CU Buffs fire head coach Karl Dorrell, defensive coordinator Chris Wilson
Buffs fans, the wait is finally over.
Colorado fired head coach Karl Dorrell and defensive coordinator Chris Wilson this morning, a move that many fans have been clamoring about for quite some time now.
The decision comes on the heels of Saturday night’s 43-20 road loss against Arizona, a game that showed how far the Buffs have fallen since their 34-0 beatdown of the Wildcats last season.
The loss dropped CU to a paltry 0-5 on the season, leaving them as one of just two winless teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) this year, the other being in-state rival Colorado State. The Buffs were the first Power Five school to lose their first four games of the season by 25+ points each since Indiana in 1957.
Dorrell’s tenure as head coach started off on the right foot in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, posting a 4-2 record and a spot in the Alamo Bowl, their second bowl appearance since 2007. Since then, the Buffs have gone just 4-13, and fans have quickly grown impatient with the former UCLA assistant.
“I want to thank Karl for his hard work in leading our program since 2020,” said athletic director Rick George in a press release Sunday afternoon. “Ultimately, however, the results on the field just did not measure up to our expectations and standards, which made it necessary for us to make this change at this time. It was an extremely difficult decision and I wish Karl all of the best in his future endeavors.”
Colorado owes Dorrell roughly $8.7 million dollars by buying out his contract, a topic that has garnered more and more debate in recent weeks as the Buffs’ performance has plummeted.
Wilson was fired after leading a Buffs defense that ranks third-to-last in both total defense and scoring defense in the FBS through five weeks, giving up over 500 yards and 43 points per game.
After looking hapless against the run-heavy attacks in the first few weeks of the schedule, Arizona quarterback Jayden de Laura dissected them through the air last night, throwing for 484 yards and six touchdown passes. Those 484 yards match the most passing yards ever against the CU defense, along with Joe Ganz of Nebraska in 2007.
Taking over in place of Dorrell for the remainder of the season will be offensive coordinator Mike Sanford, who was in charge of a Buffs offense that currently ranks in the bottom ten in the FBS in both total offense and scoring offense. Tight ends coach and passing game coordinator Clay Patterson will take over as the new offensive coordinator.
Regardless of who is calling the plays for the Buffs, the development of true freshman quarterback Owen McCown should be the first priority for a Buffs team that has shown some signs of life offensively in the last two games.
Defensive line coach Gerald Chatman will take Wilson’s place as the interim defensive coordinator.
The Buffs will have this week off as they try to regroup, before taking the field against California Oct. 15 at Folsom Field.
