Despite Deion Sanders ruling out coaching in the NFL as early as last month, Robert Griffin III thinks “Coach Prime” should be the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. It seems increasingly likely that the job in Dallas — which currently belongs to Mike McCarthy — will open up after the team’s early playoff exit in a lopsided 48-32 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
Sanders has maintained that coaching college kids in Boulder is more fulfilling than the potential allure of pro ball and millionaire locker rooms. That didn’t seem to resonate with Griffin, now a college football/NFL personality at ESPN, who put Sanders’ name in the mix for a job that could potentially open up as soon as Monday.
While no one knows what Jerry Jones might do, Bill Belichick’s name has gotten a lot of steam on Sunday. A little more steam than Sanders, who saw a six-game losing streak end his first season in Boulder with a 4-8 record in his introduction to Division I football.
The Cowboys need to fire Mike McCarthy and hire Coach Prime. pic.twitter.com/kfllSkIQiI
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) January 15, 2024
“What’s up Cowboys fans, I just want you to know, I’m not going to laugh at you,” began Griffin, who quarterbacked the Washington Commanders (2012-15). “I’m not here to make fun of you because, honestly, I feel bad for you, and I want you to know that this is a safe space where you can express all your frustrations about what you just watched and what you’ve been dealing with the past 28 years. The bottom line, guys, is I hate calling for coaches’ jobs; it’s just not what I do. But it’s gotta be the coach.
“You guys have had three consecutive 12-win seasons; nothing to show for it. It’s been 28 years since you made a conference championship game. It’s been 28 years since you’ve won a Super Bowl. And you’ve had 12 consecutive playoff appearances without advancing to a conference championship game, which is the longest in NFL history — un-be-lievable. A lot of people are gonna say that you guys should go get Bill Belichick as your next head coach because we all know that Mike McCarthy’s stuff was packed because this game was already over. His office? Empty. He gone!
“But I know who you need; you need ‘Coach Prime.’ That’s right, Deion Sanders. Coach Prime knows how to win in Dallas. He knows what it takes to have a championship mindset. He knows how to hold his guys accountable, and he is a culture changer. Look at what he did at Jackson State, going 27-6; it completely changed the culture at that HBCU. Then, he goes to Colorado, and he changes the mindset there. And it’s not just that; Coach Prime is also going to be your quarterback of the future. Yeah, that’s right, Sheduer Sanders.”
Although he strongly supported Dak Prescott as the team’s current starting quarterback, Griffin predicted a potential scenario where Coach Prime brings his son Sheduer to the Dallas Cowboys as their quarterback, succeeding Prescott in the long run.
“But we all know a couple of things about Jerry Jones: he loves money, and he loves the attention on his Dallas Cowboys,” Griffin said. “No coach would make Jerry Jones more money than Coach Prime. Deion Sanders would have the Cowboys high-stepping toward a Lombardi in no time…It’s time to get it right, and Coach Prime will lead you to the promised land.”
Ultimately, the choice is Jones’, and only time will tell who he chooses to lead the Cowboys into the future. First, he had to make a decision on McCarthy, and the decision to hire him was a questionable one to begin with. Anyways, Sanders has publicly stated his commitment to Colorado and the challenge of building a program. And while Coach Prime may electrify the media, his coaching record in the NFL remains untested. Jones might prefer someone with Super Bowl credentials rather than a flashy new toy.
However, it is important to remember that this is the same Griffin who claimed that Sanders was destined for a Hall of Fame head coaching career after a 2-0 start at Colorado. Unfortunately, the Buffaloes did not meet his expectations and went 2-8 for the remainder of the season.
We’ll see if Jones places a call to Sanders; crazier things have happened. But we wouldn’t bet on it.
