ESPN is high on a former Buff for CU’s head coach job

Former Buff Ryan Walters has been one of the best defensive coordinators in college football

Is anybody else having some fun looking through potential head coach candidates? The new energy around Colorado football is encouraging and I’m trying to stay optimistic that athletic director Rick George will make a strong hire.

As our Tony Cosolo recently discussed, the Buffs must choose whether to bring in an outsider or someone with ties to the program. There are pros and cons to each route but from what I can tell, most fans would prefer a fresh face.

ESPN college football writer Adam Rittenberg gave his take on Colorado’s vacancy and he believes that former Buffs safety Ryan Walters, the current defensive coordinator at Illinois, is a prime option. His Illinois defense is among the nation’s best in scoring and we’ve certainly seen Walters’ name on plenty of candidate lists. The only potential drawback is that Walters is a former Buff, although he hasn’t been at CU since 2009 when he was a student assistant in the secondary.

Here’s what Rittenberg wrote:

Colorado might be hesitant about hiring coaches with direct ties after the struggles under (Jon) Embree and Dorrell, but Walters’ surging stock can’t be ignored. He’s overseeing recruiting, schemes and overall philosophy. George might want more experience but would be foolish not to give Walters an extended look.

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