Deion Sanders’ health has yet again begun to deteriorate, and the concerns have now become impossible to ignore. They are raising serious questions about whether Coach Prime would be able to continue his head coaching career at this level. After Colorado’s 21-35 loss to TCU on Saturday night, Sanders came open on the situation, saying that he believes he has more blood clots in his legs. 

He said, “I think I got more blood clots, cat’s out the bag, alright. It don’t make sense. I’m hurting like crazy.” Coach Prime was visibly laboring on the sideline during the game, favoring his leg and even coaching part of the contest with one shoe off his left foot before scheduling a doctor’s appointment for Monday. This isn’t new territory for Coach Prime.

Sanders had already gone through amputation of two of his toes due to the same complications back in 2021 and then again in 2023. If these health issues force Sanders to step away, the university might have to make a viable succession plan, with a lot of Big 12 slate remaining and also for the years to come. So, who could be the best coaches to get this opportunity? 

Jon Sumrall

Jon Sumrall is 36-10 as a head coach across three seasons and has turned every program he’s touched into a winner. The 43-year-old led Troy to back-to-back Sun Belt Championships in 2022 and 2023 with a 23-4 record before moving to Tulane, where he’s gone 13-6 in less than two full seasons and has the Green Wave at 4-1 in 2025.

Sumrall has perfected the plan that makes him win immediately. He led Troy to a 12-2 record and caused an upset of No. 23 UTSA. Now, he leads Tulane as it sits at a 4-1 record after only being defeated by Ole Miss. Sumrall’s defensive prowess is essential for Colorado, as it keeps losing games because of its defense. 

Jamey Chadwell

Jamey Chadwell is 60-27 in the FBS as a head coach and has proven he can win anywhere, including at Liberty, where he’s gone 21-5 in two seasons. The former Coastal Carolina coach won the 2020 Walter Camp Coach of the Year after leading the Chanticleers to an 11-1 record and a near-perfect season that included crushing Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan team in a bowl game.

Chadwell’s offense is what makes him so attractive for the Colorado position. He specializes in up-tempo and creative schemes, which would fit perfectly with Colorado’s talent.

Eric Morris

Eric Morris is 35-32 overall as a head coach in six seasons, including 11-14 in two years at North Texas, but those numbers don’t tell the full story of his offensive genius. Before becoming a head coach, Morris was the offensive coordinator at Texas Tech from 2013 to 2017, where he coached a young quarterback named Patrick Mahomes and helped develop him into a future NFL MVP and three-time Super Bowl champion.

 Morris then went to Incarnate Word as head coach and went 24-18 in four seasons while leading the Cardinals to an FCS quarterfinal appearance, and he brought along a relatively unknown quarterback named Cameron Ward, who later became a star at Washington State. He definitely knows how to make good players great, something Colorado might need, considering they lost their star players to the NFL.

Brennan Marion

Brennan Marion is the ultimate boom-or-bust candidate. He’s a 38-year-old offensive mastermind who just became the head coach at Sacramento State in December 2024 after two dominant seasons as UNLV’s offensive coordinator. Marion is the innovator of the “Go-Go Offense,” a revolutionary scheme that led to him being nominated for the Broyles Award as one of the nation’s top assistant coaches and earning Mountain West Wire Coordinator of the Year honors in his first season at UNLV.

Marion is young and has zero head coaching experience beyond one month at Sacramento State, but Colorado could get him for a fraction of what they’re paying Sanders and would be bringing in one of the brightest offensive minds in college football. If Colorado wants to take a gamble on someone who could become the next big thing in coaching, Marion represents the kind of high-ceiling, affordable option that could either

Matt Campbell

Matt Campbell would be the ultimate home-run hire for Colorado if they’re willing to pay for proven excellence, and at $5 million per year, he’s expensive but not in the stratosphere of coaches making $10+ million annually. The 45-year-old Iowa State head coach has quietly built one of the most respected programs in college football with an 82-51 record over nine seasons with the Cyclones, including three straight eight-win seasons and a Big 12 Championship Game appearance in 2020. Campbell’s teams are physical, disciplined, and make no mental mistakes, exactly the opposite of what Colorado has been doing this season. He has consistently developed under-recruited players into NFL-caliber prospects and built a winning culture at a school that was 3-9 before his arrival.

But as of now, the verdict is that Colorado might not have to worry about replacing Sanders. Deion Sanders has been through a lot of injuries and health complications in his life. And he has always fought back and come back stronger. He endured cancer and still came back to coach his beloved team. The five coaches listed above represent realistic replacements for Colorado without breaking the bank, but until any other news arrives, Deion Sanders will still continue coaching the Bulls.