Charles Barkley Defends Deion Sanders’ Move From an HBCU School, Tells Critics To ‘Shut The F*ck Up!’

NBA on TNT’s Charles Barkley defended Deion Sanders against critics who have slammed him for leaving an HBCU school to coach at the University of Colorado.

Sanders jumped from coaching at Jackson State, which plays in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, to Colorado, which is part of the Pac-12. The Pac-12 is one of the conferences that make up Power Five Conferences in division one athletics.

The coach and former NFL star was criticized by ESPN’s Bomani Jones, who felt Sanders “sold a dream and then walked out.”

Coach ‘Prime’ had some defenders in his corner, such as Fox Sports’ Shannon Sharpe,. The former tight end blasted leaders who were criticizing Sanders’ leap up the college ranks.

“We say, ‘we want our Black coaches to get opportunities’; he gets an opportunity, he takes the opportunity, and now you mad,” Sharpe shouted.

“I’m talking about my community,” Sharpe continued. “I’m talking about us; they know who I’m talking about. Blacks are mad, but look at what he did. He brought eyes to HBCUs.”

Now Sanders has a new person in his corner, Sir Charles.

On this week’s The Steam Room podcast, hosted by Barkley and Inside the NBA host Ernie Johnson, Barkley proudly defended coach Sanders.

“Deion, hey man, good luck at Colorado,” Barkley said. “I have seen some of the criticism from people calling you a sellout for leaving. Calling you an Uncle Tom and things like that. Hey man, you left Jackson State in a better place than you found it.”

Barkley supported Sanders’ move because he did not have to stay at Jackson State forever, and Sir Charles had a message for the people who despised the coach’s change.

“You had no obligation to stay there forever,” Barkley added. “And to your critics, shut the fuck up! Shut the fuck up!”

Watch above via The Steam Room.