BOULDER — Barely a few hours after announcing that he had relieved head football coach Karl Dorrell of his duties, Colorado Athletic Director Rick George made it clear that his expectations for the program haven’t changed.
“This place can be and will be a football powerhouse,” said George, who appeared at an evening press conference with CU Chancellor Phillip DiStefano and newly named interim head coach Mike Sanford. “We have the facilities, we have the location, we have the programs, we have everything that we need to be successful on the football field. My stance on this has never wavered. I’m more confident than ever in Colorado football. We will find a leader that will get us back to prominence. I’m energized about going out to find that individual.”
George made the decision to dismiss Dorrell after Saturday night’s 43-20 loss at Arizona, which dropped the Buffs to 0-5 this season. Dorrell, who was the Pac-12 Coach of the Year just two seasons ago, finished with an 8-15 record at Colorado.
George also dismissed defensive coordinator Chris Wilson on Sunday. Colorado is 129th in the nation in scoring defense, allowing more than 43 points per game.
“Karl’s a good man, I have a ton of respect for him, and I wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors,” George said. “However, the on-the-field performance fell well short of our expectations. I know that starts with me. I hired Carl and it didn’t work out the way any of us wanted it to. There’s no excuses and I own my part in where we are today. I have to do what’s best for our student athletes and I felt that a change in leadership was needed at this time.”
Colorado’s search, which George said will begin immediately, will result in the Buffs hiring their third head coach in a four-year span, coming on the heels of Mel Tucker (hired in December 2018) and Dorrell (February 2020).
George, who served as a recruiting coordinator and assistant AD for football operations in the heyday of the Bill McCartney era at Colorado, appeared adamant that he believes CU can replicate that success.
“Our expectation for CU football is to become nationally prominent, that we are discussed on Game Day in a positive way,” George said. “That we compete every time we go out there and play and we win more than we lose. We consistently go to bowl games, occasionally we…
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