Karl Dorrell has emerged as the favorite to land the Colorado head coaching job, according to a tweet from Pete Thamel on Saturday, since confirmed by USA Today's Dan Wolken. Update:Ian Rapoport reports it's indeed happening.
FootballScoop had separately learned through sources that Colorado is nearing a hire.
Steve Sarkisian, Bret Bielema and Troy Calhoun were the finalists late in the week with the school working toward a hire Thursday or Friday, but instead the search went in a different direction.
Dorrell, a former UCLA receiver and Alamda, Calif., native, is best known for his 2003-07 stint as his alma mater's head coach. He led the Bruins to a 35-27 record, peaking with a 2005 season that saw UCLA finish 10-2, win the Sun Bowl and earn a year-end No. 16 AP ranking. Though he never endured a losing regular-season record and reached a bowl game in all five of his seasons, Dorrell never topped seven wins in any season other than '05 and was let go following a 6-6 season in 2007.
Dorrell has worked almost exclusively in the NFL ranks since, coaching wide receivers and quarterbacks for the Miami Dolphins, Houston Texans, New York Jets and the Dolphins again. He spent 2014 as Vanderbilt's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
He spent 2019 as Brian Flores's wide receivers coach in Miami and was promoted to assistant head coach on Friday.
Colorado is looking for its third head coach in as many years after Mel Tucker left last week to replace Mark Dantonio at Michigan State. Once one of the top programs in the Big 8 and the Big 12 North, Colorado has enjoyed just one winning season since 2006. The Buffs went 5-9 in Tucker's one season in Boulder.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.