The Deion Sanders era is set to begin in Colorado.
When the calendar flips from 2022 to 2023, Sanders will begin as the 28th head coach in Buffaloes history. He will be hoping to turn around a program that won just a single game in 2022 and has not had a winning season since 2016, when it went 10-4, also the last year it finished the season in the AP Top 25.
Sanders is coming off a three-year stint with Jackson State, where he turned around a program that had not had a winning season since 2013, when it went 7-4. In his first full season as the head coach of the Tigers, Sanders guided the team to 11-2 and a Celebration Bowl appearance. Jackson State now enters its second straight Celebration Bowl on Saturday, this time with a 12-0 record, with eyes on coming away with the title.
But Sanders' time with the Tigers isn't over just yet. He has said he intends to coach in the Black college national championship as he hopes to guide the team to its second straight title.
MORE: Why is Deion Sanders going to Colorado?
Why is Sanders sticking around and coaching in the game before officially shifting completely to Colorado? Here's what we know.
Why Deion Sanders is coaching in the Celebration Bowl
Sanders has made it clear throughout the process of being hired at Colorado that he's not leaving Jackson State just yet.
In an address with the players, he called his time at Jackson State "unfinished business" and that he's not done there.
"Whatever I start I'm going to finish," Sanders said. "And we've got to go win this championship. We going to do that."
Deion Sanders meets & talks to his Colorado football team for the first time pic.twitter.com/fMpFMwDXfN
— Shannonnn sharpes Burner (PARODY Account) (@shannonsharpeee) December 4, 2022
Sanders said in the press conference that just like he played baseball and football, "I can multi-task and I can focus" as he starts work at Colorado while working on coaching Jackson State to the title.
MORE: Sanders' press conference as Colorado HC included declaring son Shedeur starting QB
Jackson State appeared in the Celebration Bowl in 2021, but lost 31-10 to South Carolina State. This year, the Tigers are back in the game, this time facing MEAC champion North Carolina Central.
The Celebration Bowl has been the Black college national championship since 2015, pitting the MEAC champion against the SWAC champion during that time. Jackson State made its first appearance in the game in 2021.
Jackson State has claimed three HBCU national championship titles in the program's history: 1962, 1985 and 1996. Sanders has the chance to add a fourth with a win on Saturday.
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Jackson State assistant coach Gary Harrell told reporters that Sanders has been at practice "every day" and that he has been committed to finishing his time at Jackson State with the win.
"He's a hands-on guy. He's a great leader. It's very important for him to finish this to the very end," Harrell said, per 247Sports. "Last year really bothered him as far as not completing the Celebration Bowl. So this is really important to him. He's gonna put his all into it."
