Stephen A. Smith explains why Deion Sanders could consider coaching the Dallas Cowboys

With the Dallas Cowboys (3-6) in freefall and Mike McCarthy in the final year of his contract, team owner Jerry Jones could very well be looking for the franchise’s 10th head coach this offseason. The one name being reverberated thus far as a possible candidate? Coach Prime, Deion Sanders.

The Colorado (7-2) head football coach is just nine games into his second season in Boulder but spent five years of his Hall of Fame playing career with the Cowboys. Sanders was a key member of the Cowboys’ last Super Bowl-winning team in 1995; could a homecoming be in store next season? Stephen A. Smith explained why it could make sense during Friday’s “First Take” on ESPN.

“Well, first of all, Deion Sanders prefers kids as opposed to grown men when it comes to coaching,” Smith said. “So, the NFL is not nearly as attractive a commodity to him as coaching on the collegiate level is because he loves nurturing young boys into becoming men. The exception, I personally believe, as somebody that has known him for many years, would be the Cowboys.

“That is not something he has ever acknowledged or admitted. I’m not trying to break news in that regard. I think the ultimate aberration for him would be the Cowboys. That’s why I brought up the Cowboys. He ain’t trying to go to no damn Jacksonville. Get that out your head Elle [Duncan]. He ain’t trying to do that. He’d rather stay on the collegiate level. I’m just telling you, it’s not even a thought. It’s not even a thought. The Cowboys are a different animal.”

As we know, the Cowboys are the biggest brand in the NFL. Sanders is the biggest brand in college football. Jones loves Dallas being in the spotlight. From every angle, it seems like a perfect fit. But would Sanders really be interested in leaving Colorado given what he’s built in a short amount of time? The Buffaloes, after going 4-8 in year one under Sanders, are the No. 17 team in the nation with a shot at playing for the Big 12 championship.

Deion Sanders shuts down speculation of leaving Colorado for Dallas Cowboys

To this point, Sanders has indicated he’s very happy where he’s at in Boulder.

“I love it where I am,” Sanders repeatedly said when asked by Michael Irvin about the Cowboys’ head coaching job during an appearance earlier this week on “Speak” on FS1.

That hasn’t stopped the speculation, clearly. Smith added that Sanders is the perfect fit for Dallas when you take into account the marketability factor, as well as on the field.

“I have had these conversations with a number of people about this subject,” Smith said. “Deion Sanders, when you think about him, the ultimate situation would be the Dallas Cowboys. Because he’s always had love for Jerry. Always, okay? And the fact is when you look at Big D and the Cowboy brand, who’s a person that seems ideal for that? Who’s the person that can look in the eyes of the players and be like, ‘I’ve been here, I’ve done this.’ And I’m not talking about just on the football field. I’m talking about in terms of marketability. I’m talking about in terms of embracing the responsibility that comes with the shine, the star, the billion-dollar play pen that y’all play in.

“There’s a responsibility that comes with this. And being able to just decipher what the responsibilities are when you’re playing for this franchise, and getting folks to buy in. What have we religiously raved about with Deion Sanders? Not just his high ability to motivate folks, but the biggest point of it all is that he seems to be able to do things that connect with people in a way most people don’t. What are we talking about with the Cowboys here? You can look at their roster, and that’s a part of it. But if Jerry Jones has the potential to listen to anybody, it would be somebody like him.”