si
Deion Sanders is known for his loquaciousness, so when the Colorado Buffaloes head coach responded to a question with a single syllable on Tuesday, the brevity itself was noteworthy. During his weekly press conference, Sanders was asked whether the program had considered making a change at offensive play-caller. His reply was immediate and unequivocal: 'No.'
On its face, the answer suggests unwavering support for offensive coordinator Brennan Marion. Yet it also marks a departure from Sanders' own history. In two of his three previous seasons as head coach, Sanders has replaced play-callers, and both changes came as November approached.
A Pattern of Late-Season Switches
In 2023, after Colorado fell to 4-4 following a 28-16 loss at UCLA, Sanders stripped offensive coordinator Sean Lewis of play-calling duties and reassigned them to analyst Pat Shurmur, a former NFL head coach. The Buffaloes dropped Shurmur's debut, 26-19, to No. 16 Oregon State, but Sanders defended the move afterward. 'We just needed to try something else at the time, and that's what we did,' Sanders said after the loss. 'I don't look back on it. I don't second-guess myself whatsoever, because it's more to it than what you may know.'
Shurmur eventually became the full-time offensive coordinator, only to lose the play sheet himself after a 53-7 loss at Utah on Oct. 25, 2025. Tight ends coach Brett Bartolone, who ran Sanders' offense at Jackson State, called plays the following week without any formal announcement, and Sanders later hinted at the change. 'I might have already made changes, and you don't know,' Sanders said in November 2025. 'I don't blow the whistles and make major announcements.'
Marion Retains Play-Calling Duties
This time, Brennan Marion keeps the keys. Colorado currently sits at 3-6 overall and 1-5 in the Big 12, the same marks the Buffaloes held a year ago after that quiet switch. The offense has offered little cover, averaging a Big 12-worst 19.8 points per game. History suggests scoring output is pivotal for Colorado under Sanders: the Buffaloes went 13-3 when scoring 30 or more points across his first three seasons and 3-18 when they failed to reach that mark. The 2026 team has hit 30 only once, in a 52-21 win over FCS Weber State.
Marion's contract also factors into the loyalty. Colorado pays him $1.5 million annually through Jan. 31, 2028, nearly double Shurmur's $850,000 salary. Pulling the plug nine games into a two-year deal would be a difficult financial pill for an athletic department that projected a $27 million deficit for fiscal 2026 and will not report final figures until January 2027.
When questions about Marion persisted on Tuesday, Sanders deflected with humor. 'Is this Killing Brennan Day, today?' he asked the room. He then turned the scrutiny on himself when the conversation shifted to the offseason. 'I know what you're getting at, and I applaud it, but nah. I love the job the coordinators are doing. I gotta do better,' Sanders said.