Deion Sanders or “Coach Prime” took over the world of sports by what he has done as the football head coach at the University of Colorado. After the Buffaloes went 1-11 last year, Sanders was brought in to turn the program around accompanied by his son Shedeur, who is the starting quarterback.
Sanders got his start as a head coach at HBCU Jackson State and has completely overhauled the culture at Colorado. He has the respect of players and made his program an appealing option for potential commits for years to come. After starting 3-0, the Buffaloes finished the year 4-8, but Deion isn’t going anywhere.
It has been inspiring to see what Sanders has done in only his first year at Colorado, so much so that it touched former Los Angeles Lakers great Lamar Odom, who wants to do something similar for a college basketball program, via Arash Markazi of The Messenger:
“I love what [Sanders] is doing,” Odom told The Messenger. “I think I could do the same in basketball. You give me a program and I’ll recruit and I’ll take them to the Elite Eight and the Final Four. We’ll definitely be able to sell tickets for the first couple of seasons. That’s for damn sure. I just want to coach. I love to see young men grow and get better. I want us to play the game the right way. I want these young men to represent their school the right way. If you give me a program, I promise you I’m going to live in the gym and turn that team around.”
Odom is motivated to step foot in the coaching world and knows what it takes after winning two championships with the Lakers:
““I played for Pat Riley and Phil Jackson,” Odom said. “I came into the NBA as a 6-9 guard and ended up as a rebounding power forward. I know the game. I came in as a young superstar on a young team and ended my career as one of the best players coming off the bench and the Sixth Man of the Year on a veteran team. I know about sacrifice and what it takes to win. I’ve won multiple championships with the best player of my generation in Kobe Bryant.
“I can’t wait to be called Coach Odom or Coach O. That would be a dream come true for me. I want to coach in college because you have guys who are more willing to learn. I think it will be great to teach college kids. It’s something I’m passionate about. It’s something I want to do. I think it will happen. I can’t wait for that day to come when I have my own team and my own program. If I didn’t share my basketball knowledge, I would be a fool. I know a lot about the game and how it should be played at a high level.”
It would certainly be intriguing to see Odom as a coach considering he has the experience after playing 14 seasons in the NBA.
Fellow teammate Derek Fisher has coached in the NBA, WNBA and is now taking a jab at the high school level with Crespi. This will be something to monitor to see if a college program believes in Odom to turn things around.
Shaquille O’Neal says Deion Sanders reminds him of former Lakers coach Phil Jackson
Odom wasn’t the only Laker to speak out about Deion, as Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal thinks Sanders reminds him of Phil Jackson, who won five championships during his time with the Lakers.
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