Lessons from “Coach Prime”
Get Better
It’s no secret I’m a big sports guy. I’m also aware that many of you are not.
That’s fine—you really don’t have to be to get something out of this article.
Even as a non-sports fan, Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes college football team may have crossed your radar. They’re one of the biggest stories in the country, receiving coverage not just from ESPN but the likes of Good Morning America and 60 Minutes.
As somebody who grew up 30 minutes from Colorado’s Folsom Field, wore the black and gold sweatshirts, and attended some games in my youth, I’m ecstatic.
But as a writer on church and culture, I see important lessons that extend far beyond the football field, lessons we need to learn.
Before we get to those lessons, here’s a brief overview for the story’s context. You can probably skip this section if you follow sports at all.
The Colorado Buffaloes were the worst team in college football in 2022. They somehow won 1 game out of 12 and their average margin of defeat was 4 touchdowns. You don’t need to know much to pick up what those numbers mean. They were awful.
Then, they hired Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders, an NFL Hall of Fame player turned college football coach. Under his leadership they’ve revamped the roster and won their first 3 games of the season.
They have already sold out every home game of the season, each game to this point has been nationally televised, and basically every major sports broadcast in the country was on campus in Boulder for last week’s game. They have gone from laughingstock to the center of the sports universe in 10 months.
When “Coach Prime” arrived on campus to take over the languishing program, the viral clip of his first speech to the team caused a lot of hand-wringing.
“It ain’t gonna be no more of the mess that these wonderful fans, the student body, and some of your parents have put up with ... for probably two decades now. I’m comin’ and when I get here it’s gonna be changed. So I wan’t y’all to get ready, to go ahead and jump in that portal, and do whatever you’re gonna get, because the more of you jump in, the more room we make, because we’re bringing in kids who are smart, say that, tough.”
In other words, “you haven’t been good enough, so many of you are going to be replaced. You can leave by your own accord for another opportunity, but if you stay and aren’t good enough, I’ll push you out.”
This did not go over well, to put it mildly. “How can he speak like that to college kids?” As dozens of players left in subsequent months, the criticism grew louder. “How are they going to even field a team without all these kids he’s dropping?”
Well, those kids went 1-11. Their replacements have already tripled that win total, and with a minimum of 9 games remaining to add to the number.
Bottom line: he was right.
Why was he right, though? That’s where we find the lessons we can use. Let’s talk about 3 of them in particular.
1. Accountability is good
Many people rushed to the defense of those student athletes who were told they were about to lose their spots and eventually transferred to other schools. Sports Illustrated ran a hit piece with quotes from some of those disgruntled former players lamenting what they felt was disrespect from the coaching staff.
Was Coach wrong, though?
They were given scholarships in exchange for their football prowess, and it turned out they didn’t have any to give. They were terrible.
Why should they be given something they had not earned? If better options were available (as they clearly were), why shouldn’t they be replaced?
It’s just common sense. But common sense isn’t allowed in our feelings over facts society. Their feelings were hurt, so coach was wrong to hold them accountable for their performance.
We are to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), and specifically we are to speak truth to one another (4:25). Sometimes that means we’re going to have to say things people don’t want to hear.
But we are a society that does everything in our power to shield ourselves from accountability. We surround ourselves with people who will never confront us. We label people toxic and cut them off if they have the guts to tell us we’re wrong. We jump from church to church to church because we don’t like the preacher “meddling in our business” or telling us what to do.
Beyond that, we are drowning in excuses. We vilify achievement and lionize weakness. We make brokenness a virtue to be pursued and glorified.
That’s why when a coach confidently tells the worst group of players in the nation “You’re not good enough” it makes millions of people upset. You’re not supposed to actually expect anything of anyone. The motherly instinct of “There there, it’s ok, don’t be too hard on yourself” has value. But it’s not the only instinct. Accountability is important, too.
2. Accountability requires honesty
Nothing makes people madder than when somebody says a fact we all know is true, but everybody has agreed not to acknowledge.
But without honesty, we can’t assess what’s right, what’s wrong, and what to do next.
When asked on 60 Minutes this week about the comments urging players to transfer out, Sanders had this to say:
“I think truth is good for the kids. We’re so busy lying we don’t even recognize the truth no more in society. We want everybody to feel good. That’s not the way life is.
…
If you went for that, if you were able to let words run you off, you ain’t for us because we’re an old-school staff. We coach hard. We coach tough. We’re disciplined. If you’re allowing verbiage to run you off because you don’t feel secure with your ability – you ain’t for us.”
Once again, he’s right. His critics would rather he lie to the kids about their talent level. How does that prepare them for the real world? How does that help the team? How does that do anything but delay greater pain down the road?
And if they can’t handle difficult truths, why is that his problem?
How often do we see this in churches, the home, or in our own lives? We are allergic to harsh truths. We get mad at the people who say them. It is no secret that many preachers are expected to muzzle themselves or water down certain topics because of the monetary and attendance-related backlash that will be felt if they preach the Word too strongly.
All of the Proverbs about seeking wisdom and knowledge (4:5-9, among others) require a heart that desires truth, no matter how bad it tastes. We will never grow as individuals, families, or churches if we shield ourselves from the truth.
3. Honesty is best received from competent leadership
I’ll admit, Sanders’ “Prime Time” style going back to his playing days tips the scale toward arrogant. But plenty of people who can see the pitfall of arrogance fail to see the corresponding pitfall of insufficient confidence.
When Sanders came in describing the kind of program he was going to run and the level of character and work he was going to demand of his players, people were again uncomfortable. In their eyes, it lacked humility to seem so self-assured and to speak so confidently.
But why would any player get on board with his vision if he himself didn’t seem sure of it? How easy would it be to dismiss his brutally honest accountability if it was more of a suggestion? With his track record of competence, he could confidently say “Here’s how it’s going to be.”
Why does this make us uncomfortable? Because we expect our leaders to ask permission for everything.
“Hey guys, I’m going to draw the line right here—if it’s ok with you.”
“How would everybody feel if we decided to go in that direction?”
That’s not how it works. Leaders become leaders through competence. “Coach Prime” got the job because he was winning games and landing big recruits at his previous school. With a track record and a job title, he had every right to set the expectations for the Colorado program.
Likewise, an elder should only become an elder if they are exemplary, above reproach, qualified in every way. With the competent track record and the God-given title, they can and should set the tone for the church. With that reputation, their ability to speak harsh truths and hold people accountable will be far more respected.
The same concept goes for husbands and fathers. Doing a good job earns credibility, and greater credibility equals greater moral authority to lead. And when you have it, use it.
What we see in all of this is just how foreign and unfamiliar actual leadership has become.
We’re shocked when we see somebody decisively take authority, even a man ostensibly hired to do exactly that.
But, if we want the world to be a better place, we had better get used to it.
Could you imagine if competent, honest, accountable leadership were the norm?
Because that’s the one part of the Coach Prime story we haven’t gotten to: his players adore him. Many have called him a second father. The hottest recruits from around the country are flying in for visits to Boulder, CO because they see what Sanders is building and they want to be part of it.
Yes, strong leadership is an acquired taste. But the more of us acquire it, I suspect the happier and better-off we’ll be.
Photo credit: 7 Figure Squad, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
I have been following his program for exactly these reasons! Well said brother!