FOUNTAIN — Deion Sanders so values Jason Phillips, the latter was in Coach Prime’s Pro Football Hall of Fame speech.

“When we went at it against each other in Atlanta on the scout team,” Sanders said at his enshrinement ceremony in Canton, Ohio, in 2011, “he didn’t have Sundays to play. He had Wednesdays and Thursdays, and he went at my butt. We had a battle every day, and I love you (Phillips) for that.”

Over a decade later, Phillips was a part of Sanders’ staff in Boulder, coaching wide receivers for the past two seasons, the first of which came during two-way star Travis Hunter’s Heisman Trophy-winning campaign. Phillips was also on Coach Prime’s staff at Jackson State in 2021, serving as a co-offensive coordinator after stops coaching at his alma mater, Houston, as well as Baylor, Kansas and SMU, among others. 

After nearly three decades of coaching that followed his playing career, highlighted by his time with the Falcons, Phillips is retiring to spend time with family.

“I love him to life,” Sanders said Thursday at his first press conference ahead of the 2026 season. “He really coached last year for me because I was going through what I was going through, and he didn’t want to leave me in that situation.”

Phillips quietly left the program with no formal announcement before fall camp, allowing his assistant Rashad Davis, who has also been with Sanders for multiple seasons, to take over as the team’s top wide receivers coach. 

“Rashad has been with us since Jackson State,” Coach Prime said. “Sometimes people may give credit to others — (Phillips) did a great job — but Rashad has been there since Jackson State doing a phenomenal job. He’s done a lot of legwork. He’s done a lot with the receivers. It was his time to rise up and we’re thankful and happy that we have him.”

Phillips sought to dispel rumors he left because of a rift with new offensive coordinator Brennan Marion or because his relationship with Sanders had soured.

“Some comments were made about I wasn’t a fit for the new offensive coordinator, which is not true,” Phillips said during an appearance on “Thee Pregame Show” with Christopher Neely. “Coach Marion and I get along very well. I have a great deal of respect for what Coach Marion is doing at Colorado.

“There was never a time where he and I had a disagreement or had a discussion about my philosophy versus his philosophy.”

Phillips emphasized his decision was driven by family, wanting to spend more time with his wife and both of their mothers.

Marion also expressed his appreciation for Phillips as the Buffs opened fall camp at Fountain-Fort Carson High School south of Colorado Springs.

“I love that dude. He’s a truth teller; he keeps it real,” Marion said. “That’ll stay with our players throughout (their time), the culture he put in that room. I’m happy for him to spend time with him and his family and his mom. (Phillips) has meant a lot to the game of football. He’s been at a lot of places and won a lot of games. You don’t replace a person like that. You just hope to honor them with the way that the receivers play on the field this year.”

It’s a new-look receivers room with Joseph Williams the headliner among the few returners. The likes of Texas transfer DeAndre Moore Jr. and San Jose State transfer Danny Scudero will take on big roles with this year’s team. 

“We love Coach (Phillips),” Moore said. “He was a great coach, a great human being, but at the end of the day, we gotta keep moving. We have a common goal. It’s just like if one dude goes down (injured). We love him, we’re gonna help him get back up, but we need to keep moving forward to go win.”