The Color of Change is Prime: University of Colorado Head Coach, Deion Sanders

Lime must be a prime color...excuse me, a Prime color. It's neon too. You read that right. How? Why? Deion Sanders, also known as "Neon Deion", or "Prime Time" is in the limelight again. The once professional multi-sport athlete is moving to Mountain Time, where he will serve as the 28th full time head coach for the University of Colorado. 

Sanders played in two Super Bowls (1994, 1995) and one World Series (1992). Named the head football coach at Jackson State University in Mississippi in September 2020, “Coach Prime” came to that HBCU hoping to change lives and the perspective of HBCU football. 

If change has a color, I guess it's neon, lime and prime too.

Sanders shared news of his new role via Twitter with a thematic focus on change. He wrote

Change makes people get uncomfortable. Change is inevitable in every age & stage of life but it somehow someway brings Love but Hate, Joy but Sorrow & Life & Death. There's a time & season for every activity under the sun the bible declares.  CHANGE is INEVITABLE. #CoachPrime

Change is inevitable, and yet, that doesn't mean it's easy. For those eager and hopeful to play for Coach Prime, his move is a loss. But for those who are excited about what he will bring to a program that has only two winning seasons in the past 17 years, this change is good.

If you happened to catch the 60 Minutes interview of Coach Prime in November 2022 then his decision to change by coaching elsewhere isn't a huge surprise. Nor is his reference to the Book of Ecclesiastes. Coach Prime is a man of God. 

When asked “Why are you here?” Sanders said “God called me collect…and I had to accept the charges. When you accept those charges, it’s going to cost you something.” For Sanders, one of those charges is “a lot of sleep.”

Upon arrival at Jackson State, Sanders was struck by the needs of the program, the student athletes and the facilities. He responded with action (see the video for more). Furthermore, Coach Prime believes in the Providence of God’s timing. He took the position at Jackson State three months after the shooting of George Floyd. He said he is there to coach to “change lives. I had to step up and do right by these kids.”

Coach Prime invites us to think about the power of change and what role we can make it furthering it for the good. While life is a push pull between accepting change and making it happen, one thing is clear—change shines prime.

To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance. —Ecclesiastes 3:1-22

Best of luck, Coach. I wonder what collect calls God will be making to you in Boulder...

Photo Credits
Coach Prime