The biggest news in the sports world this past weekend and the biggest news on Black Twitter was the departure of Jackson State University football coach Deion Sanders aka Coach Prime.
Here is a little for those who do not know Deion Sanders outside of Jackson State. He is now known as Coach Prime, but as a player, he was known as Neon Deion or Prime Time. He is arguably the greatest cornerback to ever play in the NFL. He won two Super Bowls with two historical franchises the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys. He is the only athlete to play in the Super Bowl and the World Series. He once played in both a NFL and MLB games on the same day. He recently finished a stint as the football coach at Jackson State, where he won two SWAC titles and was coach of the year. Jackson State just completed an undefeated season. What he did on and off the field has changed how HBCUs are viewed in the mainstream.
Deion Sanders was recently introduced as the new head football coach for the Colorado Buffalo. This confirmed speculations from the past week that he would leave. This confirmation ignited a Black Twitter debate. His transition should be celebrated because he has become the first HBCU coach to land a job in a power five school. As with most good news, not everyone is excited. There are many who are up in arms about Deion making the jump, but there is something school leaders can learn from Deion Sanders.
Deion Sanders might have given Black school leaders the blueprint for how we can elevate and land positions. It is 2022, and I’m still reading pieces about a school leader who became the first Black this and the first Black that every month. While many Black school leaders are talented and qualified, they are getting passed over. Most get passed over because the US education system is still a racist system, but Deion proved that you could get noticed no matter your school’s size.
As Black school leaders, we want to lead more prominent schools and districts. We want to lead districts where we will have more resources to do our jobs and educate our children. Deion Sanders showed us that you can still do a lot when the resources are hard to come by. Yes, Deion Sanders brings a name, and it may be easier to secure funding and partnership with a name, but even with a name, you still must produce. Not only do you have to produce, but there must be some excitement, and Deion Sanders did both at Jackson State.
It is ok to take that position in a school where resources are limited. As the school leader, you must recreate the identity. You must get people to believe. Deion Sanders bought an identity to Jackson State, a motto he has had with him his entire life, “I Believe.” What many schools need, maybe a little more than resources, is a leader who believes—a leader who can get others, especially those within the school to believe. Deion bought a swagger to Jackson State and restored pride in HBCUs, especially in athletes. Deion’s belief was so strong that he landed the number one high school football recruit in the country last year. He did that even though that player could have gone to a bigger school with better resources and could have offered him a lot more financially. Even though your school may not have the operating budget and all the fancy bells and whistles, you can still land the top teachers to come and teach at your school if you believe, and you can get them to believe.
I am a proud HBCU graduate, and I enjoyed watching what Deion Sanders was doing at Jackson State. Like many, I hoped he would stay longer, but I knew if he kept winning and creating that buzz, someone would make him an offer. I believe instead of criticizing Deion for upward mobility, which is what many Black people in this country would love to do in their careers, we should celebrate not only what he did at Jackson State but the new barriers he has broken for another Black coach from an HBCU in the future. There was HBCU pride before Deion got to Jackson State, and there will be HBCU pride now that Deion has left Jackson State.
I also want to salute Colorado because what does not get talked about is how Deion Sanders is the fourth Black coach the Colorado football program has hired. They just fired a Black coach and replaced him with another one; that rarely happens.
Deion did what all those in leadership, especially school leaders, should do. Leave a place better than you found it. Leave a mark that will last long after you are gone. While it may not seem like it now, Jackson State, the SWAC, and HBCUs are better off because of the time, talent, and treasure Deion Sanders put into Jackson State University.
I wish all Black kids in K-12 schools could experience a leader like Deion Sanders. Imagine how much better off kids would be in their education if they could experience a school the way Jackson State was during Deion Sanders’ tenure.