Deion Sanders is bringing former Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer with him to Colorado.
Former Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer will follow Deion Sanders from Jackson State to Colorado, as he will serve on Coach Prime’s staff in some capacity.
Sanders is putting together one heck of a staff ahead of his first year in Boulder. He wisely hired his former defensive backs coach from the Dallas Cowboys days after he was let go in Minnesota. Zimmer may be in his mid-to-late 60s, but he is one of the most outstanding defensive minds of his generation. His robust NFL experience will be keen in Sanders developing players in Boulder.
Here is what Sanders said on his YouTube show about Zimmer following him to Colorado.
“Coach Zimmer’s coming … Forget the titles — they know this game and they know kids and they’ve been capable of making tremendous decisions with the kids and the young men in mind. So that’s what I adore the most — understanding how to establish the relationships with these young men.”
Sanders also confirmed that former Florida Atlantic head coach Willie Taggart is coming, too.
Check out what Coach Prime said in his entirety about the coaching staff moves he has made.
Deion Sanders confirms Mike Zimmer, Willie Taggart are joining Colorado staff
This right here is precisely why Sanders will get this thing turned around in a hurry in Boulder. He may be the ultimate CEO-type of a head coach, but Sanders is not too proud to surround himself with the best people possible. Adding two former head coaches to his staff that already has former head coaches on it in Sean Lewis and Tim Brewster, among others, is such a huge plus.
Not until recently could a head coach be able to turn around a perennial doormat as quickly as we are led to believe Sanders can. We know he can recruit, and we know that he will hit the transfer portal so hard. However, so can other excellent coaches out there, most notably Colorado’s traditional rival in Nebraska, who just hired Matt Rhule to come to Lincoln and do the same thing.
Ultimately, expectations have not been this high in Boulder since Joel Klatt played quarterback for the Buffs or since Bill McCartney was their head coach. While we do need to temper expectations just a bit, it would not be shocking if Colorado went 6-6 to achieve bowl eligibility in year one. Then again, the Pac-12 is in the midst of a coaching renaissance, as there are no easy wins to be had.
Regardless, Sanders bringing in Zimmer and Taggart will help him turn around the Buffs in a hurry.
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