By all accounts, Colorado has endured a long and difficult football season. Through eight games, the Buffaloes have only managed one win, beating Cal in overtime. There’s been little to brag about this year, but the excitement for the future remains. An integral part of that future will begin once Colorado decides who will lead its program from a state of anguish to admirability. There are plenty of hot candidates to choose from, including those dismissed from previous NFL or NCAA head coaching jobs. Colorado lost this past Saturday to No. 6 Oregon, 49-10.
Matt Rhule
Although Rhule’s debut at the Carolina Panthers didn’t go as planned, he’s still a proven head coach at the college level. He specializes in rebuilding programs from the bottom up –– exactly what the Buffaloes need at this point. Rhule spent his early coaching career as an assistant at Temple before a brief call-up from Tom Coughlin to coach the Giants in 2012. He returned the year after to become Temple’s 26th head coach. In his first season taking over for Steve Addazio, Rhule only managed a 2-10 record. However, Rhule built a positive foundation which began to show. The Owls improved to 6-6 in 2014, and 10-4 (7-1 in conference) the next year. 2015 saw Rhule score his signature 27-10 win against his alma mater Penn State. He received high interest from Power 5 schools and decided to test his luck at Baylor. The Bears had arguably the worst situation of any Division 1 team because of multiple Title IX violations, leading the program to be sanctioned. Rhule took over a program fresh off a 1-11 season and made the most of it. Fast forward a few years, and Rhule had the Bears in contention to win the Big 12 with an 11-1 record. He then washed out with the Panthers, but he should return to the college ranks.
Bryan Harsin
It was only a couple of coaching cycles ago when Bryan Harsin’s name was among the hottest on the market. Through seven years at Boise State, Harsin went 64-17 after taking over for Gus Malzhan. Harsin consistentlyhad the Broncos in the top 25, making them known as one of the best non-Power 5 teams while he was there. Harsin led Boise State to five double-digit win seasons in 2014 and 2016-2019. The highlight of his time in Boise came in the 2014 season when the 12-win Broncos team beat Arizona in the Fiesta Bowl 38-30. Harsin would depart after the 2020 COVID season to become Auburn’s 27th head coach. It was in Auburn where he would encounter his greatest challenges yet. He let go of both coordinators Mike Bobo and Derek Mason, which proved to be regrettable. The team became so unstable it nearly mutinied against him. Harsin finished with a 9-12 record and failed to accomplish much of anything. Harsin should get the opportunity to rebuild his reputation, and Boulder would be a great place to do that with his familiarity of the region.
Kenny Dillingham
Dillingham has firmly gotten the attention of programs seeking a promising offensive mind to guide their program into the future. He’s a massive reason why Oregon’s offense has been humming –– and why Bo Nix is starting to creep into the Heisman conversation. Nix is playing more consistently than ever and the stats represent that. Since Dillingham arrived in Eugene, the Ducks’ offense has averaged 42.4 points and 525.8 total yards of offense per game. Those are the numbers of an elite system. Dillingham has bounced around the college football ranks and has coached under great minds like Gus Malzhan, Mike Norvell and others. He’s worked as an assistant for Memphis, Auburn (Where he coached Nix), and Florida State briefly. Dillingham currently serves as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Oregon. Although he doesn’t have head coaching experience, Boulder would be smart to give him his first crack at it.
