Is Troy Calhoun courted by Colorado?
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Unfortunately for everyone involved, the Karl Dorrell era came to an abrupt and premature end in Boulder. After a strong 4-2 start to tenure in the shortened 2020 COVID season, coach Dorrell’s side have won just four games in the past two years combined. This includes the current winless campaign of 2022.
With the search for a new leader for their football program underway, there is some chatter that their main target is just south of the University of Colorado campus in Colorado Springs.
Unsurprisingly, Troy Calhoun’s name has again been associated with the vacant position of head coach of a power program. It’s even less surprising that it was with CU, as they reportedly courted Calhoun after 2019 when Mel Tucker left the program. The 16-year-old Air Force coach was uninterested at the time, leading to the Karl Dorrell era, and circumstances could lead the Buffs to try to make another call for the coach Calhoun.
As mentioned, this isn’t the first program to be paired with Troy Calhoun as a contender. It did not seem likely, however, that he was seriously interested in leaving the Air Force Academy. So why would he think about it now?
Perhaps there is some appeal in attending a “big” conference. The PAC12 was recently stolen by the Big Ten, but still holds significant markets with a few branded programs at the moment. Calhoun has repeatedly remarked on the challenges a military academy faces at a conference (compared to one at Army West Point attending as an independent). This can provide some relief on the recruiting front. Not that a less than stellar recruiting class hurt Troy Calhoun and the Air Force Academy’s product in the field.
In the Karl Dorrell era, the Buffs ranked 58th (2022), 65th (2021), and 36th (2020) in recruiting classes according to 247Sports.com. Compare that to the Air Force which was 127th, 93rd and 113th respectively during those same years. Given Calhoun’s record as a head coach over that span of 17-7, which includes losing Colorado this year to the current mark of 4-1, it’s no wonder the Colorado or a number of programs would come calling.
Ultimately, there’s a reason Troy Calhoun is still in Colorado Springs. A coach doesn’t accidentally stay somewhere for 16 years, he’s wanted. And certainly on some level, that feeling is mutual. Calhoun regularly remarks on the privilege of grooming the military officers of tomorrow, as this remains the Academy’s primary focus. Trading pride with that accolade along with the culture of success they fostered at Colorado Spring’s would only come in exchange for a meaningful, if not unthinkable, return to Calhoun.
I’m not sure that kind of comeback exists at this point in Troy Calhoun’s career, but only he knows. I certainly don’t expect the tradeoff of taking the coaching job in Colorado to be anywhere near the call it would take to get the Falcons head coach. It’s a pretty daunting rebuild that awaits in Boulder, compare that to what they’ve been cooking up in the source material, and it feels like this “potential candidate” discussion is dying on the vine.
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The story originally appeared on Mountain West Wire