Coaches Colorado should NOT hire, including Dave Logan, Jim Leavitt

Just because someone has Colorado connections doesn’t make them a candidate for the Buffaloes’ head coaching position. There are far too many media members suggesting names just because this person is a CU alum or coached in Colorado before. It’s inspiration for a list of coaches Colorado should absolutely not pursue to replace Mel Tucker.

Former Buffs

Dave Logan

This is the inspiration for the article. At least one person in Denver sports media was going to fall into the trap of suggesting Dave Logan. He’s a terrific high school and knows everything about Colorado prep football, but no great CU team will be built on Colorado recruits. There’s just not enough talent in the state for that to be everything. If you want a former Buff to be here for recruiting and charisma, Darrin Chiaverini is a much better version of that.

Vance Joseph

Another guy Denver media is suggesting because he’s one of five names they know. There’s no chance Vance Joseph gets this job. Just because he was on the 1990 National Championship doesn’t mean he will get a phone call. There are much better coaching options that don’t require re-hashing accusations that happened on the CU campus.

Jim Leavitt

Leavitt was more arguably responsible for the 2016 run than was Mike MacIntyre, but that was a player-driven year. What’s more is that his exit for Oregon was hotly contested and he’s not exactly on the best terms with the administration.

Mark Helfrich

Helfrich is a former Colorado assistant who recently coached Oregon in the National Championship. But do not mistake him for a good coach with connections. That championship squad was powered by Chip Kelly’s recruits and he had Marcus Mariota running the offense. Helfrich was unable to keep any of that momentum going and was fired for going 4-8 in 2016.

Former Connections

Butch Jones

Butch Jones will be thrown around as a potential CU coach because the university pursued him back in 2013. However, that was Mike Bohn who recruited him, not Rick George, and Jones went to Tennessee just as negotiations were heating up. He then burned Tennessee football to the ground.

Tim DeRuyter

Another coach Bohn recruited, back when he was at Fresno State. He’s now the defensive coordinator at California and a pretty good one. It’s just hard to see how any of those connections hold up in 2020.

Uninspired Retreads

Jim McElwain

McElwain was the former head coach of Colorado State. He left for the Florida job, failed miserably, took a picture with a shark, and is now coaching Central Michigan to MAC Championship games. We have seen McElwain up close his personality is probably not what CU is looking for.

Derek Mason

Mason was a dark horse candidate after Colorado fired MacIntyre, but he’s since torpedoed at Vanderbilt. It says a lot about Mason that Vandy fans are hoping he gets the call from CU.

Mountain West Stars

Craig Bohl

Bohl makes a lot sense, to be honest. He proved himself a championship-caliber coach at North Dakota State, had immediate success moving up to FBS football with Wyoming, and he knows the region quite well. It’s just a low-ceiling move that does little to expand CU’s recruiting hotbed to where the good players are.

Bryan Harsin

Harsin has been great at Boise State and even appears to be set there for the long haul. He’s also a boring candidate who would probably be fine but I want something exciting.

Troy Calhoun

Unfortunately, Calhoun wouldn’t bring the triple option offense over from Air Force. If you’re going to do the boring hire and get a Mountain West guy, at least go with Bohl. Or if you’re going the option route, get Navy’s Ken Niumatololo and let him to bring create magic.