Theoretically, anyone can be a coach. That said, some people truly exemplify the spirit of coaching more than others. Deion Sanders hasn’t been in the profession at the collegiate level for long, but he’s one of those folks.
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Sanders builds real relationships with his players. His actual sons, Shedeur and Shilo, played for him at Colorado. However, they’re far from the only players on his roster that he truly loves. He shares incredibly deep connections with Jimmy Horn Jr. and Travis Hunter, among others. And he never shies away from walking the walk or talking the talk beyond the gridiron when necessary.
Without a strong coaching presence in his youth, Sanders may never have developed into the man he is today. During an appearance on the How Leaders Lead podcast, Sanders revealed that many of his coaches, including his high school coach, Ron Hoover, filled that role in his life.
POWERFUL STUFF FROM DEION SANDERS
Here’s an insight into why Coach Prime has been a successful coach.
Jimmy Horn was struggling but Deion gave him a powerful message & reminder about his imprisoned dad during the game.
Jimmy would catch the game-tying TD.
“He’s watching … pic.twitter.com/SiO7c1kf9m
— Jamy Bechler (@CoachBechler) September 22, 2023
Sanders characterized his coaches’ impact on him, including Hoover’s, as “phenomenal.” He specifically mentioned one instance from his junior year, which actually resulted in his removal from the football roster, as a major building block.
“[He] was such a disciplinarian. Such a tough, hard-nosed guy… I violated one of the team rules, which I didn’t even know… and I was suspended from school. I didn’t even do anything, but being suspended kicked you off the team… that taught me a lot about leadership and understanding the responsibility of leadership.”
Hoover easily could have made an exception and allowed Sanders to remain on the team, but he didn’t. Sanders’ time away, as he mentioned, ultimately influenced how he approached things going forward. His actions since becoming a coach himself demonstrate how much that experience stuck with him.
He believes it was the “best thing that ever happened” to him as an athlete.
The best thang that ever happened to me as athlete was my HIghschool coach RON HOOVER kicked me off the team my Jr year because I got suspended for being insubordinate. I was the starting QB,DB & all but his rules were his rules. I returned my senior year as a real leader! #Truth pic.twitter.com/PRzU3U4Dr5
— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) July 3, 2018
Ron Hoover was the Genesis of PRIME! #NorthHigh @NorthFtMyersHS #Truth #CoachPrime pic.twitter.com/3N2TQhSsp3
— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) June 14, 2019
Hoover’s structure and approach to running a football team resonated with Sanders so deeply that he modeled his TRUTH organization around its principles.
While Sanders didn’t explicitly say he has taken those lessons to Boulder, it’s likely they’ve crept into his teachings. With any luck, they’ll help him guide the Buffaloes to another strong campaign – sans Shedeur, Shilo, Hunter and Horn Jr. – in 2025.
