Colorado Senior Associate AD for External Operations Alexis Williams joins ADU’s Steph Garcia Cichosz at the 2024 PACnet to share the secret to success in external operations. Williams, who was the recipient of Paciolan’s Star Award in Huntington Beach, reflects on the growth of Colorado’s external units due to the department’s embrace of emerging markets and the recent hire of Football Head Coach Deion Sanders as well as how her experience in live entertainment impacts her approach to leadership. Williams also discusses the importance of personalizing one’s management approach to accommodate different personalities and learning styles, and emphasizes the need for team bonding and team building in order to develop a unit that can row in the same direction.

The conversation is indexed below for efficient viewing (click the time stamp to jump to a specific question/topic).

Many people keep wondering if Deion Sanders will make a jump to the NFL after his sons leave Colorado next year. The topic has been brought up numerous times since the end of last season, but the answer hasn’t changed over time. The Colorado Buffaloes coach is content being in Boulder and wants to be there for the long haul.

It’s been no secret and Sanders wants people to take him for his word. The Hall-of-Famer went on the record about his future with All The Smoke with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson. He didn’t adjust anything and reiterated his love being at the base of the Flatirons (16:00 mark).

“My kids, man, they’ve been there every bit of the way, Sanders said. “And most people ask me, “what are you going to do when they’re out ? You know y’all going to Pros together?” I said you know what, a real father leads his sons, right? He doesn’t follow them. So, I’m good. I’ll be him. I ain’t going nowhere. I’m straight. I love Boulder, Colorado. And I cannot wait until they go into the NFL and do their thing. But I’m not following my kids anywhere. I lead my kids places.”

Sanders was asked about his vision in the foreseeable future with a five-to-ten year window. Again, nothing changes with a summed up response. “The kids will be in the pros and I’ll be here. You see those mountains behind us? You’ll see my head up there,” Sanders said.

Deion Sanders’ sons buy him a new home in Colorado

It seems more or less that Coach Prime wants to follow in the footsteps of his late mentor Bobby Bowden. Establish roots with a program and stay there to impact the lives and future careers of his players. It was a quality that made the former FSU legend successful. He was still involved in an unofficial capacity with the Seminoles program up until his final months.

Sanders has said one of his dreams was to be the first black head coach to win a national championship. If you build it, that might come.