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The man who hired Deion Sanders to lead the University of Colorado football team is stepping down.
Colorado athletic director Rick George announced Thursday that he will leave his position at the end of the academic year. He will remain at the university in a fundraising advisory role.
“After much thought and discussion with my family dating back to last spring, I have decided it is time for new leadership to guide the department,” George said in a statement. “I look forward to doing everything I can to ensure a smooth transition. I also wanted to time my announcement so I could support Coach Prime and our football team this season, which I look forward to continuing in my new role.”
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Deion Sanders, CU’s new head football coach, and athletic director Rick George, right, chat in the Arrow Touchdown Club during a press conference Dec. 4, 2022, in Boulder, Colorado. (Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
George has been Colorado’s AD since 2013, and made his biggest move in the position in 2022 when he hired Sanders. Sanders led the Buffaloes to a bowl game in 2024, but will not play in a bowl game and finish with a losing record for the second time in three seasons after a loss to West Virginia on Saturday.
Colorado is 16-19 since Sanders took over, including 3-7 this season.
“This is not who we are. We’re better than this and they deserve better than this. I want better than this. I feel like I’m coaching better than this. I feel like we have players that are so much better than the production that we’re putting out,” Sanders said after Saturday’s loss to West Virginia.
DEION SANDERS DENYS BIGGEST SURPRISE AT COLORADO HOME GAME: ‘IT NEVER FAILS’
Colorado Buffaloes athletic director Rick George, left, and head coach Deion Sanders arrive at Autzen Stadium before the game against the Oregon Ducks on Sept. 23, 2023. (Andy Cross/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
“So you should identify the trainersit’s us and it starts with me because I feel like we’ve got that core inside the locker room that we should get it done. I don’t think we played against a team that is so athletically and physically better than us. I really don’t, and I will stand by that.’
Last year, Colorado went 9-4 and Sanders signed one five-year, $54 million extension that puts him under contract until 2029.
George expressed confidence in Sanders earlier last week.
“I’m proud of Coach Prime. It’s been a tough year he’s been through. He’s been a trooper, worked hard, motivated. He’s doing the things I want him to do as a coach. We’ve just got to win more FB games,” George told reporters.
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Colorado head coach Deion Sanders watches his team warm up before an NCAA college football game against TCU on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
In July, Sanders announced doctors had removed his bladder after the discovery of a tumor.
Sanders said there have been no signs of cancer since the increase.
Doctors said part of Sanders’ intestine was reconstructed to function as a bladder. Sanders faced questions about whether he would be ready to coach after his health scare, but he remains steadfast in his commitment to Colorado.
