Big 12 Head Coach Challenges Deion Sanders’ Legacy That He Recently Passed On to His Children

It’s the dead of the college football offseason, the time when coaches wear polos instead of headsets and the biggest competition is often the drip battle at media days. While fans were busy with the recruiting game, an unexpected flex came straight out of Big 12 territory—one that took a direct shot at Coach Prime’s legacy throne.

UCF head coach Scott Frost didn’t name names. He didn’t need to. But when the sneaker convo popped off at Big 12 Media Days on July 8, Frost laced up and let it fly. “I don’t wear them all the time, so I don’t know if you’d call it a ‘shoe game,’” he said. “But you know, Phil Knight sat right next to me when I called plays for three years. And Tinker Hatfield is a good friend. I love supporting those guys, so I’ve kind of gotten into it. I would venture to guess there’s nobody that has as good a collection as I do among the coaches in the Big 12.”

And just like that, the sneakiest flex of the offseason lit up the internet—and Scott Frost didn’t even have to say Deion Sanders’ name. On December 8, 2024, Frost touched down at Orlando Executive Airport, stepping back into a UCF program that was a far cry from the undefeated machine he left behind in 2017. No more perfect seasons. No more Power 6 chants. Just a bare-bones roster and a tall rebuild ahead.

But Frost? Ice cold. He strolled off that plane looking like a man with unfinished business—rocking a sharp charcoal suit, gold tie, and a pair of “Cool Grey” KAWS x Jordan 4s that sent the sneaker world into a frenzy.

But we all know who runs the college football tunnel when it comes to kicks. Coach Prime and Nike? That’s a 30-year marriage. From the original $250K deal in ‘92 to the recent “Love Letter to Connie” Air DT Max ’96 drop, Deion and the swoosh are soulmates. And now, that sneaker legacy is being passed down to the kids like a family heirloom.

The Sanders crew doesn’t just talk the talk—they walk the walk in custom PEs. Deion Jr. flexed his DT Proto 92 PEs with “WO” engraved in the heel, a nod to his Well Off Media brand. Shilo, repping the Bucs now, went live asking for cleats in Tampa colors and lowkey shaded Shedeur’s drip: “Shedeur’s are fake. He gets them painted.” Even Shelomi joined the parade with red-and-white DT Max ’96s and tagged pops on Instagram.

But the absence was loud. Shedeur Sanders was nowhere to be seen in the family rollout. No reveal. No signature Prime moment. Which, let’s be honest, could only mean one thing: something bigger might be cooking. Or maybe, just maybe, Coach Prime’s keeping the rarest pair for the real heir to the throne.

So, the question isn’t just who’s got the best shoe game—it’s who’s got the deeper legacy. And while Deion’s built an empire from cleats to culture, Scott Frost just stepped back into the chat, cool greys and all, ready to challenge the crown.

Scott Frost’s sneaker game and Nike loyalty

Scott Frost didn’t always have heat on his feet. “I wasn’t a sneaker guy at all,” he told 96.9 The Game back in February. “I was loyal to Nike because of my time at Oregon, and [Phil Knight] sat next to me in the box when I called plays. Those guys were so good to me, I was very loyal.”

That loyalty didn’t waver—even during his Adidas years at Nebraska. Frost, who openly admitted to not liking the gear during his Cornhuskers tenure, ditched all his Three Stripe kicks once the ink dried on his exit papers. “When I got done there, I got rid of all those type of sneakers,” he said. His return to UCF and the Swoosh was like coming home. From day one, Frost leaned on his Oregon connections, even helping UCF secure a fresh Nike redesign for the 2016 season.

His shoe game has evolved from brand loyalty to passion—and now, maybe, into Big 12 bragging rights. Unlike Deion, who built his sneaker rep through his playing days and now as a cultural icon, Frost’s journey has been quieter, forged through friendships and design respect. He doesn’t flaunt. He just pulls up in Cool Greys and lets the kicks do the talking.

What makes this battle compelling isn’t just the shoes—it’s what they represent. Deion’s collection, passed to his children, symbolizes legacy and flash. Frost’s, forged in the Nike halls of Beaverton, speaks to roots, loyalty, and a designer’s touch. The Sanders family unboxes viral moments. Frost just builds closets.

No coach in the Big 12 can name-drop Tinker Hatfield and Phil Knight without catching eyes. And no other coach got the guts to claim sneaker supremacy during Media Days without so much as a wink at Coach Prime. Frost might not wear his kicks all the time, but when he does, they speak louder than any quote. The off-season just got a new subplot. And it’s not about playbooks. It’s about pairs.

So, does Scott Frost have better sneakers than Coach Prime? That’s for sneakerheads and fans to debate.