We’ll continue our new hire comparison series with the PAC 12. These two are slightly different in name recognition.
The Case for Sanders:
There is zero doubt that the Buffaloes made the biggest splash in the coaching carousel this season. Hiring the former Jackson State coach sent shockwaves through FBS football. Sanders’s magnetic personality has already served him unbelievably well on both the recruiting trail and in the transfer portal. The amount of talent that he has injected into the Colorado program is second to none in terms of a one-season turnaround. Sanders has more eyeballs and interest in Boulder than ever before and has given life to a moribund program.
The Case Against Sanders:
To begin with, he’s never coached at the FBS level. While at Jackson State, he had such a significant talent advantage over his competition that it was very difficult to determine just how strong his coaching chops were versus the sheer ability of his players to just be better at every position. Secondly, how long will he stay? If Sanders finds any success at Colorado, there is almost zero chance he doesn’t get a blue-blood job within two years, and then where is Colorado? Back to square one.
The case for Dillingham:
Despite being the youngest FBS coach, Dillingham has quite a resume already. The architect of Oregon’s offense under Dan Lanning last season, Dillingham resurrected Bo Nix’s career and turned him into one of the most productive quarterbacks in the country. He’s already landed one of the most highly touted prep quarterbacks in Jaden Rashada (after a drawn-out recruitment) and has a roster that, despite not being excellent by any means, had fewer holes than Colorado’s.
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The case against Dillingham:
Similar to Prime, he’s never been a head coach at the FBS level. And also, like Prime, if he has a lot of success, who’s to say he won’t jump for an elite job? And while his age more than likely won’t be a detriment, it’s something to keep in mind as he simply doesn’t have the relationships that most of the coaches in the Power 5 have.
The verdict:
As good as Dillingham’s upside is in the long run, Sanders brings so much to the table in terms of media attention, talented players, and in turn, big donors, that you can’t deny him. The questions around him are valid, but what he’s done already in turning Colorado into the center of the CFB universe is unprecedented.
