Saturday morning there were reports.
Saturday afternoon Colorado released a statement saying not so fast my friends.
Well, here we are, Sunday morning and per this report from Rusty Mansell (who is as tied in as anyone in Georgia), the deal is back on. Mel Tucker will be Colorado's new head coach. Mansell writes, "Multiple sources have told Dawgs247 in the last 24 hours that Tucker is set to take the head coaching position at the University of Colorado barring a last-minute setback. That announcement could come as early as Monday according to one trusted source."
Our understanding was always that Tucker was a strong candidate and would meet with CU search leadership after the SEC Championship game. We wrote yesterday:
Georgia's defensive coordinator and potentially the least well-known of the candidates to those in Colorado has been with Kirby Smart since joining Nick Saban's staff for the 2015 season, then followed Smart to Georgia as his defensive coordinator. Prior to joining Saban, Tucker had spent 10 seasons in the NFL most notably as defensive coordinator for the Browns, Jaguars and Bears. He also previously coached at LSU and Ohio State prior to his time in the NFL. Having spent some time with Tucker at Georgia, I can share he's an extremely personable coach. Leadership is not something he is lacking. In speaking with a few coaches last night, phrases such as, "He is fantastic in home visits"; "Kids play so hard for him, they love him."; and "Positive energy guy" were heard throughout the night. Tucker, we are told, is scheduled to visit with CU search leadership after the SEC Championship this weekend.
The question many in the coaching profession have asked FootballScoop over the past few days is what will Tucker do regarding an offensive coordinator. We don't know the answer to that question at this time; but one has to wonder if he will keep current co-offensive coordinator Darrin Chiaverini who many tell us is the key to retaining the Buffs recruiting class. The players like him. Not keeping him would be an indication CU AD Rick George wants a complete fresh start.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest coaching job information.