Colorado is hiring Sacramento State head coach Brennan Marion as its next offensive coordinator, bringing one of college football’s most underrated play-callers to Boulder, according to On3's Pete Nakos.
Marion spent the 2025 season leading Sacramento State to a 7-5 record in his first year as a head coach. Before that, he engineered major offensive gains at UNLV, where his signature offense helped the Rebels jump from 352.4 yards per game in 2022 to 412.7 in 2023, and then 425.8 in 2024. His arrival marks a clear shift for a Colorado offense that struggled throughout a 3-9 season.
The Buffaloes averaged 328.4 yards per game and cycled through all three quarterbacks as protection issues and inconsistency was the biggest issue. Colorado also reassigned play-calling duties during the season, demoting Pat Shurmur to quarterbacks coach and handing the offense to tight ends coach Brett Bartolone after the Utah loss.
Marion’s hiring raises additional questions after former NFL offensive coordinator and Super Bowl champion Byron Leftwich reportedly joined the staff before the season. When Shurmur was removed from the role, many wondered why Leftwich wasn’t elevated.
Sanders said sweeping changes were coming after the season-ending 24-14 loss at Kansas State, calling for a shift in “mentality” and accountability across the program. “Personnel, coaching, everything,” Sanders said. “There’s a certain mentality you’ve got to have… It’s not just a personal problem. There’s a personnel problem.”
Sanders added that he expects to evolve, too. “I see everything being different, even me,” he said.
Colorado enters a pivotal 2026 season at 16-21 under Sanders, intent on finding the offensive identity without Sanders son, Shedeur, under center.
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