Firing Michael Pollock made sense after a brutal 3-9 campaign where special teams blunders cost Colorado dearly. However, the abrupt removal of the lead architect of the unit creates a massive structural void. In a phase of the game that requires meticulous oversight, losing that dedicated staffer has left a glaring and unanswered vulnerability in head coach Deion Sanders’ squad.

Colorado will not have a special teams coordinator this season, according to reporter Harrison Simeon. During a media session, he asked Deion Sanders the obvious question about the role. The Buffs have two new coordinators on offense and defense, so naturally, the next topic was special teams.

“We don’t have a special team coordinator,” the Buffs head coach said. 

Deion Sanders isn’t just being slow in his attempt to bring in a replacement for Pollock. Coach Prime is actively refusing to box himself into a traditional staff structure. By intentionally leaving the coordinator’s door open, Sanders is gambling that his high-profile assistants can absorb the critical special teams burden without fracturing their primary roles.

This move isn’t exactly the typical structure, as special teams are often treated as the third phase of the game, right alongside offense and defense. Coaches spend entire weeks drilling punt protection, kickoff coverage, and return units because one busted assignment can flip a game in seconds. So skipping a dedicated coordinator is unusual, but it’s not unheard of.

At Ohio State, Ryan Day has previously split roles between assistants. Safeties coach Matt Guerrieri and LBs coach James Laurinaitis took care of kickoff and punt units, while WRs coach Brian Hartline and TEs coach Keenan Bailey worked with return teams. Similarly, Kirby Smart also relies heavily on Georgia analysts to design schemes while position coaches run the drills, which means Deion Sanders’ approach is not a novelty. However, there’s a catch.

The gamble is significant, especially for a team whose special teams were a clear liability last season. The Buffs ranked a dismal 109th, according to data compiled by FootballScoop’s John Brice, in net punting and surrendered four blocked kicks, making the lack of a dedicated coordinator even more puzzling. If there’s one thing Deion Sanders made clear this week, it’s that he believes the staff structure is already in good shape.

Deion Sanders is proud of his coordinator haul

Despite the glaring special teams vacancy, Sanders remains aggressively confident in the broader coaching reset he orchestrated this offseason. Deion Sanders has either hired or shifted 14 coaches into new roles since the end of last season. The most notable additions came at the coordinator positions.

“I really feel as though we have the best staff that has been assembled in my tenure by far,” he said. 

His confidence stems from landing former Sacramento State head coach Brennan Marion to run the offense and promoting Chris Marve to defensive coordinator following Robert Livingston’s departure.

“You’re mainly looking for coordinators who have that head coach feel,” he said. “I want them to be the head coach of the offense, the head coach of the defense. We have those type of men in house, and I’m appreciative.”

Deion Sanders’s belief in his coordinators having a ‘head coach feel’ is backed by their track records. Marve’s defense at Virginia Tech was an ACC-leader in red-zone and scoring defense, while Marion’s offenses have consistently averaged over 34 points per game.

Offense and defense are set, but again, the question comes back to special teams. They were already a weakness, and there’s no coordinator assigned to fix it, so who will take ownership when something goes wrong? That’s the part Deion Sanders hasn’t been clear about.