After a slow start, the 2019-20 college football coaching cycle seemingly won’t end. Colorado is the latest school in the market for a new coach.
Mel Tucker is off to Michigan State after only one year at CU, where he went 5-7, beat Washington and Nebraska, and signed a top-35 recruiting class. The program had momentum, and Tucker had publicly committed to staying, but Michigan State made an enhanced offer that Colorado couldn’t come close to matching.
Colorado’s financial issues are nothing new and are the primary reason the program has had only one winning season since 2005. Although the facilities were upgraded, Colorado must decide whether it can fully commit to staffing resources that most coaches crave to compete for championships. Colorado is a great place to live and work, and the program plays in a navigable division (Pac-12 South) and has some not-so-distant tradition, but there are recruiting and resource challenges in a state that doesn’t produce a ton of FBS players.
Athletic director Rick George must act quickly, as the timing of Tucker’s departure is less than ideal. Here are some candidates Colorado likely will consider to replace Tucker.