136 years of NFL experience later, Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders is still looking to stockpile his staff.
Since February, "Coach Prime" has added Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk as running backs coach, 15-year NFL veteran Domata Peko to guide the defensive line and Super Bowl winning-offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich in an unknown capacity. Coach Mike Zimmer could be next.
Zimmer appeared in Thursday's Well Off Media YouTube video of a Colorado practice. He was head-to-toe in Buffaloes gear, standing alongside Sanders, wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter and defensive coordinator Robert Livingston.
Zimmer and Coach Prime have a rich history dating back to 1995. At the peak of his illustrious NFL career, Sanders joined the Dallas Cowboys where Zimmer was in his second season as defensive backs coach. The pair won a Super Bowl together in year one, and Zimmer mentored the legendary cornerback through four additional campaigns.
After 27 of his now 28 years of NFL coaching, Zimmer flipped the script and worked under Sanders as an analyst and consultant with the Jackson State Tigers in 2022. Reportedly, he followed Coach Prime to the Buffaloes for a similar role in 2023, though his hiring was never made official.
Zimmer has also crossed paths with several current Colorado coaches. After 12 years with the Cowboys and a one-year stint with the Atlanta Falcons, Zimmer served as defensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals from 2008 to 2013. Livingston earned his first NFL coaching job in 2012 as a Bengals scout, while Peko started 94 percent of games during Zimmer's tenure at defensive tackle.
With Cincy, Zimmer gained the reputation of a defensive guru and earned his stripes. In 2010, he was named NFL Assistant Coach of the Year and winner of the George Halas Award for leading the league's fourth-best defense after the tragic mid-season death of his wife, Vikki Zimmer.
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Zimmer achieved his first and only head coaching job in 2014 with the Minnesota Vikings. Over eight seasons, he oversaw three playoff berths, two division titles and one NFC Championship appearance before being fired in 2022.
Zimmer returned to Dallas in 2024 for a second run as defensive coordinator. His unit struggled, mainly against the run, leading to Zimmer and the Cowboys going their separate ways after the season. ESPN insider Ed Werder reported that he would likely retire from coaching in the NFL.
