University of Colorado, MacIntyre agree to contract buyout

The University of Colorado and former head football coach Mike MacIntyre have agreed to a buyout settlement that will pay him $7.238 million over the next two years.

MacIntyre, 54, took on the role of defensive coordinator at Mississippi after being fired before the end of last season on Nov. 18. According to the terms of the settlement, he will receive one lump sum payments of $3.542 million within the next week, and another of $3.696 million on Jan. 20, 2020.

The university saves nearly $3 million by initiating a buyout with MacIntyre, and will terminate the original amount of $10.3 million over three years.

“Through mediation, we have come to an agreement with Coach MacIntyre on what we will pay him to fulfill the remaining obligations of his contract,” CU’s Senior Director of Communications Ryan Huff said in a statement.

“We are satisfied to come to this resolution so that CU and Coach MacIntyre can move on,” Huff said. “We thank Coach MacIntyre for his six years of service to CU and wish him every success in his coaching career. CU Athletics will be responsible for these payments, and none of the contract funds will come from tuition money, taxpayer dollars or the campus general fund.”

MacIntyre, who went 30-44 in the past six years, most notably took the Buffs to a Pac-12 conference championship appearance in 2016. His 10-4 record during “The Rise” was Mac’s best season and he the unexpected run saw him win the National Coach of Year, although the season ended with a 41-10 loss to Washington and a 38-8 loss to Oklahoma State in the Valero Alamo Bowl.

Under Macintyre, the Buffs dropped to a 5-7 record in 2017 and tied a college football record for teams to start 5-0 and lose the last seven games of the season.

Ole Miss hired MacIntyre as defensive coordinator on Dec. 10, signing him to a three-year contract worth $1.5 million per year.