Cowboys most likely would need to pay if they were to hire Sanders.
Sanders says he is happy and loves Colorado,but also said recently that his sons could lure him to take an NFL job. He also said that he thinks the 2024 campaign was likely the last time he would coach Shilo and Shedeur.
“The only way I would consider, is to coach my sons,” Sanders said, when asked about taking an NFL job, last week on Good Morning America. “Not son, sons.”
Mike Zimmer, who served as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator this season, worked for Sanders as a defensive analyst/coordinator in 2023 at Colorado and in 2022 at Jackson State.
The Cowboys own the No. 12 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and likely don’t have a shot of getting Shedeur — barring a major trade. They could select Shilo in the later rounds, or pick him up as an undrafted free agent.
