November 30, 2023 By: Mark Knudson

Is Deion Sanders ushering in the era of the Celebrity Football Coach?

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Deion Sanders is on the record: He’s going to “change college football.”

He didn’t say how.

We just all assume he means the full throttled use of the Transfer Portal (and the NIL deals that are sure to be part of that) but Deion’s been throwing out some mixed signals on those topics recently. He says his Colorado program is “not an ATM.” He’s talking about “commitment” and “loyalty” now, sounding like an old school football coach. So what’s the deal?

Maybe that’s not what he means. Maybe Deion’s talking about being the first ever Celebrity Football Coach…with more to follow?

That would certainly qualify as a sport-changer.

Sometimes people become celebrities by accident, but most times, celebrity status is earned. Deion most certainly earned his on the football field as one of the best cover cornerbacks and kick returners in NFL history. Flamboyant, often spectacular, always, always entertaining. He gave himself a nickname and created his own brand. That’s what celebs do.

After he retired, his first step was a TV gig, which is a key step to becoming a CFC. Keep your face out there. Then after he flamed out trying to start an-fated charter high school, he landed a head coaching gig at Jackson State, an FCS school with limited resources and big dreams. Deion said God put him at the HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) for a reason. He lasted three seasons before $5mil (plus) and a chance to coach in the Pac 12 made he and God change their minds. He took the only FBS offer he had and headed to Boulder.

Deion and his celebrity took college football by storm this season. He was must-watch TV and sold out stadiums every week.

Okay, so his first season at an FBS program didn’t end all that well, record-wise. So what. A whole lot of people who weren’t interested in Colorado football got interested when Deion showed up. That’s what celebrities do. They draw attention. Nobody did it better.

Today, Deion’s name, image and likeness are everywhere. He’s constantly in the news, on TV and radio promoting health care, almonds, chicken, insurance, jewelry and sunglasses. He’s selling more merch than Walmart. Looking for a celebrity endorser? Call Boulder and ask for Deion. His people will get back to you.

And just as importantly, he’s got an entourage. Celebrity Football Coaches in training.

He’s adding another NFL Hall of Famer, Warren Sapp, to his coaching staff. Sapp has no experience as a coach, but he’s got plenty of experience as a celebrity. He’s checked a box by doing the TV analyst thing. He’s been on “Dancing with the Stars” and other reality TV shows. Check and check.

For now he’ll be one of Deion’s assistants and will be learning how to recruit high school student-athletes (and presumably land endorsement deals.) These are all steps Sapp will need to take in order to become a CFC on his own.

Same with another Hall of Famer, Terrell Owens, seen on the CU sidelines this season and well known for his own brand of flamboyance and style. He’s done TV stuff, including being on Dr. Phil. Nice.

TO was also well known for his touchdown celebrations. CFC’s need to be able to teach that valuable skill (see Shedeur Sanders and his wristwatch celebrations.) While TO also has no actual coaching experience, that particular part of a prospective CFC’s resume isn’t all that important. CFC’s hire other guys to handle that stuff.

Sapp and Owens may each have a future as a CFC (learning to delegate is pretty easy to do while you’re busy handling the bigger stuff like selling merch) but they are unlikely to reach the heights that another future CFC could, should he choose to take his career in that direction.

The next really great Celebrity Football Coach? How about one of the most recent standout celebrity football players, Tim Tebow?

There can be little doubt Tebow could become everything Deion has become as and more. Much more.

For starters, like Deion, Tebow tried his hand at playing professional baseball (he was even worse at that than Deion) and eventually landed on TV. He’s done the realty show thing, too. He’s even hosted two reality TV shows. And he’s acted in a movie called Run the Race.

Like Sapp, he’s “written” a book. More importantly, Tebow already has his own merch, and he’s an accomplished product pitch man and public speaker. Prospective football recruits love that. He’s done commercials for Nike, Jockey and TiVo.

And when Tebow tells kids that “God put me here,” he really means it. Think of the list of celebs who could hang out on the sidelines with Tebow? Joel Osteen. Mike Pence. Jerry Falwell Jr. Mike Johnson. That list would be endless.

Again, this is down the list of requirements to be a CFC, but Tebow was an even more accomplished collegiate player than Sanders or Sapp, even if his pro career fizzled. And like the others looking to perhaps follow in Deion’s footsteps, he has zero actual coaching experience at the moment…but who cares?

He can get that tidbit of experience at a small school before he moves up to a Power Five program. Who would not want to hire Tim Tebow to be their college’s head football coach? He’d have no problem hiring assistants to handle the football coaching stuff. Urban Meyer might leave the TV booth to sign on. More importantly, Tebow would bring his own mega-brand, meaning instant attention – and dollars – to any downtrodden program that needs a huge boost.

Perhaps Tebow could start off at a small school like say, the Houston Christian Huskies, who went 5-5 this season (6-5 when you factor in a forfeit win.) They goat boat raced by teams like Western Kentucky and Tennessee-Martin, but if they were to hire someone like Tim Tebow to be their Celebrity Head Coach, they’d instantly start landing recruits, get TV attention (and money) and be off to the races, right?

So… if the trend he started continues, Deion Sanders will have indeed changed college football.

He didn’t mention if that was going to be for better or for worse.