Deion Sanders Shares Honest Assessment Of Colorado Buffaloes Coaching Staff

While speaking with the media ahead of Colorado's Saturday evening game against the TCU Horned Frogs, Sanders was asked about how well he believes his coaching staff has gelled with a few new faces. "Coach Prime" brought in fellow Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk to coach his running backs, Domata Peko to lead his defensive line, and Andre Gurode and George Hegamin joined Gunnar White on the offensive line.

"The staff is good," Sanders said Tuesday. "I think you can see the bonuses and what Marshall Faulk has brought to the table, what Gunnar (White), big George (Hegamin) and big Dre (Gurode) have brought to the table on that offensive line. Coach Peko is doing a phenomenal job with the defense line as well, even though we've been sustaining injuries. We just got to play better at the linebacker position and in the secondary. We got to play better."

The three-man offensive line coaching tandem of Gurode, White and Hegamin has arguably been most encouraging. Unlike the past two seasons, Colorado's offensive line has been a strength of this team with left tackle Jordan Seaton and guards Xavier Hill and Zy Crisler leading the way.

Although they've yet to hit their ceiling, neither Faulk's running backs nor Peko's defensive linemen deserve much of the blame for Colorado's slow start.

"Coach Prime" made clear, however, that his defensive backs and linebackers must step up, and some of that falls on cornerbacks coach Kevin Mathis, safeties coach Robert Livingston and linebackers coach Andre' Hart.

"They gotta play better," Sanders said of his cornerbacks. "All of them gotta play better. We gotta do a better job of preparing them and coaching them."

Who Takes The Blame?

While coaches ultimately take the heat during difficult periods, teams both win and lose as an entire unit. No single player or coach deserves the entire blame as Colorado looks to get things turned around.

"I want them to play like their life is on the line, like their careers are on the line, like the payment for a car is on the line. The payment for a home is on the line, like they have children dependent on them — and some do," Sanders said. "I just want them to play with full intensity and passion. When you walk off that field, you look back and say, 'I gave it my all.' That's all any coach wants. That's all I desire."