This is a homecoming of sorts for Deion Sanders. The man known as “Prime Time” exceeded the hype after being picked No. 5 overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the 1989 NFL Draft, becoming the best cornerback in the NFL — while also successfully embarking on a Major League Baseball career — by the time he departed in free agency in 1994.
When Georgia Tech’s job came open in 2022, Sanders was heavily linked to the job given his strong Atlanta sports ties. But the Yellow Jackets opted to stick with Brent Key, the former Georgia Tech offensive lineman who went 4-4 as the team’s interim head coach in 2022 after predecessor Geoff Collins was fired.
The decision worked out for both sides. Sanders became a cultural phenomenon (again) at the start of his tenure as Colorado’s head coach in 2023 and led the Buffaloes to a 9-4 season in 2024 with two-way star Travis Hunter winning the Heisman Trophy. Key, a former Alabama assistant under Nick Saban, has led Georgia Tech to three straight bowl games and is 23-16 in his three seasons as a full-time head coach.
