Just weeks before last year’s summer camp, Deion Sanders and Colorado were hit with an unexpected exit. Maurice Sims, one of Coach Prime’s most trusted behind-the-scenes builders, left the program to join Florida A&M. Now, he is headed to a new opportunity for the upcoming season with a G5 team.

Sims is now on his way to Missouri State, where he will assume the role of head strength and conditioning professional for the Bears. Coach Prime’s son, Deion Sanders Jr., acknowledged the move, writing on X, “Magic Mo is in the building,” while sharing a post by Missouri State Football. Even Casey Woods, the head coach of the Bears, praised Sims.

“We are so fired up to have coach Maurice Sims overseeing the sports performance efforts of the Bears after four years climbing his profession as head strength coach of three different institutions,” said Woods. “He will set the tone for energy, structure and discipline in our growing program. His wisdom, passion and experience will be just the right formula for building the foundation of our culture and physical performance. We welcome Coach Mo to the Bears family! It takes Us ALL! Join the Climb. Go Bears!”

For Sims, it’s another step forward in a career that’s already taken him through stops at Georgia, North Carolina, Army, Indiana, Colorado, and Florida A&M, including being part of Georgia’s 2021 national championship staff. The Bulldogs finished the season with a 14-1 record. However, for Deion Sanders, his HBCU experience also mattered.

Coach Prime’s relationship with Sims began at Jackson State, where the former hired him in 2022. Along with an FBS resume, he brought experience coaching in HBCUs, having worked at Bethune-Cookman and North Carolina A&T.

When Deion Sanders moved to Boulder, Maurice Sims came along as the Director of Football Sports Performance. During one of the biggest offseason changes in the country, Sims helped lead a team that more than doubled its win total in Sanders’ first season. But an Associate AD for Sports Performance and Wellness position lured him to Florida A&M. After one season in FCS, he is back in the FBS space.

Deion Sanders hits reset in Boulder

After a frustrating 3–9 finish in 2025, it became clear that Colorado needed a reset. Under Deion Sanders, expectations were quite high going into Year 3, but inconsistent play on both sides of the ball forced tough decisions.

RB coach Marshall Faulk and OC Pat Shurmur were among the familiar faces that left, along with multiple staff members who secured bigger roles elsewhere.

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That reset started on offense, where the biggest splash came with the hiring of Brennan Marion as OC. After his stint at Sacramento State, Marion brings a lot of momentum and a fresh identity, built on player freedom and tempo. He was accompanied to Boulder by assistants Justin Houlihan and Kyle Wagner.

Colorado’s offensive room is suddenly rebuilt when you include TE coach Josh Niblett, a legendary high school winner with seven state titles, and QB coach AJ Smith, who was calling plays at the professional level with the UFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks.

Defensively, Sanders leaned more into experience and development. After leading Virginia Tech’s defense, LB coach Chris Marve offers veteran leadership, and CB coach Aaron Fletcher brings a track record of developing NFL-caliber defensive backs. When grouped together, it appears like Colorado is moving into its next stage, with redesigned staff that reflects Coach Prime’s belief.