Deion Sanders Eyed as Potential Next Coach for Auburn Football

ESPN‘s Stephen A. Smith has sparked a significant debate in the college football world by suggesting that Deion Sanders, the current head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, would be an ideal candidate to take over as the head coach at Auburn University. Despite Sanders’ impressive turnaround of the Colorado program, which has seen the Buffaloes go 8-2 in the first 10 games of the 2024 season, Smith believes that Sanders would thrive in the more intense and storied environment of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

Smith argued that while Sanders has been successful at Colorado, the atmosphere and fan support at SEC schools like Auburn, Alabama, Georgia, or LSU are unparalleled. “I understand Boulder, Colorado. I’ve seen the stadium,” Smith said. “I was there twice, for crying out loud, Deion got me to come to Boulder, Colorado. I get that part. But it ain’t 100,000 showing up in Death Valley or Alabama or Georgia…. There’s a different flavor that comes with it.

Former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton, who won the Heisman Trophy with the Tigers in 2010, agreed with Smith’s assessment. Newton has been vocal about his support for Sanders potentially taking the helm at Auburn, despite an earlier awkward encounter with Sanders’ son, Shedeur, and player Travis Hunter.

The speculation about Sanders’ future comes as Auburn’s current head coach, Hugh Freeze, faces uncertainty about his tenure. If Freeze is fired or does not complete his contract, Smith and others believe that Auburn should make a strong push to lure Sanders away from Colorado.

Meanwhile, Auburn is preparing for a crucial matchup against Texas A&M, with legendary coach Nick Saban warning the Aggies about the challenges of playing at Jordan-Hare Stadium, which he described as “haunted” due to its history of dramatic and unexpected outcomes.