Colorado completes '22 staff with Phil McGeoghan at wide receivers coach

BOULDER — Colorado’s 2022 coaching staff is complete.

The Buffs announced Tuesday that Phil McGeoghan will be the team’s wide receivers coach. He fills in for Darrin Chiaverini, who was relieved of his duties after serving as receivers coach and offensive coordinator. McGeoghan, 42, most recently coached receivers for the Los Angeles Chargers.

McGeoghan first got to know Colorado head coach Karl Dorrell in Denver in the early 2000s when Dorrell was the Broncos’ receivers coach and McGeoghan was a rookie receiver.

“Coach Dorrell was a very good teacher, he was very patient and knew how to develop his players through a positive and calming influence,” McGeoghan said in a press release.  “There were a lot of talented players in that room, and he always found the right way to reach every player.  Many of us have remained very close to him for the remainder of our lives, someone we could always count on as we grew older and had families and needed advice, whether it was about our careers or our families. He was always someone who was sincere about caring greatly about his former players.

“I’m very excited about being reunited with coach. I believe it’s always a goal in life to be able to work for people who know you, trust you, and know what you can bring to the table every day. So it will be a privilege to work for a man who has integrity like Karl, who is obviously very passionate about football. I love the state of Colorado, so to be reunited with a very special man, in a very exceptional place, to take on a job that I am really excited about doing, it’s going to be special for our family.”

Dorrell also remembered his two years with McGeoghan fondly.

I first got to know Phil when he was on the roster with the Broncos and he was in my receivers room,” Dorrell said in the release. “I remember him as technician of the game, a very detail-oriented guy. He was someone who you felt that when he was done playing could become a really good coaching candidate in the profession. He’s done a reputable job at developing players wherever he’s been, and his body of work is very strong.”

That body of work includes 15 years coaching wide receivers, eight of which came in the NFL. His most recent work in the college ranks came in 2016, when he was the wide receivers coach at East Carolina, where he coached Zay Jones to a first-team All-American season when he led the nation with 158 catches (an NCAA record) for 1,746 yards.

McGeoghan joined the Bills’ staff a few months later, just before Buffalo drafted Jones in the second round. The next season, McGeoghan joined the Chargers’ staff, where he coached Keenan Allen to multiple Pro Bowls and contributed to thee growth of Mike Williams. After three seasons with the Chargers, he sat out the 2021 season to take care of health issues I this immediate family.

McGeoghan first coached in the NFL with the Dolphins from 2012-15, where he coached Jarvis Landry and Brian Hartline to 1,000-yard seasons.

Colorado’s wide receivers will look quite a bit different in 2022. Brenden Rice and Dimitri Stanley, the team’s top two threats, will both transfer from CU. La’Vontae Shenault, whose off the field troubles prevented him from creating a trio at the top of the depth chart, also left. Depth pieces Keith Miller and Chris Carpenter are transferring out as well.

CU added RJ Sneed, a wide receiver who transferred from Baylor. He has one year of eligibility. Sneed is a big-bodied receiver with great ball skills along the sideline and the ability to make plays with the ball in his hands. He was a second-team All-Big-12 Performer in 2020.

Colorado also has young talent at wide receiver, including Montana Lemonious-Craig, Chase Penry and Ty Robinson, who will all be sophomores in 2022.

McGeoghan is the final piece of the 2022 staff. Here’s what the crew will look like this season:

HC: Karl Dorrell
OC/QBs: Mike Sanford
RBs: Darian Hagan
WRs: Phil McGeoghan
TEs/passing game coordinator: Clay Patterson
OL: Kyle DeVan
DC/OLBs: Chris Wilson
DL: Vic So’oto
ILBs: Mark Smith
CBs: Rod Chance
Ss/defensive passing game coordinator: Brett Maxie