Florida State’s coaching search is already sorting through names, and Deion Sanders appears to be drifting out of the picture for a reason that makes sense on multiple levels.
Brad Crawford of CBS Sports reported that the Seminoles may not be eager to pursue a reunion with Sanders, especially with so much riding on the next hire. Noles247 insider Kolby Crawford also said there is too much “baggage” attached to a Sanders hire for Florida State’s liking.
That hesitation starts with the basics: Sanders’ coaching path has been eventful, but not exactly stable. He got his start at Prime Prep Academy, the charter school he co-founded, then moved into college coaching in 2020 at Jackson State. He won 27 games in three seasons there before taking over at Colorado for the 2023 season.
Colorado did win nine games in 2024, but Sanders’ run with the Buffaloes has also featured lopsided losses, tense media moments and major roster turnover across the last few seasons.
For Florida State, that matters because the program is trying to avoid another hire that creates more noise than progress. Mike Norvell’s exit was tied in part to how quickly he lost support from the fan base, and the school doesn’t want to repeat that cycle with another high-profile coach whose presence becomes a distraction.
There’s also the football side of it. Florida State needed more consistency in ACC play, and Norvell’s final loss to Clemson left him with 30 ACC losses in seven seasons. Outside of the strong 2023 run, he dropped at least three conference games every year, which wasn’t enough to put the Seminoles in the title mix.
Sanders has run into a similar issue. At Colorado, seven of his nine conference wins came in one season, and his three seasons have included 13 conference losses. Florida State cannot afford to keep living near the bottom of the ACC, and hiring a coach with that kind of conference record would not exactly calm anyone down.
Money is another part of the equation. Colorado has had 235 total transfers, in and out, over the last three offseasons, and Sanders’ roster-building model has leaned heavily on the portal.
Florida State was already rumored to be considering more money for Norvell this offseason if he stayed, but his expensive firing makes it unclear how aggressive the administration will be now. Sanders would not come cheap, and he would also require plenty of resources to rebuild the roster.
Then there’s the staff side, which may be the biggest concern of all. Sanders cleaned house before the 2026 season, but Colorado is sitting at 2-5, and the turnover hasn’t solved much. He can attract attention and draw strong names, but the stability has not been there.
Florida State has already dealt with the cost of changing course on a coordinator, and it does not want to keep paying to reset the staff every offseason. Tony White was not getting the job done and should have been fired, but that move also forced the school to spend money that could have gone toward the roster. That kind of cycle is exactly what Florida State wants to avoid, and Sanders does not appear to offer the kind of steadiness the program is looking for.
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