The Leadership Style of Football Legend Deion Sanders

Cold Call

In 2022, Deion Sanders, known as “Coach Prime,” became head football coach of the University of Colorado Boulder (CU). Sanders was hired to bring CU’s struggling football program, which had only one winning season in the previous 15 years, back to glory.

Many observers were excited by the idea of having the Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee and two-time Super Bowl champion as CU’s new head coach. But some questioned whether Sanders had the experience needed to turn around a team in a highly competitive athletic conference. In addition, several wondered whether his “old school” leadership style, which demands a high level of discipline and personal accountability, would be effective with today’s student-athletes. Still others doubted whether his approach would be sustainable.

In this conversation with host Brian Kenny, Harvard Business School Senior Lecturer Hise Gibson discusses Sanders’ leadership style and effectiveness in the case “Deion Sanders: The Prime Effect.”