Colorado head football coach Deion Sanders has made it clear he loves coaches with NFL experience, and he has added another former pro to his staff.
On Tuesday night, BuffZone confirmed through a source that Sanders has hired former NFL standout Domata Peko to coach the Buffaloes’ defensive line. On3 was first to report the hiring of Peko, who will replace Damione Lewis. Last week, Lewis, another former NFL veteran, left CU after one season to return to his alma mater, Miami.
Peko, 40, played 15 seasons in the NFL from 2006-20. He spent this past season working as an assistant coach with the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.
A fourth-round draft choice in 2006, Peko spent 11 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals before playing two years (2017-18) with the Denver Broncos. He played in 2019 with the Baltimore Ravens before closing his career with the Arizona Cardinals in 2020.
Peko, a defensive tackle, started 194 of his 214 career games, including every game he played from 2007-2018. He recorded 616 tackles, 47 tackles for loss, 20 sacks and 50 quarterback hits during his career.
Peko is yet another connection to Mike Zimmer, a long-time coach, as well as a mentor to Sanders. Zimmer was the defensive coordinator for the Bengals from 2008-13, with Peko starting 91 games during that time. Zimmer, the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator in 2024, also brought Peko to the Dallas staff this past year.
At CU, Peko will be reunited with Buffs defensive coordinator Robert Livingston, who is also a connection to Zimmer. Livingston spent 12 years on the Bengals staff before coming to CU a year ago. During Livingston’s first five seasons in Cincinnati, Peko played for the Bengals.
With the Buffs, Peko will work alongside NFL Hall of Famer Warren Sapp, who joined the staff as a graduate assistant last year. Together, Peko and Sapp have 28 years of experience playing defensive line in the NFL. They started a combined 382 games during their careers.
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