Deion Sanders assistant weighs in on Nick Saban comparisons

Dec 4, 2022; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders speaks during a press conference at the Arrow Touchdown Club. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Deion Sanders and Nick Saban have had a scrutinized relationship, but one assistant coach who has worked under both thinks the pair have more similarities than they have differences.

Charles Kelly, who moved from Alabama to Colorado earlier in the year, filled in for Sanders at Pac-12 media day and was asked about similarities between his current boss and his former one at Alabama. Kelly said the pair actually have a lot of traits in common.

“They tell you the truth,” Kelly said, via John Brice of Football Scoop. “They tell you what is the truth, not what you want to hear, but what you need to hear. To me they’re very similar in that aspect.

“The other thing is they have a way of setting a standard. They’re not going to deviate off that standard. That standard is the standard. They’re not going to come off of it. Everybody that works with them is going to be the same way.”

Sanders and Saban have starred in commercials together, but some comments Saban made in 2022 rubbed Sanders the wrong way. Those issues did not seem to last long, though. It’s hardly shocking that two competitors might clash over certain things.

Sanders, of course, has a lot to do to match Saban’s accomplishments as a coach. That is not lost on Sanders, either.