Deion Sanders’ impact at Colorado raises hopes other Black coaches will get opportunities

By CLIFF BRUNT
AP Sports Writer

Deion Sanders’ immediate impact after taking over a Colorado football program that won just one game last year is providing hope for other Black coaches looking to land Power Five jobs. There are only 14 Black head coaches roaming the sidelines at the 133 Football Bowl Subdivision programs while roughly half the players are Black. Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman and Penn State’s James Franklin are the only ones at what would be considered traditional powers. It’s too early to say whether the national attention Sanders has generated leads to more opportunities for Black coaches but it has sparked conversations.