The college football coaching carousel has come to a screeching halt recently as all the jobs have been filled. There were some big surprises, including Bill Belichick-North Carolina, and Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson both landing HBCU coaching jobs at Norfolk State and Delaware State, respectively. Suddenly, another coach could be on the move with Colorado's Deion Sanders being linked to the Dallas Cowboys job after Mike McCarthy's departure.
A new report came out on Thursday that Sanders would “almost certainly” accept the job if Jerry Jones offered him, so the smoke is picking up quickly around Dallas.
With the rumors swirling, it's time to examine some options if Deion Sanders leaves Colorado for the NFL. Keep in mind these are just possible ideas, and an official list won't be laid out until or if Sanders leaves for Dallas.
Eric Bieniemy

Eric Bieniemy has been around quite a bit with his most notable stint coming as the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs. He then joined the Washington Commanders in the same role before joining DeShaun Foster's staff at UCLA.
Bieniemy has landed a ton of head coach interviews in the NFL but has been passed on time and time again. Bieniemy is a Colorado Buffaloes alumni, so the Boulder ties plus his NFL resume would be very appealing for incoming players and fans if Sanders leaves.
Jamey Chadwell, Liberty HC
Jamey Chadwell's name surfaced in plenty of coaching circles this time around, although he is staying at Liberty for the time being. Chadwell spent five seasons at Coastal Carolina before coming to Liberty, and he has a combined 60-27 record as a head coach.
Chadwell has found success at both programs, and one can only imagine what would happen if he had the resources and NIL funds that Colorado has. Chadwell would be a tougher sell than some others, but after a couple of years, the results could very well pan out.
Andy Kotelnicki, Penn State OC

If Colorado doesn't want an experienced head coach, they could dive into the assistant pool. Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki is arguably one of the best assistants in the country, and it's only a matter of time before he lands a head coaching gig.
He spent six seasons as the OC at Buffalo before going to Kansas for three years, and then he made the big jump to Penn State in 2024. The Nittany Lions made the College Football Playoff semifinal before losing to Notre Dame, and Kotelnicki's resume keeps getting more and more impressive.




Glenn Schumann, Georgia DC
Another star assistant is Glenn Schumann, whose name once again surfaced in coaching circles as he was linked to the North Carolina opening. Schumann will turn 35 in March, so he is one of the younger options, but that could be an exciting addition for Colorado.
Schumann had worked with both Nick Saban and Kirby Smart as he spent seven seasons at Alabama before going to Georgia. In 2024, he became the defensive coordinator, and he has climbed up the ranks quickly in just a short time.
Going from Deion Sanders to a young assistant would be quite the move for Rick George to make, but Schumann has a ton of potential and just needs an opportunity.
Out of the box: Chip Kelly

It says it right there: Out of the box. Chip Kelly was the head coach at Oregon and spent time in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles. He then went to take the UCLA Bruins head coaching job, but he shockingly left to become the OC at Ohio State.
Does Kelly even want to be a head coach again? Does Colorado make a move that could be deemed controversial? The Buff and Oregon/UCLA were in the Pac-12 Conference together, so there could be some feelings there due to the high-intensity games.
On the other hand, Kelly's offense was exciting at Oregon, and this year's group at Ohio State has done incredibly well with Kelly running the show. This would be an extremely out-of-the-box hire, but then again, so was the Deion Sanders move.
If Deion Sanders does leave for the Cowboys job, it will be a massive hole to fill for Colorado, and Rick George will need to hit it out of the park.