Master P Consulted Deion Sanders About Success in NCAA, Hypes Ellen DeGeneres for UNO

Master P, the hip-hop artist and producer who is now taking over as the president of basketball operations for the University of New Orleans, told TMZ Sports that he's spoken to Colorado head coach Deion Sanders about building a successful collegiate program.

"Deion Sanders is opening doors," he said. "He did it in football. He did a great job. That's the GOAT, I salute him. What he was able to do, if I can do that in New Orleans, in the basketball world—and we talked a lot about this—this is my time to shine. To not only just put the basketball team on the map, but also to bring more students to the school, and to be able to mentor these kids."

He also cited some of the school's alumni, including Ellen DeGeneres.

"We had a lot of great alumni come from [UNO] like Ellen DeGeneres," he said. "A lot of billionaires that come from this school, also. And it's all about education and they want to invest back into the education so it's all about bringing top players here."

Rebuilding the Privateers will be no small task, however. The school is currently 4-27 in the 2024-25 season and has made just one NCAA tournament appearance since the 1996-97 campaign, bowing out in the 2016-17 First Four. Now, Master P has to find a way to make 'em say win.