Could college football eventually see Coach Prime in the SEC? If Stephen A. Smith had his way, that would be a reality.
The popular ESPN analyst was on the network's "Get Up" show on Monday morning as the crew discussed Sunday's firing of Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher. There have been a number of high-profile names mentioned over the last couple of days to take over the Aggies football program, from Oregon's Dan Lanning to Duke's Mike Elko.
Perhaps the most stunning move would be for Deion Sanders to leave Colorado to join the SEC school. And Smith is all on board to see that happen.
"Primetime Deion Sanders in the SEC? That needs to happen."@stephenasmith is calling for Deion Sanders to take Jimbo Fisher's place as HC for Texas A&M 👀 pic.twitter.com/ZYKW1XmGcy
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) November 13, 2023
"Primetime Deion Sanders in the SEC? That needs to happen," Smith said on "Get Up."
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Smith did clarify beforehand that he doesn't think Texas A&M would make that move. He's not the only one that is skeptical of the reality of that change, as his former ESPN colleague, Bomani Jones, noted Sunday that Coach Prime and the Aggies would seem an unlikely match.
aTm would hire colonel sanders before they hired deion sanders. https://t.co/v1yKxnl1JC
— bomani (@bomani_jones) November 12, 2023
It's not the first time that Sanders' name has been attached to Texas A&M, though. Earlier this season, ESPN's Paul Finebaum brought up Sanders and the Aggies during an Oct. 15 interview on "The Matt Barrie Show."
"Maybe if there was one guy, Aggies would say, 'You know what? We'll do it. We've gotta save this program,'" Finebaum said. "I don't see a guy. You could say Deion, but I don't know."
After Smith's comments on ESPN, Sanders was asked about his potential interest in taking the head coaching job at Texas A&M. Sanders gave a very Coach Prime answer in response.
"I want to win a game. You think I really do sit down and think about that kind of stuff?" Sanders said. "C'mon, I'm good. We've got to win. Let's focus on this week."
Sanders is in his first year at Colorado after starting his college coaching career at Jackson State. The former NFL Pro Bowl cornerback led the Buffaloes to a surprising 3-0 start to the season, but the team has just one win in its last seven games, sitting at 4-6 entering the final two weeks of the Pac-12 campaign.
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Meanwhile, the Aggies have an overall record of 6-4, and are 4-3 in the SEC this season. Texas A&M has struggled the last three seasons in conference play under Fisher, sparking the change in head coach.
Texas A&M coaching candidates to replace Jimbo Fisher
If not Sanders, who might be in line to take Fisher's job at Texas A&M? The Sporting News' Bill Bender mentioned the following five names as potential candidates to take over the Aggies program this offseason:
Dan Lanning, Oregon coach
Can Texas A&M pull Lanning off the West Coast? He's 19-4 at Oregon and has the Ducks in the College Football Playoff hunt. He was an assistant for four years under Kirby Smart at Georgia from 2018-21. That included three years as the defensive coordinator. Lanning, 37, also had a GA stint at Alabama. He's learned from the best, and his aggressive coaching style on both sides would be a hit in College Station. Oregon's last two head coaches were hired away by Florida State (Willie Taggart) and Miami (Mario Cristobal).
Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss coach
Kiffin's contract with Ole Miss runs through the 2026 season, and this also would make a splash considering it would be a move within the SEC West. Auburn tried this with Kiffin last year, and it did not work. Kiffin is 31-15 since taking over with the Rebels in 2020. Texas A&M is 28-16 in the same stretch. Is that gap enough to take a chance on Kiffin, who continues to improve with age? At 48 years old, there are still moves to make.
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Mike Elko, Duke coach
Elko, 46, has increased his stock in a short time at Duke, where he is 15-8 the last two seasons. The Blue Devils have proven to be capable underdogs, and Elko has used the transfer portal with great success. He has experience at Texas A&M, where he was the defensive coordinator from 2018-21. While that might be too close to Fisher, the 2021 defense ranked third in the FBS at 15.9 points per game. Elko is going to be a hot candidate for this carousel, and he makes sense for Texas A&M.
Kalen DeBoer, Washington coach
The other Pac-12 coach worth taking a look at. DeBoer is 33-8 between his stints at Washington and Fresno State, and that's after he compiled a 67-3 record at Sioux Falls before working his way through the FBS coaching ranks. Washington ranks fourth in the FBS at 41.7 points per game, and DeBoer, 49, would have the choice between the Big Ten and SEC next season. What does DeBoer want?
Jeff Traylor, UTSA coach
Traylor, 55, is not a big-time name, but he's a Texas native and has stayed in the state since 2000 with the exception of a two-year stint as an assistant at Arkansas. UTSA is 36-13 under Traylor, and the Roadrunners have averaged 33.9 points per game since he took over as head coach. Offense would not be an issue, and Traylor has earned this opportunity.
