There’s no end in sight in the search to replace Mel Tucker at CU
Feb 21, 2020, 6:52 AM | Updated: 7:09 am
On Thursday, it appeared as though the University of Colorado was ready to hire a new football coach. The quest to replace Mel Tucker had reportedly neared an end, with two candidates emerging as the frontrunners for the job.
According to some, Steve Sarkisian was set to take the job. The former head coach at USC and Washington, and current offensive coordinator at Alabama, had plenty of Buffaloes fans excited. His offensive-minded approach, as well as penchant for recruiting and developing quarterbacks, would be a great fit in Boulder.
Yesterday afternoon, however, news came that Sarkisian had received a hefty raise from Alabama and would remain on Nick Saban’s staff during the 2020 season. He was removing his name from contention at CU.
The other name receiving attention on Thursday was Troy Calhoun. Seen by some as the “conservative” option, many saw the Air Force head coach as the perfect fit at CU. He’s seen as someone who can get the program on the right track, while not looking for greener pastures from day one.
There’s been no official word that Calhoun is no longer in the running for the job, but news did break on Thursday night that Colorado was going to back to square one. That would suggest the school couldn’t work out a deal with either of their top candidates.
Source confirms plan now is for #CUBuffs to widen net for football coach candidates. They are expected to resume search in earnest on Monday when they would start setting up and traveling for interviews again. #Denver7
— Troy Renck (@TroyRenck) February 21, 2020
As CU continues their search, they could circle back with Sarkisian and Calhoun. After all, that’s what Michigan State did with Tucker, as the former Buffs coach initially turned down the Spartans. They could also still be in conversations with Eric Bieniemy, who reportedly has told Colorado that he’s staying with the Chiefs, as well as Bret Bielema, the former Wisconsin and Arkansas head coach.
But widening the net also suggest that the Buffs will be interviewing new options, extending their search beyond the names that have already surfaced. As a result, there appears to be no end in sight when it comes to replacing Mel Tucker in Boulder.
