It's hard to be in a bad mood on the first day back from vacation, and it's especially hard when it's your first day back from vacation while coming off a breakthrough season.
Such was the case at Colorado, as Deion Sanders sat for his pre-spring press conference on Monday, the unofficial kickoff to the long march toward the 2025 campaign, Coach Prime's third at Colorado but his without sons Shedeur and Shilo.
As you'll recall, there was quite a bit of misdirection as to whether Sanders would actually remain at Colorado without his sons or if he would follow Sheduer to the NFL. Ultimately, it was something that had to be seen to be believed, given that Deion has coached Shedeur and Shilo since their peewee days.
And now that it's here, how does Coach Prime like being just Coach Prime?
"I love it," he said. "I only have to wear one hat. When you're a dad and a coach, you're wearing two hats. You're coaching your butt off, but naturally you're making sure your kids are all right at the same time. You can't help but focus on those young men and seeing how they're doing. It's different for me, but I'm loving the process. I truly am."
Sanders made news behind the podium as he campaigned to play an inter-squad spring game, an offer Fran Brown and Syracuse took him up on later in the day. That bit of news obscured another piece of news: that Sanders is not using Colorado's 9-4 season to leverage himself an extension and/or a raise, content to play out Year 3 of a 5-year deal that will pay him $5.9 million in 2025.
"I ain't worried about me," he said. "Let's get everybody straight first. I'm good."
On that front, Sanders was quick to praise his coaching staff, starting with new running backs coach Marshall Faulk. You may have heard of him.
"I brought him in first and foremost because of the expertise of what he does. He was arguably the greatest running back to ever play the game. I'm talking about in all phases -- blocking, running the ball, catching the ball out of the backfield, and a bona fide leader," he said. "Marshall made many of the checks for the quarterbacks early in those quarterbacks' careers; he was just that smart.
"We worked beside one another for over a decade at NFL Network, so I know him. He is not just a friend, that's my dog, that's my boy, that's my man. I've got love for Marshall Faulk. For him to even do what he's doing -- he doesn't have to. Marshall doesn't need no money, he's straight. For him to come in and help these young men and these guys to elevate to the next level, that's tremendous. Every time I see him and I go up and hug him."
Asked about defensive coordinator Robert Livingston, Sanders said he expects this to be the 39-year-old's last season in Boulder.
"He deserves everything he's got coming, and then some. You know when you get a guy and you have success, you're not going to keep him long. When you win you expect your staff to be ravaged and he was the top dog," Sanders said. "Rob is not only a great coordinator, he is a good man, a great father. I don't know that we're going to be able to hold him after this season, but I'm going to enjoy this ride."
If and when Livingston leaves, an in-house option to replace him could be cornerbacks coach Kevin Mathis, whom Sanders said spurned an opportunity with the New Orleans Saints to return to Boulder.
"Don't sleep on Coach Mathis," he said. "We have over 20 years together. I know the Saints came with a bag, but it's going to take a little more than that. That's my dog, that's my buddy. He has coordinator ability."
Sanders also teased two new hires, one that could be announced as soon as this week, that could make observers -- but not him -- curse in excitement. It's typical of a program in a stronger position heading into Year 3 than it was upon arrival.
"It seems like every time we lose, we gain," he said. "Every time we lose someone, we gain someone."
That applies to the roster as well. The 2025 Buffaloes won't have the Heisman Trophy winner and a first-round draft pick at quarterback, but their head coach feels the team will be better top to bottom than an outfit that finished a lost tiebreaker away from playing for an opportunity to reach the College Football Playoff.
"I feel like we will have a better team, I really do," he said. "I know we had a few phenomenal players that you're going to see drafted, but as a team I feel like we're better on both lines, I feel like we're better in the backfield -- especially with the addition of Marshall Faulk. I just can't wait to see what comes to pass on the field."