Deion Sanders Snubbed From Top 10 College Football Coaches Ranking?

The worldwide leader in sports polled a slew of reporters and used a point system, 10 points for first place, nine for second and so on, to determine its rankings. Georgia Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart received 11 of 12 first-place votes, the second year in a row that he was far and away No. 1.

Sanders received three points, tied for No. 18 with Ole Miss Rebels coach Lane Kiffin, Tennessee Volunteers coach Josh Heupel and SMU Mustangs coach Rhett Lashlee.

Coach Prime ranked fifth among Big 12 coach on the list, behind the Utah Utes' Kyle Whittingham (No. 9), the Iowa State Cyclones' Matt Campbell (No. 10), the Kansas Jayhawks' Lance Leipold (tied for 12th-most votes) and the Arizona State Sun Devils' Kenny Dillingham (17th most votes).

The two Big 12 coaches who made the top 10 are there for good reason. Whittingham leads Utah with 167 career wins and is the second-longest tenured Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) coach behind Mike Gundy of the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Campbell is the winningest coach in Iowa State history and led the Cyclones to their first-ever 11-win season and the Big 12 Championship game in 2024.

If one removes historic precedent, Sanders has a compelling argument to be in the mix for the top 10. Coach Prime entered a barren wasteland that went 1-11 the year before his hiring and reached nine wins in just his second year. In the process, he brought an array of five-star athletes to Boulder, including a Heisman Trophy winner in wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter.

Sanders' aggressive, "not hard to find" transfer portal and recruiting strategy went against the grain when he arrived in Boulder, but it is now conventional wisdom with the rise of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) funding. Coach Prime was ahead of the curve in that regard as well, leading the makeover of a collegiate program unlike most who came before him.

Sanders has also had great success in getting his players to the NFL. Three Colorado wide receivers from last season were selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, the most of any school.

The Buffs' pro pipeline should continue, as Sanders has built a coaching staff with over 150 years of NFL experience. Defensive coordinator Robert Livingston was nearly hired away by the New Orleans Saints after just one year with the Buffaloes.

Sanders may not be in the top 10 yet, and the ranking may be fair. But with sustained success, especially following the departures of Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders, Coach Prime won't be hard to find in discussions about the best coaches in the nation.