Coach Prime …. aka Deion Sanders, has taken the college football world by storm.

His unconventional approach has lead Jackson State University, an HBCU to a 12-0 season.

And recently he was appointed head football coach at the University of Colorado.

What makes his approach unconventional to the average follower on TikTok?

He plays theme music in the locker room and is always dancing
He dances on the sidelines
He shows a lot of flash, the clothes and jewelry he wears
He’s controversial in abandoning traditional norms for coaching behavior

I think though ….. this is nothing more than a distraction / marketing tool.

What makes Coach Prime a success are two basic things, that also are a bit unconventional.

1. In his recruitment of the players, he cares about their whole well-being, above their sacrifices that they are to make on the football field …

i.e. “You should get your surgery before the season even though you won’t be able to play”.

i.e. “If you are not fully healthy, then I don’t want you to play, I want you to heal first” …

These are things football coaches almost never say.

2. He truly cares about the players as their leader. He cares about the relationships that are developed with them. He cares about the community.

“But he is leaving, and he is going to Colorado”.

Yes. He is leaving.

But he’s met with many of the players individually prior to leaving.

He’s had large team meetings where the entire team had a chance to speak their mind about his departure and what he meant to them.

This includes not only the players but the training staff, the coaches, and other support groups to the team..

The head coach at the school I pull for, the University of Notre Dame, left last year at a last minute 8am meeting that lasted less than 5 minutes, there were no hugs good-bye, and then he was on the jet to his next gig.

What’s unconventional about Deion Sanders isn’t the surface material and the flash and dance.

It’s the genuine care that he has given to the players who play for him …. which is seemingly a lost art in the modern world of college football, where dollars, and winning at all cost rule the day.

The stories of coaches putting players back in the game who are injured, are endless.

We’ll see if Deion’s unconventional approach carries the Colorado Buffaloes to success … but if he continues to treat his players with great respect, then I’ll be rooting for him.

A lot of planning and hustling on our end before the year closes out over here at SCN – Search Consulting Network, and trust you are as well.

Make it a great day everyone!

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