Colorado Football: Top 5 Candidates to Replace Mike MacIntyre

Mike MacIntyre is reportedly out as Colorado football‘s head coach after six seasons. Who might the Buffaloes target to replace him?

After a 5-0 start to the season, things have gone south in Boulder as Colorado has dropped five straight games that has put their bowl eligibility in serious doubt with a game at home against Utah, and a road game against Cal left on their schedule.

Things got worse on Tuesday morning, as it has been reported by local news that the school will be parting ways with head coach Mike MacIntyre at the end of the season.

MacIntrye is just two years removed from leading Colorado to a 10-4 season and a PAC-12 South championship in 2016, lifting them to their first bowl game since 2007 in the process. MacIntrye was named the PAC-12’s Coach of the Year for his efforts, and won several national coach of the year honors as well.

He has been unable to sustain that success since his breakout campaign, however, with the Buffaloes following it up with a 5-7 record in 2017, while staring that same fate directly in the face this season after such a promising start.

Overall, MacIntyre has gone 30-43 during his nearly six-year tenure in Boulder, with 2016 being the only season he led the program to bowl eligibility.

There’s no doubting that MacIntyre has improved the circumstances at Colorado from when he accepted the position, but this program aspires for more than scraping for six wins. They long for the glory days of Bill McCartney, and while the program is unlikely to ascend to those heights ever again, there’s no doubting the potential is there for much more success than they’ve enjoyed over the last decade plus.

Athletic Director Rick George will be looking to nail this coaching hire after surprisingly choosing to part ways with MacIntrye, particularly with the likely $10 million he’ll have to pay out to satisfy the buyout that stemmed from a hefty contract extension that was unanimously approved for MacIntyre in 2017.

Here are five candidates to take over the Colorado job: