Curt Cignetti is an outstanding coach yes. Is he on the level of Deion for the modern NIL CFB landscape? NOPE!
No one is really as simply a coach. Programs for sure but there's not another coach in the country who'se able to obtain the kind of NIL backing from his his name more than Deion Sanders. Not Dan Lanning, not Lane Kiffen, not Ryan Day or James Franklin, NO ONE.
You are failing to understand that with the current NIL landscape college football is turning into purely a popularity contest. It's very similar to MLB in the sense that the best backed will have the most success by in large. Will there be exceptions and cinderella's? Of course! But Colorado under Prime is on it's way to being talked about and backed the same as friggan BLUE BLOODS!
Yes! THAT is what makes a GREAT coach in 2024, it's the ability to raise money, point blank end of discussion. Additionally you can't watch Shadeur and for a second think Prime can't coach, ridiculous. But more than the X's and O's is the Jimmy's and Joe's and no one is better right now than Prime at securing the backing needed for a school like Colorado that would otherwise be completely irrelevant.
For context here, if Prime was at Michigan for example he'd raise damn near $30 million annually himself for that roster, and YES, THAT is ALL that matters in this new NIL landscape. Time to get with the times man