Deion Sanders believes players are 'gonna want to kill' for Pat Shurmur

Colorado promoted Pat Shurmur to full-time offensive coordinator this offseason in the hopes of turning the Buffaloes’ fortunes around after 2023’s 4-8 finish to the college football season.

According to Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, who hired Shurmer as an offensive analyst last summer, believes that Shurmur is someone any team would be lucky to have on their sideline.

“First of all, Coach Shurmur’s phenomenal,” Sanders said on ESPNU at Big 12 Media Days. “And the job that he did at the conclusion of last year, running someone else’s offense, was not easy, but he did and he did a great job, especially not having Shedeur for, I think, the final game, game and a half.

“Pat Shurmur is a pro. Pat Shurmur is a communicator. Pat Shurmur is a guy that’s relational that, once you get to know him, once he builds that relationship, you gonna want to play for him, you gonna want to hunt for him, you gonna want to kill for him. So he’s that type of guy and the relationship that he has with Shedeur, and understanding that what both of them want to accomplish on the field is poetry in motion. And then, it’s easy to communicate with him. … A pro understands the running game and how important the running game is. So, Pat is bringing a tremendous amount of experience and success to the table.”

Shedeur Sanders will certainly be a major part of Colorado’s offensive effort in 2024. However, an improved rushing effort could put the Buffaloes over the hump in their first year back in the Big 12 Conference.

Last season, no offensive player tallied more than 330 yards on the ground for Colorado. Sanders rushed the ball 111 times, but 52 of those were recorded sacks giving him -77 yards on the season. Instead, the leading rusher was freshman Dylan Edwards, who scored one touchdown across 321 yards on the ground. Anthony Hankerson was right behind him with 319.

Joining Deion Sanders’ staff in Boulder last offseason, Shurmer is a long-time coach with over 30 years of coaching experience. However, Colorado is not his first stop at the collegiate level, as he spent his first 11 years coaching at Michigan State and a lone season at Stanford.

Over his 21-year NFL coaching career, Shurmur has had two head coaching stops with the Cleveland Browns 2011-2012 and the New York Giants 2018-2019. He has also been a part of eight playoff teams and six division titles. He also has a Super Bowl appearance to his name as an assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2004. He’ll look to mirror his NFL successes this season on the Colorado sideline.