Deion Sanders has his new defensive coordinator at Colorado.
Rob Livingston, who spent the last eight seasons as the secondary coach for the Cincinnati Bengals, is expected to take over as the Buffaloes’ defensive playcaller, according to an industry source.
Charles Kelly, who arrived at Colorado from Alabama before last season, left the Buffaloes in December to become the co-defensive coordinator at Auburn.
Livingston was a scout with the Bengals from 2012 to 2014 before moving on to the full-time staff and will be a first-time on-field college coach. He coached in an off-field role at Vanderbilt in 2011 and for a season at Furman, after concluding his playing career at William and Mary.
Sanders has insisted this offseason that he was eyeing a coach from the NFL ranks to replace Kelly as his defensive coordinator. Former NFL head coach Pat Shurmur, who joined the staff as an analyst just before the 2023 season, was promoted to offensive playcaller in the middle of the season. Sean Lewis, who he replaced, was hired as San Diego State’s coach after the season. Sanders moved Shurmur to full-time offensive coordinator after the season.
The Buffaloes have also added three more position coaches this offseason. Jason Phillips, a longtime college assistant with Sanders at Jackson State, played in the NFL with Sanders and spent the last two seasons with the Hamilton TigerCats in the Canadian Football League, has been hired to coach the receivers. Oklahoma analyst Phil Loadholt was hired as the offensive line coach in December to replace Bill O’Boyle, who is now at Northwestern. Sanders also promoted analyst Vincent Dancy to defensive ends coach to replace Nick Williams, who left to take the same job at Syracuse.
Colorado, moving from the Pac-12 to the Big 12 this year, opens its season at home against FCS opponent North Dakota State.
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