Air Force’s Troy Calhoun Can Have Colorado’s Job If He Wants It

Air Force could be losing Troy Calhoun as their head coach and be going West to Colorado University.

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Air Force’s Troy Calhoun Can Have Colorado’s Job If He Wants It

Calhoun is a finalist for the Colorado opening.

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Another Mountain West coach gone?

The Mountain West coaching turnover is one of a kind this offseason and the Air Force Falcons could be next in line.

According to multiple reports, Falcons head coach Troy Calhoun is a finalist for the job alongside current Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian and Bret Bielema who is the current outside linebacker coach for the New York Giants and former Arkansas head coach. The outlet reports that a hire could be made as soon as Thursday, Feb. 20.

If Calhoun were to take over for Mel Tucker who departed for Michigan State, it would mean the Mountain West would have seven new head coaches entering the 2020 season.

A report by Vic Lombardi of Altitude TV and radio is saying it is Calhoun’s job if he wants it.

This is not the first time that Colorado has come calling for Calhoun but prior attempts for the Buffs to lure the Falcons head coach have been unsuccessful. Calhoun also has been courted by the Denver Broncos and Tennessee Volunteers, he also turned down those advances.

Calhoun does have a contract extension on the table that would extend him from 2022 through 2025 but it is not yet signed.

This has to be a hard decision for Calhoun to make as he is a former Air Force quarterback and has been at the Academy for 13 years. However, during this past season, it seems that Calhoun seems to be getting weary of Air Force’s affiliation with the Mountain West.

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“We are in a league where to be blunt, I don’t know if it’s the route maybe we should go,” Calhoun said back in October. “I just don’t know if it’s really a match. I don’t know if it’s best. I don’t know if… Now, we are. And we’re lucky to be, just the quality of the schools of the other member institutions that are a part of it.”

That may have been just an indicator of the conference and Air Force and not necessarily Calhoun’s relationship with his alma mater. Also, at that time it was when Air Force had to make one of the rare trips to play at the Hawaii Warriors.

Air Force just recently started spring practices so Calhoun is fairly occupied in getting the team ready for next year. While the head coach has not commented, a few players have spoken about the possibility of losing Calhoun to Colorado.

 

“Honestly, we know the system and we know coaches come and go,” linebacker Demonte Meeks told the Colorado Springs Gazette. “It doesn’t phase me too much. We had the same situation in high school, the head coach left my junior-going-into-senior year. It’s not horrible. We know what we have. We know our guys. We’ll be fine.”

Returning starting quarterback Donald Hammond III is the biggest name to discuss the situation but he is just focused on spring football.

“What he does with his future doesn’t concern us right now,” Hammond said. “We come out here and go to work every day, working like he’s going to be our coach for the future.”

Offensive coordinator and former Falcons quarterback Mike Thiessen declined to comment when asked about Calhoun’s potential exit.

If there is a move from Colorado it looks to be sooner than later.

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