Deion Sanders has turned Colorado into a national brand, but the football has been an embarrassment. The Buffaloes are 2-5 and winless in Big 12 play. Now, an old motivational speech from assistant strength coach Morgen Cote, better known as Coach Mo, has resurfaced, drawing fresh criticism.
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On October 28, X troll account Gain of Fauci reposted the preseason video, attracting 196,000 views and over 2,300 likes. The caption read, “Colorado’s female Canadian strength coach. Colorado is 2-5 and 0-4 in the Big 12.”
The speech, intended to motivate players, became a fresh target for online criticism.
“Do it well and do it with pride. You guys all have one of the most known logos in college football. Be proud,” Coach Mo told the players.
She explained her commitment to the team, saying, “I talk about y’all with great pride cuz guess what I don’t do this for the love of the game I do this for the love of y’all. And I do this because I want to see y’all be successful on that field.”
She also mentioned how recognizable Colorado’s brand had become, even among her family in Canada. But former LSU national champion and NFL defensive lineman Breiden Fehoko wasn’t impressed when the video first circulated during the offseason.
“You couldn’t motivate me to hydrate in the Sahara Desert with three days less of water,” Fehoko said.
While emphasizing his support for women in sports, Fehoko took aim at Colorado’s football program.
“Everybody knows the brand of Colorado. Nobody knows the brand of Colorado football. Colorado stinks,” he said.
Colorado’s latest defeat has only added weight to that criticism. The Buffaloes lost 57-24 to Oklahoma State on October 24 after surrendering 34 unanswered second-half points. They managed just 56 rushing yards at 1.9 yards per carry, while the Cowboys finished with 598 total yards.
Sanders struggled to explain why Colorado’s preparation wasn’t translating into game-day execution.
“I really don’t understand it,” he admitted after the loss.
The decline extends beyond one game. Since winning nine games in 2024, Colorado has gone 5-14 overall and 1-12 in Big 12 play across the 2025 season and the first seven games of 2026.
Sanders also accepted responsibility for the team’s struggles during his October 27 press conference.
“You guys deserve a winner,” he told reporters. “We just haven’t been able to get it together. That’s not ‘we’; I haven’t been able to get it together. That’s it.”
However, there is no evidence linking Coach Mo’s speech or coaching to Colorado’s poor performances.
Meanwhile, Sanders faced a separate controversy after Christopher Neely, a longtime associate known as “Uncle Neely,” recalled the coach suggesting he would pay critics to stop mentioning his name.
In a clip shared on October 25, Neely claimed Sanders had made a $50,000 proposal to media personalities profiting from criticizing him.
“Hey man, let’s just do this. I give you $50,000 to not mention my name for a year,” Neely recalled Sanders saying.
The remark sparked speculation about an attempt to buy critics’ silence. However, Sanders rejected that interpretation during his October 27 press conference.
“Oh, no, no, no. I think you misinterpreted that,” Sanders said. “That was a joke. That’s what we were saying, like, some people live on your name.”
Neely later clarified the situation during an October 27 livestream on Thee Pregame Network, replaying footage from a May show featuring Sanders making the original remark.
“If you watched the buildup at the beginning, this was clearly a tongue-in-cheek joking example to prove a point,” Neely explained, pointing to Sanders’ smile in the footage.
Although the strength coach’s video and the $50K controversy are unrelated, both have attracted attention during Colorado’s five-game losing streak. There is no evidence of an actual payment arrangement or wrongdoing by Coach Mo.
For Sanders, the bigger concern is what happens on the field. Until Colorado starts winning, the criticism surrounding his program is unlikely to disappear.