With the news of Deion Sanders being interested in the Dallas Cowboys job, there is a lot to unpack.
First of all, will Jerry Jones actually offer Deion the job? Or is he just dragging things along to help his longtime friend benefit from the media circus?
If Sanders were to leave Boulder, who would replace him? Here are some potential candidates in the event that it ends up happening.
Top Three Candidates
Jamey Chadwell (Head Coach, Liberty)
Jamey has been a hot name in many circles in college football for years now. Prior to his time at Liberty, he spent five seasons at Coastal Carolina, where he completely turned the program around. In just his third season in Conway, he won 11 games and took home a Sun Belt title. He followed up that magical 2020 season with another 11-win season on top of a nine-win season before taking the Liberty job. And it took him just one season to succeed there because, in 2023, he took Liberty to the Fiesta Bowl with a 13-0 record and a Conference USA championship. While he may have had a bit of a dip in 2024, his track record speaks for itself. The man wins everywhere he goes.
Andy Kotelnicki (Offensive Coordinator, Penn State)
Even though Andy doesn’t have head coaching experience, the man’s resume is very impressive. He spent six seasons as the offensive coordinator at Buffalo and then followed Lance Leipold to Kansas for three years before jumping ship to Penn State. Kotelnicki is considered one of the best offensive minds in college football, and I have no doubt that he will be a head coach someday. I wanted West Virginia to hire Andy, but Andy turned the job down. However, Colorado may be a more enticing job for him and could be the perfect fit.
Chip Kelly (Offensive Coordinator, Ohio State)
You know I just had to throw in a curveball here and that is exactly what Chip Kelly is, a curveball. Say what you want about the man, but he did a decent job turning around UCLA as he won at least eight or more games in his last three seasons there. Now at Ohio State, he has helped turn the Buckeyes offense into a juggernaut. Ohio State has the second-highest-scoring offense in the Big Ten (35.8) and is a big reason why the Buckeyes will be playing for a national championship on Monday. Maybe Chip is content with being an offensive coach at a school like Ohio State, but if he has an itch to become a head coach again, maybe Colorado would be the place for him to scratch.
Other Candidates
Jeff Traylor (Head Coach, UTSA)
Traylor was one of the hottest names in the coaching carousel a few years ago and has taken UTSA to five straight bowl games. His 46-20 overall record and 31-8 mark in conference play speaks for itself after what he inherited in 2020.
Mike Denbrock (Offensive Coordinator, Notre Dame)
How about the other offensive coordinator in the National Championship? Denbrock has helped the Irish find a good balance as the season pressed on and has been coaching at major programs since 2001. He’s spent most of his time in the upper midwest, but he does have previous stints at Washington and Stanford.
Garrett Riley (Offensive Coordinator, Clemson)
Clemson’s offense struggled in Riley’s first year, but the Tigers were vastly improved on that side of the ball in 2024. Riley is going to get an opportunity somewhere, and his high-flying offensive attack would likely help retain some of the weapons currently in Boulder.
Glenn Schumann (Defensive Coordinator, Georgia)
Kirby Smart’s right-hand man is bound to get plucked away from Athens for a head coaching gig at some point, and maybe Colorado is the place that gets it done. While Smart is going to get most of the credit, Schumann has been an integral part of Georgia’s defense being among the nation’s best in recent years.
