Where did Deion Sanders coach before Colorado? Coach Prime's professional career explored

Deion Sanders is among the most talked-about coaches in college football at the moment, and that’s a massive understatement. The outspoken Hall of Famer has brought the formerly struggling Colorado Buffaloes football program from obscurity into glory–at least early in the season.

The Buffs were 1-11 last year and are already 3-1 heading into Week 5 of the 2023 college football season. But after coming into the national limelight at Colorado, where did Deion Sanders coach before relocating to Boulder?

Where did Deion Sanders coach before Colorado?

Coach Prime had been the coach of Jackson State football before being appointed by Colorado. It was with the Tigers that Sanders more or less did what he’s currently doing for the Buffs: Turning the program around from mediocrity to success.

Before Sanders took the helm as head coach, JSU was among the lower-ranked teams in college football. In the 2019 season, the team was 4-8 overall and a paltry 1-4 at home. The Tigers also ended the season with a three-game losing skid. The only good thing about that year was they split their four road games at two wins and losses apiece.

Jackson State hired Coach Prime in 2020, in what was the Pro Football Hall of Famer's first head coaching stint. Although he didn’t really bring the program off the ground quickly, he did change it in a major way. Things picked up as JSU had an excellent 11-win season in 2021.

The school also earned its first-ever SWAC title since 2007. Aside from that, JSU won nine straight games to finish the season and was undefeated in eight conference games, per JSUTigers.

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Deion Sanders brought continued success at JSU

Deion Sanders’ success at Jackson State was no flash in the pan. He coached the HBCU school to winning seasons almost every year except for the 2020 season.

Last year, the Tigers remained undefeated in conference play with eight wins. They also tallied a 12-1 record overall, with their only loss coming at the hands of the NC State Eagles at the Celebration Bowl. And that was the last-ever game Coach Prime would see for JSU.

Overall, Deion Sanders coached Jackson State to a 27-5 record. This is arguably one of the biggest turnarounds in terms of win-loss records in college football. Perhaps the only way for it to be achieved is for a team to have someone with the quality of Coach Prime on their side.