Northwestern HC David Barun sparks Deion Sanders comparison after turning 1-11 Wildcats into a Bowl-winning team 

Northwestern had a great season under head coach David Barun this year. The Wildcats went from a 1-11 overall record last season to win the Las Vegas Bowl against the Utah Utes on Saturday. The achievement drew comparisons between Barun and Deion Sanders, another head coach who inherited a 1-11 team.

Sanders joined the Colorado Buffaloes in December last year after a successful stint at Jackson State. He immediately started building the roster almost from scratch, bringing in more than 50 players from the transfer portal. Barun did nothing of that magnitude, yet he still managed a way better record than Coach Prime.

The Northwestern Wildcats finished second in the Big Ten West behind the Iowa Hawkeyes with a 7-5 overall record. Compare that to Deion Sanders' record in his first season, a 4-8 overall with losses in all of his last six games.

While Coach Prime’s Colorado Buffaloes didn't manage to get into a Bowl game, David Barun led his Wildcats to a Bowl game win. Notably, it came against the Utes, who had bested Sanders’ boys with effectively a fourth-string QB in Luke Bottari.

Northwestern held their nerves against Utah on Saturday in a low-scoring game. Ben Bryant threw 23 completions for 222 passing yards in the game. He also managed two passing touchdowns as Northwestern pipped Itah 14-7.

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CFB fans bring up Northwestern’s David Barun after Deion Sanders wins SI Sportsperson of the Year

College football fans weren't especially happy when Sports Illustrated gave the Sportsperson of the Year award to Colorado HC Deion Sanders. Many reacted to the news by comparing Coach Prime with Northwestern's David Barun.

Here are the reactions:

This fan had just one word in support of the original argument.

Sanders had a big impact on Colorado's football program, bringing in eyeballs and revenue to an otherwise dormant Buffaloes. But what David Barun managed to do with Northwestern is also worth a shoutout, especially after winning the Las Vegas Bowl.