Colorado footballcoachDeion Sandersmight not be fighting for his job just yet. But consider this comparison as Sanders opens his fourth spring football season in Boulder this week:
Previous Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre got fired in 2018 after going 20-17 in his final three seasons from 2016 to 2018, including 10-4 in 2016, when the Buffaloes suffered a blowout loss in the Alamo Bowl.
Sanders' three-year record at Colorado is 16-21, including 9-4 in 2024, when they also suffered a blowout loss in the Alamo Bowl.
MacIntyre had just one winning season in six years overall. Sanders has just one winning season in three. So how does Sanders veer off that similar path? By solving these three major challenges below, starting Monday, March 2, just one day afterhis team was rattled by tragic news: Backup quarterback Dominiq Ponderdied in a car accidentin Boulder County March 1.
1. Deion Sanders must break in a mostly whole new team
After finishing 3-9 last year, Sandershas a new offensive coordinator, new defensive coordinator, new running backs coach, new defensive line coach, new tight ends coach and new cornerbacks coach, along with44 new scholarship transfer playersand 12 new scholarship freshmen.
Out of 77 scholarship players on the current team, only 21 return from last year's team, according to the university. The newcomers include San Jose State transfer receiver Danny Scudero, who led the nation last year in receiving yards (1,297). Talented playmaker Boo Carter also transferred into Boulder from Tennesseeafter his dismissal from the team there in November.
Colorado's transfer class ranked No. 23 nationally, according to 247Sports. But Sanders only has 15 spring practices to work on it before the start of preseason practices and the season opener at Georgia Tech on Sept. 3.
2. Prepare the quarterback of the future
This will be an especially tough spring for Colorado quarterbacks after the sudden passing of Ponder, a non-scholarship player.
"I know that we'll we'll find a way to get through it and and honor Dom in the way that we work every day," Colorado offensive coordinator Brennan Marion said March 2.
Ponder likely would have been a backup this year behindredshirt freshman Julian Lewis, who started two games last season. Lewis, 18, has shown he has the poise and potential to be the team's new starter this year as a pro-style passer. But then Sanders changed his offensive coordinator, replacing Pat Shurmur withMarion, who runs a run-heavy Go-Go offense. That doesn't mean Lewis won't fit into that system. But it does raise questions about how well he'll fit into it.
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Another mystery added to the intrigue recently when the Buffsconducted an internal player draftto select two intrasquad teams. In a bit of a shocker, Lewis was not the first quarterback selected, as shownin a video posted by Sanders' son Deion Jr.
Colorado teammates instead picked freshman quarterback Kaneal Sweetwyne at No. 1 overall, ahead of Lewis, who was picked No. 2. Sweetwyne is a dual-threat QB who at least gives the Buffs some options at a position that suffered a setback in 2025 after Sanders' quarterback son Shedeur left for the NFL.
3. Establish an effective defense in a hurry
Five days before the start of spring practice, defensive coordinator Robert Livingstondeparted to take a job as an assistant coach with the NFL's Denver Broncos. Colorado also confirmed Feb. 26 pass rush coordinatorWarren Sapp has leftthe coaching staff, too.
In a bit of a jam, Sanders promoted new linebackers coach Chris Marve to replace Livingston and revive a defense that regressed in 2025. Colorado ranked 111thnationally in scoring defense with 30.5 points allowed per game last year and then lost its leading tackler — safety Tawfiq Byard, who transferred to Texas A&M. But the Buffs still might be able to fill his void. They added veteran Vanderbilt safetyRandon Fontenette, who had 125 tackles the past two seasons.
A bigger question might be whether Marve is the man to get the job done. He previously served as defensive coordinator at Virginia Tech, where he was fired in 2024 after a 6-6 regular season.
If Marve fails again, will Sanders go the way of MacIntyre with two one-hit wonders between them in 2016 and 2024?
It's a question that won't need to be asked if Sanders can meet these challenges, starting Monday. The Buffs conclude their spring practice season April 11.
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer@Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Deion Sanders facing 3 big issues this spring with Colorado football