Over the last two years, Warren Sapp and Deion Sanders had become synonymous with Colorado. Before every game, we saw their antics: Sapp would kick over the pylons in the end zone, and Coach Prime would come to fix them. However, just as the Buffs were gearing up for a redemption after a disappointing season, Sapp resigned from his position. The exit left many questions, but one CU insider believes the narrative that he left Deion Sanders ‘stranded’ misses the bigger picture of what the Hall of Famer truly ‘sacrificed’ to even be in Boulder.

“Sapp is an ambassador with the Hall of Fame,” CU Insider Uncle Neely said on The Morning Run podcast. “Travels the country. Matter of fact, right now, he’s down there with the Miami Dolphins. They are about to have a fundraiser bike ride where they give all these bikes to kids down there. He’s one of the ambassadors who are raising money, buying bikes, and riding in the bike race.

When he went to Python Kitchen and boy and boy hunting. Right, they didn’t like to do what this brother sacrificed a lot to come into coaching, something that he said four years ago.”

Colorado announced Sapp’s exit on February 27. In a statement, the university said, “Warren Sapp has resigned from the CU football coaching staff to pursue other opportunities.”

“CU Athletics thanks Warren for his contributions to our football program over the last two seasons and for his commitment to our student-athletes,” they added.

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Interestingly, the news comes 24 hours after the Buffs lost their defensive coordinator, Robert Livingston, who left to join Sean Payton’s staff at the Denver Broncos. It is unclear whether Sapp would follow Livingston to join the Colorado-based NFL team.

If Uncle Neely is to be believed, Sapp’s departure wasn’t about football but a return to his true passions. His extensive charity work, from founding the Urban Solution Group to his own Warren Sapp Foundation, demanded a level of focus he couldn’t give while coaching.

He was also involved in events like the Youth and Professional Pass Rush Sack Summit, where he even helped younger players. Then he also partnered with former Browns linebacker Devin Bush to form Urban Solution Group, aiming to build low-income housing in Fort Pierce. That project eventually ended, but he did take the step.

For Sapp, raising funds for a good cause is an essential part of his life. He has done it for the “Heavy Hitter Fundraiser,” which raised $4,000, and for the “Mad Dog Fundraiser,” which received a $1,000 donation for cancer research. So, balancing both at once is not something Sapp signed up for.

Coach Prime hired Sapp as a graduate assistant in 2024. He was later promoted to the role of pass rush coordinator in 2025. Under his tutelage, the defense saw a surge in sack numbers. It went up from 27 sacks in 2023 to 39 in the 2024 season. But then came Colorado’s worst nightmare season, 2025, when they went 3-9 and recorded just 13 sacks.

Deion Sanders coaching shakeups

Warren Sapp’s exit from Colorado ahead of the spring game is a major blow for all the players and the defensive staff, as they now need to work with a new coach and settle into a new system really fast. But he is not the only one who left Deion Sanders’s team. Sapp’s move came days after defensive coordinator Robert Livingston’s move to the NFL.

After his exit, linebackers coach Chris Marve took over, but it will take time for them to build momentum. Then their defensive line coach, Domata Peko, also headed to the NFL. These sudden departures added more pressure on Deion Sanders’ already struggling team.

The team lost over 45 players in the portal, and another coaching shake-up will put them back into square one. Their defense was already facing major trouble last season, giving up 587 total yards against Utah with 422 rushing yards in their 53-7 loss. Now, it will be interesting to see how they tackle this situation.