Deion Sanders to Replace Another Coordinator at Colorado as Charles Kelly Heads to Auburn
Deion Sanders, the head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes football team, will have to find a replacement for his defensive coordinator, Charles Kelly. According to a team source confirmed by The Athletic, Kelly is expected to leave Sanders’ staff to take a job at Auburn under head coach Hugh Freeze. The news was first reported by 247Sports.
While Kelly’s specific role on Auburn’s staff has not been clarified, it is likely that he will hold a co-coordinator title alongside Ron Roberts, who joined Freeze at Auburn from Baylor last year.
This departure marks Kelly’s exit from Colorado after just one season as the Buffaloes’ defensive coordinator. Prior to his time at Colorado, Kelly had coaching experience as an assistant under Jimbo Fisher at Florida State and Nick Saban at Alabama, where he won national titles.
During last season, Sanders made a mid-season change to his offensive coaching staff. He demoted offensive coordinator Sean Lewis and promoted analyst and former NFL head coach Pat Shurmur to offensive play-caller. Following the season, Lewis was hired as the head coach for San Diego State.
Sanders took over the Colorado program with a major overhaul, bringing in 69 scholarship newcomers after inheriting a team that went 1-11 in 2022. The Buffaloes showed improvement this season, finishing with a 4-8 record. However, they struggled in the latter half of the season, losing eight of their final nine games after starting 3-0.
Under Kelly’s leadership, the Buffaloes’ defense struggled, ranking 115th in yards per play allowed and 124th in scoring defense, giving up an average of 34.8 points per game.
As Sanders looks to fill the vacant coordinator position, he will need to find someone who can help improve the team’s defensive performance and contribute to their overall success.
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(Photo: Kirby Lee / USA Today)