Deion Sanders has ‘shift’ in Colorado football coaching staff philosophy

One of Deion Sanders’ favorite and most quoted Bible verses is Psalm 23:4.

“Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

The Colorado football coaching staff underwent a significant overhaul this offseason, particularly at coordinator, and Coach Prime is pleased with the early results.

“I really feel as though we have the best staff that has been assembled in my tenure by far,” Deion Sanders said Friday.

Coach Prime had a checklist of what he wanted in his new coordinators after Pat Shurmur wasn’t retained and Robert Livingston was hired by the Denver Broncos. At the top of the list was finding a CEO, the kind of coach who can lead the charge on their respective side of the ball.

That’s exactly what Coach Prime believes he found in Brennan Marion and Chris Marve.

“You’re mainly looking for coordinators who have that head coach feel,” Deion Sanders said Friday. “I want them to be the head coach of the offense, the head coach of the defense. We have those type of men in house and I’m appreciative.”

New Colorado offensive coordinator Brennan Marion brings his innovative Go-Go offense to Colorado with him. He has the “head coach feel” Deion Sanders was searching for after inheriting a 3-9 Sac State program and leading them to a 7-5 season in his first year as head coach.

Marion’s offenses over the last three seasons (UNLV OC 2023-24) have averaged 34.8 points per game. That was music to Coach Prime’s ears, especially since Colorado is 10-0 when scoring 30+ points dating back to 2024.

“Everybody we interviewed averaged over 30 points per game,” Deion Sanders said Friday. “30 points per game is our threshold. When we score 30 points, we win. When we don’t, we lose.

“I needed toughness, that mentality. I needed somebody who was going to apply pressure and understand how we get down around here. Not only did we find him, he’s much more than expected.”

On the defensive side of the ball, Livingston’s departure a week before spring practices could’ve left Coach Prime and Colorado in a difficult spot, but it didn’t. That’s because Chris Marve was hired as the Buffs‘ linebackers coach this offseason with the notion that if the defensive coordinator position became vacant, he would be seriously considered.

So when Livingston decided to return to the NFL, Marve’s promotion to DC was a easy decision and transition. The former Virginia Tech DC (2022-24) had the ACC’s No. 1 red zone defense and No. 3 scoring defense (22.8 points allowed per game) in 2024.

“We have a guy who is fully overqualified for this position,” Deion Sanders said Friday of Chris Marve.

What’s most interesting about these coordinator moves is that it signals a clear shift in Deion Sanders’ coaching philosophy.

His last two coordinators had extensive NFL backgrounds and not much experience coaching at the college level. Shurmur hadn’t coached in college since 1998 before joining Colorado’s staff. Livingston hadn’t coached in college since 2011 before becoming the Buffs’ DC in 2024.

Marion and Marve have a combined 23 years of college coaching experience. There is still plenty of former NFL guys on Colorado’s staff, but there has been a clear emphasis to get more collegiate coaches.

That should bode well for the Buffs in 2026 and beyond.

“What’s the goal for everyone? To win and be a pro,” Deion Sanders said. “So you can’t fault us for having people who were with pros. That doesn’t make sense to me. I think that’s easy to communicate to some of these college kids but you have to have a wonderful mixture and a blend.

“When we shift from pros to college, why don’t you applaud it? Why don’t you clap for it? Why don’t you announce it?”

Follow Colorado Buffaloes beat reporter Scott Procter on X.