Deion Sanders made about $9 million to finish 3-9. Don’t know about you, but I’d say the smartest guy in this relationship is the one cashing the checks. The not-so-bright ones are the wingtips who gave it to him. With money they didn’t have. And, again, money they might never, ever see. “I don’t know anyone who’s just kind of ho-hum (on Coach Prime),” former Buffs quarterback Charles Johnson told me Friday. “People will respond (in a) ‘ho-hum’ way, but within two minutes of conversation, I know exactly where they’re coming from. Again, that’s the nature of who Deion is. “There are no fence-sitters when it comes to Deion, frankly. And I happen to be a huge (Sanders) fan, a big advocate. And I have some of my best friends, some of my dear friends, who are not. It doesn’t cause a divide. This is clearly one of those situations where we can agree to disagree.” The “situation” landed a few days ago, when one of Johnson’s friends, ex-Buffs great Christian Fauria, went on “The Zach Gelb Show” and said this: “I’m just not a fan of the coach (at CU). I’m not. I’ll never be a fan of the coach … I love the school, and this isn’t me picking on Deion Sanders, because I picked on Joe Gibbs. The worst coach I ever had was Joe Gibbs. So me picking on Deion Sanders is nothing. I just don’t like the way he coaches football. I don’t think he’s very bright. I don’t think he can manage a game. I think there’s a lot of flash but there’s no substance. And he’s got a lot of people brainwashed. “And we’ll see what he can do. But I’m just not a fan of him. Not a fan of his coaching style. Not a fan of his messaging. There’s a lot of things internally that I know about that I’m not a fan of. And it’s just not worth my energy to sit there and follow it and go back and forth with the emperor-has-no-clothes crowd that support him, regardless of how stupid he is sometimes. So, yeah, that’s the way I feel about it. And it bugs me that a lot of alumni just don’t speak up about it. They don’t say anything. But I will.” Fauria went too far — and far too low — in attacking Sanders’ intelligence. The former starred for the Buffs from 1990-94 before a 13-year NFL career that included two Super Bowl victories as a member of the Patriots. Christian’s son Caleb was a tight end at CU from 2020-2023, a member of Coach Prime’s first Buffs team. The younger Fauria left, eventually transferring to Delaware. To the uninitiated, those comments came off like a football father airing out old grievances. “My son has absolutely nothing to do with it,” Fauria told me. “Everyone wants to kind of make that be the reason I’m critical, almost to rationalize it for themselves. ‘There’s no way he can say this on his own.'” Related Articles Grading The Week: Memo to Broncos: Please don’t forget parking for fans at Burnham Yard Keeler: Nuggets’ home-court advantage with Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray feels like ancient history Keeler: Broncos need to give RB Breece Hall what he wants, a Super Bowl ride on Bo Nix Express Is former Broncos assistant Klint Kubiak making a mistake coaching Raiders? Grading The Week: Broncos should let QB Bo Nix decide who calls his plays He did. And he meant it. But Fauria also said Friday that the “bright” part was taken out of context. “I did not mean to imply Deion Sanders lacks intelligence overall,” Fauria wrote in an email. “As a marketer and self-promoter, he is a genius. He built an empire around his name and created a real revenue stream that benefits his entire family, especially his kids. That’s extraordinary and worth admiring. “If you evaluate him strictly as a football coach, the guy who’s paid to be an expert in the game itself … you know, all those details that win or lose games on Saturdays … I’ll be polite and non-confrontational: I’d call that part of his profile a developmental need.” The Buffs are 16-21 under Sanders, bouncing from four wins to nine to three. They’re also 1-4 over their last five games decided by seven points or fewer. Coach Prime either blows up (2024) or blows it up (2023, 2025), and ne’er the twain. Sanders’ second year was the best by any CU coach since Rick Neuheisel’s 10 wins in 1996. After three seasons, his career record in Boulder looks eerily similar to Dan Hawkins’ 13-24 from 2006-2008. Brennan Marion is Sanders’ third different offensive play-caller since February 2023. Robert Livingston is his second defensive coordinator in three years. Game management, especially when it’s late and close, is one narrative that refuses to go away. A roster built largely through the transfer portal has made every Sanders CU team a spin of the roulette wheel. You’re never quite sure what you’re going to get — week to week, year to year. Some guys take off. Others check out. So, yeah, Fauria’s fellow Buff football alums say his critiques of Sanders’ coaching are absolutely valid — especially after last season. And more than a few CU icons still shake their heads when they see Shedeur Sanders’ retired number (2) next to Rashaan Salaam’s and Byron White’s. They just could’ve done without the dad stuff. “I love Christian; he’s always been a good man, a stand-up, character guy,” ex-CU tailback J.J. Flannigan told me by phone. “I do want to make sure I say that … he’s always showed me respect when he sees me, he makes sure to reach out, give me a hug. I have mad respect for Christian. I just think that comment (on intelligence) right there shouldn’t have been made. It sounds personal. As we say in sports, some things need to stay in the locker room.” Fauria, 54, recently transitioned from the locker room to the classroom — he’s served as a “professional-in-residence” at Bryant University, a private school in Rhode Island, since the spring of 2025. Earlier this month, he took 10 students to the Super Bowl’s radio row at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. Needless to say, the man’s social media accounts have been an interesting place over the last 72 hours. “Oh my God, dude. Blowing up,” Fauria told me. “I’ve been screen-shotting them. I’m going to use them in my class.” He also says his comments came from a place of love. Not for Sanders, necessarily. But for the university itself. For the Buffs beast he was a part of building. “As a proud CU alum who just wants the Buffs to win big and stay relevant for the right reasons, I hope (Sanders) proves me dead wrong!” Fauria said via email. “I hope he shuts everybody up, builds something unstoppable in Boulder, and rubs it in my face. If he does, I’ll be the first one out front saying, ‘Job well done, Coach,’ and give him (credit). Until then, though … for the love of Bill McCartney… learn the (expletive) fight song!” Bring that smoke. Smolder to smolder. “I think (what) ties into the comment that Christian made, there’s a bit of a cultural gap there,” Johnson said. “When there’s an individual who creates so much just guttural discomfort, because it’s so different, people repel against that. Coach Prime does that in spades. I think he thrives in creating discomfort. “And some may say that discomfort is the first step toward progress. I’ve talked to (people), not about Christian’s comments, but about Coach Prime. As you can imagine, everyone has an opinion and a thought. And they’re all over the damn board.” Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams. ...read more read less