Colorado fires head coach Karl Dorrell

After a brutally boring last year and a half in Boulder, Colorado fired Karl Dorrell on Sunday. Pete Thamel was first to report the news.

The Buffs are 0-5 to start the 2022 season, losing 43-20 at Arizona on Saturday. Colorado has failed to score more than 20 points in a game this season, continuing its offensive ineptitude from its 4-8 campaign in 2021.

Dorrell’s team became the first in program history — 132 years — to open the season with four straight losses by at least 25 points. Their 23-point defeat Saturday was their lowest margin loss all season.

Despite Dorrell being brought in to juice up a CU offense, the Buffalos ranked in the 120s nationally in yards per play, explosiveness and scoring. Through five games in 2022, the Buffs are averaging just 13.4 points per game and have already had three different starting quarterbacks. 

Dorrell was a surprise hire by Colorado in 2020 after Mel Tucker left for Michigan State, but while the former two-time Buffs assistant — 1992-93 receivers coaching and 1995-98 offensive coordinator — went an encouraging 4-2 during the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, the Buffs have regressed in the last year and a half.

Dorrell was just 8-15 overall, losing 12 of his last 15 games — 11 by at least two touchdowns. 

The former Miami Dolphins assistant is owed $11.4 million as part of his buyout.