Q&A With UW’s Gary Harrell, Coach Prime’s Former Top Assistant

BOULDER, Colo., -- Sometimes change is a good thing.

For Gary Harrell, it's way more significant than that. Call it great. It is a rebirth of sorts.

Get our free mobile app

Wyoming's new running backs coach, nicknamed "The Flea," made no bones about it, tonight's tilt with Colorado inside Folsom Field was circled on his calendar before the ink on his new contract even had a chance to dry.

He's not dodging questions about his former boss in Boulder, either. Does he want to beat Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders, a coach who over the previous five seasons called Harrell his top assistant?

More than you can imagine.

What's his favorite part so far about moving north of the border?

"Everyone has the same goals, same vision," Harrell said back in late April. "When you come to work, you enjoy being here and seeing that work gets done. Then, you go home and you come back and it's like, you feel good coming to work, you feel great leaving. So, that's a great environment."

MORE UW FOOTBALL COVERAGE VIA 7220SPORTS:

* Gear Up For Game Day: Colorado Buffaloes

* 3 Keys to a Wyoming Victory over Colorado

* Cowboys Head South Saturday Night for Matchup With Colorado

* PODCAST: Are the Cowboys Ready for 'Prime Time?'

* Worried About the Cowboys' Offensive Production? They Aren't

* Colorado Notebook: Cowboys Set to Face 'Football Icon'

* Wyoming's Newest Nickelback Carrying on Turnover Tradition

* Cowboys Look to Get Ground Game Churning in Boulder

* Wyoming Wideout Deion DeBlanc Could Still Redshirt This Fall

* Know Wyoming's Foe: Colorado Buffaloes

Sanders welcomes the spotlight. Distractions? What are those? Despite a 16-point road loss at Houston last Friday night, Ice Cube made an appearance at a Buffaloes' practice earlier this week.

Sanders was all too happy to discuss that relationship during his weekly press conference. He also joked about prenuptial agreements, hanging up fall sports schedules around the facility and a reporter's new haircut, urging him not to give Great Clips any free pub.

Rapper Lil' Wayne has been on the sideline in Boulder. So have NBA hoopers Kevin Durant, John Wall and Carmelo Anthony, among many other celebrities, like wrestler Dewayne "The Rock" Johnson and former MLB pitcher CC Sabathia.

Sanders has even added NFL Hall of Fame flavor to his own coaching staff, experienced be damned.

Warren Sapp is the defensive pass-rush coordinator. Marshall Faulk, who had some of his own epic battles against Wyoming during his playing days at San Diego State, replaced Harrell as the team's running backs coach. Even Randy Moss has taken on a motivational speaker role, of sorts, talking to the CU football team.

Like Sanders, his close friend, Moss is also a cancer survivor.

Harrell, who has been in this profession for more than two decades, including a head coaching stint at Howard from 2011-16, said he wants to get back in that driver's seat one day. That's just part of why a mutual decision was made last January for him to move on.

So far, it's been nothing short of a breath of fresh air.

"It's no nonsense," Harrell said of the Cowboys program under its second-year head coach. "It's not the glitz, the glamor, it's not the cameras -- it's football. It's life and it's football. It is leading these young men on and off the football field ... It just feels different, you know? There's a level of accountability here."

Here is a brief Q&A with Harrell after a one-on-one interview in Laramie last Monday:

Q: I bet a million people come up to you and ask, what is it like to work for Deion Sanders?

A: "All the time, especially leading up to this week, you know? I get that question all the time, and, you know, we had some great times. I met Deion probably five years ago, going into Jackson State. He gave me an opportunity as an assistant head coach, and we worked together to put that brand back to where it used to be. Jackson State had a great tradition, great culture, and it just needed someone to come in with some life, some energy and with a plan. We were able to, along with the (athletics director) and the rest of the coaches, collaborate and just get it to where it used to be. That carried over to Colorado. But, he's different. Sitting down one on one, he's a different person. When the lights come on, he goes into character. He's a great person with a great personality, but you have to understand him, you know? If you don't, then you will pass judgment. Sometimes, you know, it's not correct what people think of him. But, you know, he's a man of God, he's a man of great faith and he lives by that. He does a great job as far as just spilling over that faith and belief in other people."

Q: What was your excitement level like when he said, 'Hey, we're going to Boulder.'

A: "It was very exciting. I think he kind of knew, but kind of gave us a last-minute update. We had a bowl game down in Atlanta, and we kind of started hearing about it, for the most part, and he kind of sprung it on us and said that's where we were going. We had other options, as well, but I think Boulder was a great fit because of the AD and things that they had in place. It just worked."

Q: What will it be like to be on the sideline Saturday, across from him in that stadium?

A: "You know, we're both competitive. He wants to win, I want to win. But it's about the team. It's about, you know, the programs, as far as CU and Wyoming football. That's what it's mainly about. It's about the kids, you know? It's not about us. I'm sure we'll shake hands before and we'll shake hands afterwards, but during the game, it's going to be very intense. Just watch him on the sideline, I know how he motivates guys and, myself, I'm a big cheerleader for my guys and for the team. So, I think it's going to be fun. He's going to be excited and I'm sure that he wants to win. I want to win -- and the winning goes a long way. It'd be good for us to get his win, it would be a big win for us, you know, going into conference play. So, that's what it's all about -- winning a football game."

Q: As exciting as it was to hear you were going to Boulder -- and even getting the job for Deion -- I don't know exactly what happened, but on the flipside, the last time you guys spoke, it probably wasn't as good, I'd imagine?

A: "I mean, it was a mutual thing. You know, sometimes change is good. When you're with someone for a while, you know, sometimes you stay on that path and you have the same vision, but my goals, his goals, it was different at the time. It was time for me to branch off. I was just lucky to come across coach Sawvel. When I came here, spoke with him and interviewed with him, I was blown away with what they had here. And then the type of man that he was, then I met the rest of the staff, it was just great people. I'm glad I'm here because of the structure we have. You know, it's football. It's all football, and it's all life. It's about the kids and it's about the program. And I've learned so much since I've been here from being underneath coach Sawvel, as far as from a head coach's perspective. I want to be a head coach again, and if I ever get a shot, I definitely will run it the way he's running this program."

Q: You can be honest with me, you want to win this game more than anything, right?

A: "More than anything, more than any other game. This game has been circled on my calendar, but, like I said, I'm just going to enjoy it. We do a good job as far as preparing the guys, and we feel good going in there. We'll take our hands off and just watch all the excitement -- watch the fireworks. But I'm more excited for this (potential) win because it does a lot for the program, like I said, going into UNLV (after the bye) and conference play. It's going to do a lot for us."

Kickoff between the Cowboys (2-1, 0-0) and Buffs (1-2, 0-1) is set for 8:15 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN.

- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players