Deion Sanders’ arrival in Boulder generated immense hype and high expectations. Coach Prime’s first two seasons lived up to much of that buzz, but last season marked another step backward, and he continues to draw criticism from some former Colorado players.
Deion Sanders Earns Brutal Jab From Former Colorado Star
During an appearance on “The Zach Gelb Show” on Wednesday, former Colorado tight end Christian Fauria criticized Sanders and the way he has led the Buffaloes.
“I just don’t like the way he coaches football,” Fauria said (0:40). “I don’t think he’s very bright. I don’t think he can manage a game. I think there’s a lot of flash, but there’s no substance. He’s got a lot of people like brainwashed…we’ll see. We’ll see what he can do. But I’m not a fan of him. Not a fan of his coaching style, not a fan of his messaging.”
“There are a lot of things internally I know about that I’m not a fan of. And it’s just not worth my energy to sit there and follow it…So, that’s the way I feel about it. And it bugs me that a lot of alumni just don’t speak up about it. They don’t say anything. But I will,” Fauria added.
A two-time Super Bowl champion, Fauria said he initially supported Coach Prime and understood the difficulty of winning in Colorado.
Citing Bill McCartney as an example, Fauria described it as a job that requires a “special person”. McCartney built a strong foundation with his first recruiting class, eventually leading the Buffaloes to three Big Eight titles and a national championship in 1990. He finished his 13-year tenure at Colorado with a 93-55-5 record.
However, Fauria went on to highlight that successful coaching requires winning games, effective recruitment, and giving equal attention to every player, and not just ‘relevancy’.
MORE: Deion Sanders’ Colorado Endgame Takes Shape After He Confirms NFL Future
It is worth mentioning that Fauria’s son, Caleb, was on Colorado’s roster when Sanders arrived in 2022, but later transferred to Delaware for the 2024 season. After dealing with limited playing time and injuries in Boulder, Caleb sought a better opportunity and went on to play in all games for Delaware, recording 134 receiving yards and 1 touchdown.
Meanwhile, Sanders’ three-year record with Colorado is 16-21. His toughest season came in 2025, when the Buffaloes finished 3-9, and it was impacted in part by the transition following the departures of Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter.
However, with former five-star quarterback Julian Lewis, who recorded an impact score of 64.1 in PFSN’s College Football QBi Metric, there is optimism that Colorado could rebound in 2026.
Just hater!!!