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Colorado football defensive coordinator Robert Livingston is Deion Sanders’ crown jewel

Colorado football defensive back Preston Hodge (24) celebrates with teammates after an interception against CSU in the Rocky Mountain Showdown at Canvas Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Fort Collins, Colo.

Deion Sanders had to get this one right.

Colorado allowed at least 35 points in six of its 12 games last season, giving up 276.9 passing yards (third worst in Pac-12) and 176.4 rushing yards per contest (second worst in Pac-12).

Ahead of Colorado’s return to the Big 12 and a pivotal Year 2 under Sanders, he chose to hire a defensive coordinator with zero play-calling experience. Of course, there was plenty to like about Robert Livingston’s NFL resume, but Sanders took a massive risk.

Through three weeks of the 2024 college football season, Sanders’ gamble looks like an excellent coaching hire.

“He’s more (than what I expected),” Sanders said Tuesday when asked of Livingston. “That’s why he was hired, because of what he brought to the table in the interview in dissecting the teams that we’re going to play before he even got the job. That’s something that happened in the interview process. His communication skills and the several young men who called me to validate him who are professionals, who played for him in the NFL. His overall willingness to listen to the wealth of knowledge in that defensive meeting room and not just be a dictator.”

Livingston is one of many on the Colorado staff with NFL experience after spending the last eight years (2016-2024) in Cincinnati as the Bengals’ secondary coach.

Mar 3, 2023; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Cincinnati Bengals secondary coach Robert Livingston looks on during combine drills at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The former free safety at the College of William & Mary (2007-09) helped groom one of the best safety duos in the NFL, consisting of Jessie Bates III and Vonn Bell, from 2020-22. Bates…


Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/colorado-football-defensive-coordinator-robert-110503779.html

Author : The Coloradoan

Publish date : 2024-09-19 11:05:03

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