Two days after his team finished 4-8, 3-6 in the Pac-12, Colorado Buffaloes head coach Karl Dorrell is changing his offensive coordinator.
The Buffs fired offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach Darrin Chiaverini.
CU's offense struggled throughout 2021. The Buffs averaged only 18.8 points and 257.4 yards per game. The Buffs scored 14 points or fewer in half of their games.
Chiaverini has one year left on his contract.
CU FOOTBALL: CHIAVERINI RELIEVED OF COACHING DUTIES
Dorrell Now Looks To Fill Two Vacancies
BOULDER — University of Colorado head football coachKarl Dorrellannounced Sunday morning that he has relieved offensive coordinator and wide receivers coachDarrin Chiaveriniof his duties, effective immediately.
Chiaverini, 44, a four-year letterman for the Buffaloes in the late 1990s, spent six seasons on the Colorado staff under three different head coaches, including five as either the offensive coordinator or co-coordinator; he also coached the wide receivers the entire time and was the assistant head coach in 2019 under Mel Tucker.
Originally hired from Texas Tech on New Year’s Day in 2016 by then-head coach Mike MacIntyre, Chiaverini was the 18th offensive coordinator in the school’s history dating back to the late 1950s. He had one year remaining on his contract which will be honored by CU.
“This was a very tough decision, especially with Darrin being a former player and knowing how much he truly cares about the program,” Dorrell said. “I do appreciate all the time and investment he put in being in the positions he’s been in over the last six years.
“I believe it’s just time to go in a different direction,” he continued. “We need a new perspective, which can bring new life and a different energy along with it. In the end, we need to do what’s best for the program, and at the same time, certainly wish Darrin the best in his future endeavors.”
Dorrell, who has hit the road recruiting Sunday ahead of the early signing period (Dec. 15-17), will be filling a pair of openings on the offensive side of the ball. Line coach Mitch Rodrigue was let go back on Oct. 25, with William Vlachos, who was in quality control, and graduate assistant Donovan Williams working with the linemen for the last five games of the season.
Colorado finished with a 4-8 overall record, with a 3-6 mark in the Pac-12, which has the Buffaloes currently in fifth in the conference’s South Division pending Southern California’s (4-7, 3-5) season finale against Cal this Saturday.
The offense struggled much of the season. CU scored 225 points, or 18.8 per game, the second-lowest figure since 1984; those included 28 points scored by the defense and special teams. The Buffs averaged 257.4 yards on offense, the fewest since 218.9 in 1964 and were held under 200 yards on four occasions. A bright spot was that CU committed just seven turnovers, the second-fewest in the nation and which broke the 65-year old school record of 11 set way back in 1956 (in a 10-game season). The Buffs had seven turnover-free games, shattering the old best of four set seven previous times.