Deion Sanders Announced as Jackson State’s Head Football Coach

For a while, there have been reports that NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders is set to become the new head football coach for Jackson State University. The 53-year-old former athlete confirmed the announcement on his new podcast 21st and Prime.

“It’s a match made in heaven,” Sanders said. “This is a God move. When you know it’s gotta be Go for me to leave all this.”

This will be Sanders’ first collegiate position. He currently serves as the offensive coordinator at Trinity Christian School where he will finish out the season before starting at Jackson State in the spring.

Jackson State fired its former head coach John Hendrick at the end of August.

“It's very big for Jackson State University," said athletic director Ashley Robinson, according to the Clarion Ledger's transcription. "Not only for Jackson State University, this is very big for the country right now. Very big for the state of Mississippi. To Coach Prime, Jackson State University -- a blue blood program full of Hall of Famers -- it's just a great time."

Nicknamed “Primetime,” Sanders holds a stellar 16-year career in the NFL with positions on the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, and Baltimore Ravens.

Post NFL, he was able to segway into being a sports analyst for CBS Sports and the NFL Network.

Sports commentators have surmised that Jackson State has hired Sanders for two reasons, to improve the HBCU’s losing record and for publicity, especially since he has no experience coaching at the college level.

They've also hinted that Sanders might use his new position to get one of his sons to attend the school. He has five children from two failed marriages. One of his sons plays football for the University of South Carolina and another has verbally committed to Florida Atlantic University.