ESPN Analyst Matt Barrie expressed that Deion Sanders’ time coaching at the University of Colorado is “as good as done”, noting how disastrous the 2026 season has been for the Buffaloes.
The Sportcenter anchor spoke about those issues on the October 4 episode of his podcast, The Matt Barrie Show, with senior college football analyst Paul Feinbaum. It appears that Deion Sanders’ run in Colorado has come to a complete and screeching halt,” he began.
After acknowledging the 2024 season Sanders oversaw at Colorado which saw the team go 9-4 with quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy Award winner Travis Hunter on the team, Barrie remarked that “that Colorado thing is – its as good as done. And I don’t know if there’s any way out of it.”
Feinbaum didn’t disagree. “When the last image of a program’s last breath is your quarterback in his own end zone throwing a pick-six, it’s over,” he replied, referring to QB Issac Wilson’s play against Texas Tech the day before. The Buffaloes lost at home to the Red Raiders, 29-7.
“It is going to end either gracefully or spectacularly badly for Deion,” Feinbaum said, noting that he had his misgivings about the NFL Hall of Famer taking over at Colorado but admired his turnaround of the program.
Deion Sanders undertook another aggressive overhaul of Colorado’s team after going 3-9 in the 2025 season when his son and Hunter left for the NFL along with 36 other players, taking in 43 transfers. It is the second major overhaul done to the program since he took over after leaving Jackson State University.
“He brought in a new offensive coordinator, Brennan Marion, into the go-go offense. That hasn’t worked,” Finebaum said. “He’s got a new defensive coordinator, Chris Marve. That hasn’t worked.”
Deion Sanders also underwent treatment for bladder cancer in 2025, adding more stress to the situation. Both analysts did agree that Sanders wouldn’t simply resign. “He’s not gonna quit. Like, he’s just not wired that way,” Barrie said.
Feinbaum agreed with Barrie’s conclusion of Colorado and Sanders reaching an “amicable divorce.” “He’s not going to be caught off guard,” Finebaum stated. “I think he will look for a strategy and make sure that he preserves his good name.”
Check out the segment above.
