Report: Buffs land new linebackers coach

BOULDER — One of four open jobs on the Colorado staff has been filled… but the hiring sparks a new question.

Colorado will hire Joe Bowden to be its new linebackers coach, according to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg. Bowden, 50, has served as Missouri Baptist’s defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for the last four years. Bowden was the assistant linebackers coach for the St. Louis Rams from 2012-15 and the San Francisco 49ers’ inside linebackers coach in 2016.

Colorado’s inside linebackers job was open because Tyson Summers was fired earlier this month. Summers had served as the team’s defensive coordinator since 2019 and inside linebackers coach since last season.

The Buffs’ defensive coordinator position is still open, and the math has become a little more complicated as head coach Karl Dorrell fills out his staff. Division I football staffs are allowed to have 10 assistant coaches and, as of Bowden’s reported hiring, Colorado has nine assistants on staff. (The strength and conditioning coach doesn’t count as one of the 10 assistants.)

However, Colorado still has two openings to fill. The Buffs are still without a defensive coordinator and it was reported yesterday that tight ends coach Taylor Embree has accepted a new position with the New York Jets. That leaves Colorado’s tight ends coach job open.

The math changed when Colorado fired Summers (linebackers/defensive coordinator) and hired Bowden (linebackers), leaving the defensive coordinator position open. If the Buffs want to hire a tight ends coach, they’ll have two options on the defensive side of the ball: fire an assistant coach, or promote a current assistant coach to defensive coordinator.

Shortly after Summers was fired, Rittenberg reported that CU defensive line coach Chris Wilson would be considered for the defensive coordinator position. If Wilson is promoted to defensive coordinator, the defensive staff would likely be set for 2021. If he isn’t, there will likely be more attrition.