Deion Sanders Says He's Judged Differently Than Other Coaches Because Of His Status

PublishedJuly 10, 2024 8:59 PM EDT|UpdatedJuly 10, 2024 9:00 PM EDT

Deion Sanders says his losses were judged with more of a punishment than other college coaches last season.

At the Big 12 Media Days in Las Vegas, the Colorado Buffaloes head coach claimed that he feels pressure as a coach because of his prominent image in football and that he is "judged on a different scale."

Deion's first year in Boulder had its ups and downs, kicking off with a bang but ending with a 4-8 record.

Wanting to give the program a hard reset, Coach Prime fully injected his eccentric personality into the role, which other programs used as fuel when playing against CU.

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"Do you feel an obligation with whom you are to perform or coach at a higher level?" a reporter asked Deion on Wednesday.

Sanders sounded eager to defend himself after last season's publicity.

"I'm judged on a different scale," Sanders responded. "My wins are totally different than your wins. Your wins — you're just judging football."

As they caught on with their early season hype, Coach Prime, CU quarterback Shedeur Sanders and company were criticized for acting too showy off the field, exhibiting too much swagger for little, immediate success.

Colorado's opponents quickly circled them on the calendar once the Buffaloes started acting gaudy, hoping to humble the headline-grabbing Sanders family.

Prime declared that the target on the Buffaloes' back last season was directly aimed at him. The coach caught plenty of headlines because of his signature intensity from his playing days at Jackson State to his current position with the Buffaloes.

Prime's critics could likely call him out for not taking accountability for a paltry four-win season.

Any college coach responsible for a meager four wins deserves criticism.

LAS VEGAS - Deion Sanders attends the 13th Annual NFL Honors at Resorts World Theatre on February 8, 2024. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)

Deion added, "That's why I have to start out and give you education and academics and so forth. I have to give you those things so you understand there's a greater scope. I can't win nine games and our GPA suffers. Our GPA can't be high but we lose another eight games. ... My wins are different.

"We have to win in every area. That's the way we're judged, and I'm cool with that because we come a little different so the expectations is greater."

BOULDER, Colo. - Head coach Deion Sanders of the Colorado Buffaloes celebrates with quarterback Shedeur Sanders after a fourth-quarter touchdown against the Colorado State Rams at Folsom Field on September 16, 2023. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

In his debut year, Sanders may not have met the sky-high expectations, but he did manage to throw CU into the limelight.

At the Big 12 Media sessions, Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham credited Sanders' impact on the program in his first year as coach.

"Essentially, he’s put Colorado football back on the map. Year two, I’m sure they’re looking for progress. They started off very strong last year. Injuries caught up to them and didn’t end the way they wanted, I’m sure. But he’s definitely rejuvenated things in Boulder."