2022-23 college football coaching carousel

Colorado allowed 534 points last year (131st out 131 schools). They scored 185 points (127th of 131). But the team was worse than that. The Buffs scored 72 of the 195 points in the fourth quarter when they were almost always way behind and the opposition had the second team on the field.

The Buffs had two players make honorable mention PAC-12. One was a grad transfer linebacker and the other was the kickoff returner. Deion knows that he his not going to win with the players in that squad meeting and he wants them out. How much worse can the team be if they all leave? And if they all leave he can go recruit other players with at least as much talent.

I think Deion was being remarkably candid in his comments but any other coach the school could have hired would be gutting the roster, just less publically.

Also, as a side note, I think I read Dave Plati is moving out of his current job into some kind of part-time role and semi-retirement.

 

That will probably save Plati a ton of headaches. Just dealing with the certain national media crush would be a PITA, nevermind the many other responsibilities associated with the job.

 

Modell is a total dirtball for what he did but they're not the same. Modell cried poor and begged for money to renovate old Municipal Stadium on numerous occasions. As they built the Gateway project for the Indians and Cavaliers, Modell was met with "yeah, let us finish this and we'll get back to you." As he got tired of waiting, Paris Glendening stepped in with an offer and the rest is history.

 

Sean Lewis of Kent State is joining Colorado as offensive coordinator
https://www.record-courier.com/stor...ing-deion-sanders-colorado-staff/69705524007/

 

That is a hell of a good hire. Went 18-10 in the MAC after his first year, which was always going to be hopeless for any coach. He worked miracles at a school that can’t even legitimately afford to field a team.

 

Presumably, many of the Colorado players aren’t part of the NFL farm club system and are at the university in hopes for education in addition to or exchange for football. Colleges in the highest end of the NCAA might be able to recruit players for all positions by offering NIL deals and the potential for an NFL career, but many schools have to rely on the perhaps mythical promise of a college degree to fill most of their roster.

I think it might be likely that Colorado isn’t at the power level where players can be recruited to the school solely for football. A seemingly mercenary coach, such as Sanders, makes it obvious that players are at the university with football as their main (and perhaps only) priority. Alabama or Georgia can do that. I don’t think Colorado is or might ever be at that level.

 

Midnight Mel left some stockpile of talent, eh?

During the McCartney/Neuheisel/Barnett gravy days CU marketed itself as a football factory pretty effectively.

That was some time ago, but not utterly ancient history.

 

Of course, if Deion shows that he can actually coach at that level and is more steak than sizzle, he could turn Colorado into a college football equivalent of IMG Academy where the elite players go to put in their time. With USC and UCLA set to leave, there could be a chance to jump up in the pecking order in the soon to be watered down Pac-10/12.
There is some precedent for it. Bill McCartney essentially did the same thing at Colorado 30 years ago. John Calipari has done it with Kentucky basketball and his never-ending parade of one-and-dones.
Right there in the Pac-12, Arizona had something like 50 new players this football season, after having a Coloradoesque year in 2021. They weren't great (5-7), but they were much improved.

 

The d-coor is Dennis Thurman, who is coming with Deion to Colorado from Jackson. Ex-Trojan, ex-Cowboy, ex-Santa Monica High Viking who went to high school with my wife. Probably the second-best football player from the school behind ex-Bronco Dennis Smith, and it is very close.

 

I was going to say CU was hardly the bastion of academic excellence in the Pac-12 or the "little engine that could" school. It's been a football factory since Rashaan Salaam won the Heisman and CU beat ND for the National Championship.

BTW CLong, I think Thurman was a better Trojan than Smith, but Smith was the better NFL player.