Mel Tucker will reportedly be hired as Colorado Buffaloes head coach

The Colorado Buffaloes reportedly have their coach of the future in Mel Tucker. The university hasn’t confirmed, but all signs point to Rick George signing the Georgia defensive coordinator.

There grew a sentiment on Friday night that Tucker was on his way to Colorado. With the Colorado administration infamously tight-lipped on the situation, the leaks came from Georgia’s side. UGA-affiliated Dawgs 247 began reporting the move just as our local media was moving on from Ryan Day and Jimmy Lake. Adam Munsterteiger of BuffStampede was the first Colorado beat writer on the tip, as he wrote Friday night, “There is a feeling in Athens that Tucker’s days on Georgia’s staff are numbered.”

Early Saturday morning, more reports came in suggesting Tucker to Colorado would be announced following the SEC Championship. Rivals first reported the news and was followed by Bruce Feldman, Brett McMurphy, ESPN, NBC Sports, and SB Nation. Troy Renck of Denver7 got in on the action too, and he was right when he first broke Mike MacIntyre’s departure.

We don’t know for sure how accurate these reports are. Rick George and Dave Plati have denied the reports and say administration is still waiting until next week to confirm their decision. That could be a smokescreen, or it could be true they haven’t reached an agreement.

If Tucker is indeed the hire, he would be an outstanding get. He’s been the defensive coordinator for Georgia the past three seasons, all of which have been elite defenses. Before then, he has experience with four NFL teams: the Browns (2008), Jaguars (2009-12), Bears (2013-14) and Alabama (2015). All had solid-to-excellent defenses besides the Bears. With additional early-career stints with LSU (2000) and Ohio State (2001-04), Tucker has an absurd amount of major football experience for a first-time head coach. He’s already coached in three national championships among countless big game environments.

Tucker revered for his recruiting acumen and leadership. He has a reputation for demanding the most out of his players and mentoring them as they grow. He’s a stand-up guy, an experienced strategist, and should immediately improve Colorado’s recruiting profile. If George hires an experienced offensive coordinator to fix the offense — Tee Martin? Marc Trestman? — the Buffaloes will have newfound potential.

We will continue to report on this story as information is published or released.