Alabama assistant joins Deion Sanders Colorado staff: report

Alabama associate defensive coordinator and safety coach Karl Kelly will reportedly join Deion Sander‘ Colorado staffers as the team’s new defensive coordinator, sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed ESPN‘s Chris Low Wednesday (December 7) night.

Kelly, 55, has spent the last four seasons with the Crimson Tide, including the team’s undefeated national championship run in 2020.

The Auburn graduate previously worked as a defensive coordinator at Florida State from 2014-2017 — after initially being accepted into the program as a special teams coach and linebacker during the Seminoles’ 2013 national championship season — and as a special teams coach and security personnel in Tennessee before the accession Nick Saban‘s Alabama staff in 2019.

Sanders, who was officially unveiled as the new Buffaloes head coach last Sunday (December 4), had already hired the former Kent State head coach sean lewis as the team’s offensive coordinator prior to news of Kelly joining the staff.

Alabama runs back on Sunday Trey Sanders publicly expressed an interest in moving to Colorado while the school hires Sanders.

“Have you room for me uncle?” Trey Sanders tweeted to Deion, with whom he has no relationship despite sharing the last name.

Trey Sanders was rated a five-star prospect and was ranked as the #1 running back, #2 Florida state player, and #6 overall prospect for the 2019 national recruiting cycle, but has seen limited playing time since signing with Alabama.

Deion Sanders, who has spent the past three seasons at Jackson State, a historically black college, publicly confirmed his plans to use the NCAA transfer portal during his introductory press conference Sunday.

The Pro Football Hall of Famer announced that his son is a Jackson State Quarterback Schedeur Sandersplanned to move to Colorado, referred to him as “your quarterback” and was also featured in a video telling Buffaloes players he was “bringing my bags, and it’s Louis.” [Vuitton]’ meaning several other Tigers starters would also join the program.

Sanders reportedly has a five-year, $29.5 million offer to join Colorado, which will make him the highest-paid coach in the school’s history despite being an athletic director Rick George publicly admitted that as of Monday (December 5) the program “doesn’t have the money yet, but I know we will have it… so I’m not worried about this play”.

Sanders’ hiring comes days after he confirmed a FOX sports report that he received an offer for the job in Colorado.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback led Jackson State to its second straight SWAC championship on Saturday (Dec. 3), defeating Southern 43-24, hours before it was presented by Colorado and a week before the Tigers’ second appearance in a row in the Celebration Bowl.

Sanders, who was known as “Prime Time” during his legendary playing career and as “Coach Prime” since taking over the Tigers, said he doesn’t see the job offer as a distraction ahead of his team’s two biggest games of the year.

“For someone who wasn’t that type, it’s intoxicating. I’ve been ‘Prime’ for a long time, mate,” Sanders said with a laugh via 247 sports. “Attention is nothing new to me. So come on I’m not boastful – that’s a wonderful word, isn’t it? That just occurred to me – but this isn’t new to me. Being in the spotlight is nothing new to me.”

Colorado finished the 2022 season with a 1-11 overall record (1-8 Pac-12) that included a 63-21 home loss to No. 12 Utah in the final game.