Darian Hagan promoted to CU Buffs running backs coach, Adams and Bernardi change roles

Legendary University of Colorado quarterback Darian Hagan has been promoted from his post as director of player personnel to running backs coach for the Buffs, the team announced Saturday morning.

With the change, former running backs and tight ends coach Klayton Adams will shift his focus to the offensive line and former offensive line coach Gary Bernardi will take over Adam’s duties with the tight ends. Both have previous experience with those groups.

This will be Hagan’s second go-around as an assistant coach with the Buffs as he worked with skill position players under Gary Barnett and Dan Hawkins from 2005-2010, In that time, Hagan coached running backs Rodney Stewart and Hugh Charles to two of the top seven rushing seasons in school history.

“I just missed being out on the field with the guys, rallying with the guys, in the heat of the battle with the guys and preparing,” Hagan told media on Saturday morning. “Preparation is key and I just missed that. I missed trying to affect their minds, getting them to see what coaches see and helping them be the players they want to be.”

Hagan said head coach Mike MacIntyre called him into his office yesterday morning to tell him the news. While he didn’t go through a formal interview process, Hagan talked about a meeting that took place about nine months ago in which he and Macintyre talked about the prospect of him as a coach and where he fit in.

“Darian brings a lot of pride and passion to our football program with his history here, and also brings expertise to our running backs,” head coach Mike MacIntyre said in a release from the school. “In shifting our offensive staff assignments a little bit, he will give us another dimension in our running game and working with our running backs. He’s also an excellent recruiter because he loves the University of Colorado and is so passionate about it,” Macintyre added.  “He has a lot of connections, especially in California, which is an area we obviously consider to be important in our recruiting.  We’re excited to have Darian as part of our coaching staff.”

Hagan had already got a taste of his return to coaching when he replaced Toby Neinas on the recruiting trail for the final stretch of this class after Neinas was released.

The addition of Hagan officially rounds out the Buffaloes 2016 coaching staff.