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Colorado Football: Was Karl Dorrell the right hire as head coach?

By Dante Pryor

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - DECEMBER 08: Wide Receivers Coach Karl Dorrell of the Miami Dolphins follows the play against the New York Jets in the first half at MetLife Stadium on December 8, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Pereira/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - DECEMBER 08: Wide Receivers Coach Karl Dorrell of the Miami Dolphins follows the play against the New York Jets in the first half at MetLife Stadium on December 8, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Pereira/Getty Images) /
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PALO ALTO, CA – OCTOBER 22: Shane Callahan #70, George Frazier #5, and Beau Bisharat #35 of the Colorado Buffaloes enter the stadium with teammates prior to an NCAA Pac-12 football game against the Stanford Cardinal played on October 22, 2016, at Stanford Stadium on the campus of Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by David Madison/Getty Images)
PALO ALTO, CA – OCTOBER 22: Shane Callahan #70, George Frazier #5, and Beau Bisharat #35 of the Colorado Buffaloes enter the stadium with teammates prior to an NCAA Pac-12 football game against the Stanford Cardinal played on October 22, 2016, at Stanford Stadium on the campus of Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by David Madison/Getty Images) /

Expectations in Boulder

The Buffaloes have fallen on hard times since joining the Pac-12 — and that’s being generous. They’ve had one winning season since joining the conference in 2011 and have suffered three double-digit losing seasons in the Pac-12. The Buffaloes have not been to bowl games in consecutive seasons since 2004 and 2005 under former head coach Gary Barnett. In short, the Buffaloes are looking to be competitive in the conference.

The larger questions are, “Who are the Buffaloes, and what can they become?”

Right now, Colorado is a lower-tier Pac-12 program. All of the Buffaloes’ success came in either the Big 8 or the Big 12, none has come in the Pac-12.

Can they become a national power again like they were under McCartney? There are many factors that need to align — many of which have nothing to do with Colorado — in order for that to happen. It’s hard to say those things can happen for sure.

If Karl Dorrell is to succeed in Boulder, there are some specific things he needs to do. First, he needs to call in those NFL ties and bring some league coaches to his staff. They will help in recruiting. Colorado does not have a natural recruiting footprint. In fact, the only footprint in the Pac-12 that might be worse is the state of Oregon and Colorado doesn’t have Phil Knight Nike money in its pipeline.

Colorado has to recruit Texas better despite not playing Texas schools like they once did in the Big 12. Most important, the Buffs have to recruit nationally like Tucker was beginning to do when he left.

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The Buffaloes have to define what success is as a program. If Dorrell has a similar record as he did while at UCLA, would Ralphie Nation consider that successful? Considering the last decade, they should.

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