The Colorado Buffaloes have had a tumultuous last few months between going 1-8 in their last nine games, recruits de-committing, and Sean Lewis heading to San Diego State, but Coach Prime has made a new hire for his coaching staff.
Sanders hired Phil Loadholt, former Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman and Oklahoma Sooners analyst, as his offensive line coach.
From multiple sources: Colorado's Deion Sanders has hired Oklahoma analyst and former Minnesota Vikings tackle Phil Loadholt as the #cubuffs new OL coach.https://t.co/6UViuMuiii
— Brian Howell (@BrianHowell33) December 7, 2023
The offensive line was a massive issue for the Buffaloes this season, with quarterback Shedeur Sanders, Coach Prime's son, getting sacked a nation-leading 52 times. He didn't play in the season's final game against the Utah Utes due to multiple injuries, including a fracture in his back.
Loadholt last took an NFL regular season snap in 2014 for the Vikings. He played for them from 2009-2015. He was a second-round draft pick out of Oklahoma in 2009, going 54th overall.
In his career, Loadholt allowed 34 sacks and 216 pressures across 3,522 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
Loadholt was a massive right tackle, measuring in at six-foot-eight and weighing 343 pounds.
Before coming to Colorado, Loadholt had been coaching for the past six years. He was an analyst with Oklahoma the past two seasons, and before that was with Mississippi and Central Florida. He also participated in the NFL's Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellowship in 2019.
Coach Prime recently mentioned he hired an offensive line coach, but had this to say before announcing it was Loadholt: ""Offensive line position has already been filled. A guy with plenty of experience, plenty wherewithal, able to communicate to all the kids from top to bottom. Track record is wonderful. Where he derived from is a tremendous Power 5, and I love everything about it. When he interviewed with me, he knocked it out of the park. He's ready and prepared. As a matter of fact, he's already in house."
Now, we'll see who Coach Prime and Loadholt bring in via the transfer portal for 2024.
