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Colorado football: 5 realistic replacements for Karl Dorrell

By Brad Berreman

Sep 25, 2021; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Karl Dorrell looks on against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the first half at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 25, 2021; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Karl Dorrell looks on against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the first half at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports /

The Colorado Buffaloes sit at 2-5 with a lack of winnable games coming up, so who could replace head coach Karl Dorrell?

Colorado football is 2-5 on the year with wins coming over Northern Colorado out of the FCS and an 0-7 Arizona Wildcats squad. Head coach Karl Dorrell is squarely on the hot seat in his second season after succeeding Mel Tucker who left for Michigan State and is 7-0 entering Week 9.

Texas A&M lost their starting quarterback in a 10-7 win over Colorado. In their other four losses, to Minnesota (30-0), Arizona State (35-13), USC (37-14) and Cal (26-3), the Buffaloes have been outscored 128-30. The latter two losses being so one-sided are particular black marks.

Naturally, the problems for Colorado are widespread. They are 125th in FBS in scoring offense (15.1 points per game), 130th (dead last) in total offense (238.1 yards per game) and 63rd in total defense (376.6 yards allowed per game). They’re tied for 36th in scoring defense (20.7 points allowed per game), but that’s skewed by allowing seven to Northern Colorado, 10 to Texas A&M (and their backup quarterback) and shutting out Arizona.

Dorrell went 4-2 in his first (truncated) season last year. With Oregon, Oregon State, UCLA, Washington and Utah left on the schedule, two more wins look like a best-case scenario.

If Dorrell is relieved of his duties, here are five realistic candidates to replace him as the Colorado football’ head coach.

5 realistic candidates to replace Karl Dorrell at Colorado

5. Dana Dimel, UTEP Head Coach

Dimel left Kansas State after a long run (2009-2017) as an assistant there to take on a rebuild at UTEP. The Miners went 1-11 in each of his first two seasons, then showed some progress with a 3-5 mark in 2020. Coming out of a week off, they are 6-1 this season with a four-game winning streak. Three of their last five are at home, including a Nov. 6 date against unbeaten UTSA.

UTEP has finished above .500 once since the last time they won more than seven games in a season (8-4 under Mike Price in 2005). Dimel’s overall record as a head coach isn’t very good, but a nice season for his team this year may bring opportunities elsewhere and Colorado may wind up having interest.

4. Blake Anderson, Utah State Head Coach

Anderson is in his first season at Utah State, and the Aggies are 5-2 after a 1-5 campaign in 2020. He is best known for his stint as head coach at Arkansas State, where he went 51-37 over seven seasons (47-30 over his first six, with a bowl appearance each year). Anderson went from the Sun Belt to the Mountain West. Could one successful season in the Mountain West lead to a jump to the Pac-12 at Colorado? Don’t rule it out.

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