A big-time endorsement helped William Vlachos land with CU

BOULDER — Brian Daboll is a hot name right now.

He’s the offensive coordinator of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills, and he has been since 2018, the same year the Bills drafted quarterback Josh Allen. Over the past three-and-a-half seasons, Allen has grown into being one of the top five quarterbacks in the NFL under Daboll’s tutelage.

But before Daboll solidified himself as one of the top head coaching candidates in the NFL, he bounced around the football world. His stops included seven Power 5 or NFL stops, including the New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs and Michigan State.

And he crossed paths with two very important figures within Colorado’s football program: head coach Karl Dorrell and his new offensive line coach William Vlachos.

“It is helpful to know that he’s had some experience with Brian because Brian’s a heck of a coach,” Dorrell said on Wednesday. “He’s doing a great job with the Bills right now.”

Dorrell was Daboll’s quarterbacks coach when Daboll was the offensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins in 2011.

Vlachos was an offensive quality control coach at Alabama in 2017 while Daboll was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. (That was the season that the Crimson Tide had three future NFL starters—Jalen Hurts, Tu’a Tagovailoa and Mac Jones—at quarterback.) After the season, Daboll signed on as offensive coordinator in Buffalo and he brought Vlachos with him as an offensive assistant.

“When I knew that William had background with Dabs—that’s what we called him—it was good,” Dorrell said. “Coaching is kind of a fraternity is kind of a fraternity of guys you’ve had a history with and you know a lot about who they are. You tend to rely on some of that information for recommendations.”

Dorrell hired Vlachos as a quality control coach in March 2020 as part of his inaugural coaching staff at Colorado. Daboll’s recommendation was at least a small part of that decision.

“He just thought that he was very bright, very smart,” Dorrell said of the recommendation.

After firing offensive line coach Mitch Rodrigue over the weekend, Dorrell promoted Vlachos to the position.

“William (brings) in a lot of a similar philosophy of what I like to do offensively, in terms of the run system and protections and stuff like that,” Dorrell said. “He’s very familiar with the world that I’ve lived in for the last 15 years.”

Dorrell says those smarts were apparent when he played at Alabama, starting the 2010 and 2011 seasons and earning an all-conference nod. At 6-foot-1 and under 300 pounds, it wasn’t Vlachos’ physical traits that made him successful.

“To play at Alabama and be obviously undersized, something gave you the opportunity to do that, right?” Dorrell said. “You’re smarter than the guys or something gave you the edge. So that’s what William was able to do.”

Running backs coach Darian Hagan also mentioned how bright Vlachos is and added that he likes the “spunk” that he brings to the meeting rooms. Dorrell thinks the 33-year-old’s youthfulness will help him connect with his linemen better than Rodrigue could. Expanding the role of assistant coach Donovan Williams, 26, doesn’t hurt either.

“They’re probably relating a little better with them in terms of their teaching, their technique and skill and being able to demonstrate it themselves,” Dorrell said. “I feel like it’s really created at least a positive work ethic.”

And, according to the linemen, that work ethic is already paying off.

“They all expressed to me that they’re learning more in the last couple days than they have in quite some time,” Dorrell said.

An improved offensive line will be crucial if the Buffs want to turn the offense around by the end of the season.