Deion Sanders on not coaching sons Shedeur, Shilo in 2025: 'I love it'

Since 2017, Deion Sanders has actively been the head coach of at least one of his sons. However, with Shedeur and Shilo Sanders off to the next level, that streak will come to an end in the upcoming season. On Monday, Deion Sanders opened up on how it feels to coach a team without his children on the roster.

“I love it because I only have to wear one hat, and you don’t understand how much I appreciate that,” Sanders said. “When you’re a dad and a coach, you’re wearing two hats. You coach your butt off, but naturally, you’re making sure your kids are alright at the same time, simultaneously.

“I’ve adopted kids on this team that I love to life, and I’m watching them as well, but it’s nothing like your two biological kids. And you can’t help but focus on those young men and see how they’re doing. So it’s different for me. I’m sure it’s different for them, but I’m loving the process. I truly am.”

As wonderful as it can be for a father to coach his sons, it comes with its fair share of cons too. Notably, fans will constantly question a coach’s decisions regarding their sons, and wonder if their innate bias played a role in their decisions.

Deion Sanders experienced this firsthand when he immediately named Shedeur the next starting quarterback at Colorado when he took over the program. Nonetheless, Shedeur ultimately proved his father right.

The Buffaloes’ QB was spectacular during his two seasons at Colorado, shattering numerous program records. Now, Shedeur is projected to be one of the top quarterbacks selected in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Of course, fans weren’t so quick to disregard their initial concerns around Shilo starting at defensive back. The older of the two brothers was a physical playmaker but occasionally caused issues for the team with late hits or other misconduct.

Alas, Deion Sanders never backed down, and Colorado ultimately found immense success, coming just one win shy of playing in the Big 12 Championship. Now, Sanders won’t have to worry about people accusing him of showing favoritism to his own blood.

Coach Prime will have plenty of new pieces to work with next season. Colorado has added 17 players via the NCAA Transfer Portal this offseason. The group is highlighted by former Liberty quarterback Kaidon Salter, who was the No. 12 QB in the portal, according to On3’s 2025 Transfer Portal Player Rankings.