Deion Sanders Lauds Big 12 Coaching Brotherhood

Colorado coach Deion Sanders praised several of his fellow Big 12 coaches during his first appearance at the league's media days, highlighting their kindness and consistency.

Colorado coach Deion Sanders took the stage at the Big 12 media days Wednesday and immediately paid homage to some of the other coaches in the league.

Sanders singled out UCF coach Gus Malzahn, who recruited his son, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, while at Auburn. He also praised Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire, who coached Shedeur in high school.

"I'm just highlighting a couple of the coaches because they've been so kind, they've been so considerate," Sanders said. "[Malzahn] recruited Shedeur out of high school. I remember going there to Auburn and he just has been the same consistent man since. He's a phenomenal coach."

Sanders also expressed his admiration for Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy, who is entering his 20th season with the Cowboys.

"Mike Gundy, I can't say enough about him," Sanders said. "He's a legend in this league. He's a legend in the coaching profession. I've had an opportunity to coach against him a few times and he's just a competitor. He's a winner."

Sanders also spoke highly of Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark, who he called "a visionary leader."

"Brett is a great addition to the Big 12," Sanders said. "He's got a lot of energy. He's got a lot of passion. He's got a lot of ideas and he's not afraid to implement them. I think he's going to do great things for this league."

Sanders' Buffaloes are returning to the Big 12 after spending the past 13 seasons in the Pac-12. He is excited about the challenge of competing in a new conference.

"The Big 12 is a great league," Sanders said. "It's a very competitive league. I think it's going to be a great challenge for us. We're going to have to play our best every week."

Colorado opens the season Aug. 29 at home against FCS power North Dakota State. The Buffaloes play at Texas Tech on Nov. 9.

The Big 12 will be a 16-team league in 2023, with Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah becoming full members. All those schools participated in the two-day media event in Las Vegas.

"I think the future of the Big 12 is very bright," Sanders said. "We're a strong league. We've got a lot of great coaches. We've got a lot of great players. I think we're going to be a force to be reckoned with for a long time to come."