AD Rick George releases statement acknowledging Colorado's dreadful start
Three weeks into the season, the FBS level is at two firings and, now, two votes of confidence. Nebraska and Arizona State are in the former category, and on Sunday Colorado joined West Virginia in the latter.
AD Rick George's statement was essentially to acknowledge the fan base's anger at the Buffaloes start without much in the ways of niceties for head coach Karl Dorrell.
"I recognize and understand your disappointment and frustration and perhaps, even anger," George said. "Regardless of your feelings right now on Colorado Football, I encourage you to continue to support our tremendous football student-athletes, who need your cheers, encouragement and support now, more than ever."
Effectively, the statement informs the CU faithful that Dorrell will continue as head coach for the time being.
Dorrell was hired in February 2020, just before the covid pandemic. After a 4-2 showing and an Alamo Bowl appearance in 2020, CU slipped to 4-8 in 2021.
This season, Colorado is 0-3, with a 38-13 loss to TCU, a 41-10 loss to Air Force and a 49-7 loss to Minnesota to show for their non-conference season. As of Sunday, Colorado ranks 129th in scoring offense and 127th in scoring defense.
Of note: George signed Dorrell, an NFL position coach at the time whose only head coaching experience was a 35-27 stint at UCLA that ended in 2007, to a 5-year, $18 million contract. Even worse, if CU were to terminate him before the end of the calendar year, his buyout is equal to 100 percent of the remaining contract.
Upon conclusion of the regular season, Dorrell will be owed $7.8 million for the 2023 and '24 seasons, the final two years remaining on the contract. Dorrell's contract is, essentially, fully guaranteed. (A previous version of this article incorrectly listed Dorrell's buyout at $5 million.) The contract states he would be owed his full '23 and '24 salary if released in the 2023 calendar year and, if fired before that, he would be owed his '23 and '24 salaries plus whatever is left from his 2022 salary.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.
