At risk of having a second-straight losing season, and the fifth losing season in six years on the job, Colorado will be moving on from head coach Mike MacIntyre. According to a report by Chris Low of ESPN.com, MacIntyre had been informed by the school he would not be returning to coach the Buffs in 2019. Colorado has since confirmed this news.
MacIntyre will not coach Colorado’s final game this weekend against California. An interim coach will be named.
“I want to thank Mike for six seasons of hard work and dedication to the program, both on and off the field,” Colorado athletic director Rick George said in a released statement. “There’s no doubt that the 2016 season was magical, and it appeared we were headed back to taking our place among the nation’s elite. However, analyzing the direction of the program over the last two years, I felt this is the necessary time to make a change.”
Colorado owes MacIntyre $10.3 million on his remaining contract through the end of 2021. The buyout would be reduced by the amount of MacIntyre’s new contract if he is hired by another college football program or an NFL team. The buyout will be paid off in monthly payments for the next three years, according to the release from Colorado.
MacIntyre took on the head coaching job at Colorado prior to the 2013 season. After three losing years in Boulder, MacIntyre and Colorado turned in a 10-win season that saw the program play for the Pac-12 championship in 2016. Colorado ascended as high as No. 9 in the AP poll that season before finishing the year at No. 17 for the first AP ranking at the end of a season for the first time since 2002, and the highest end-of-the-year ranking since finishing No. 9 in 2001.
The problem for MacIntyre was an inability to build off a successful 2016 campaign. Colorado went 5-7 last season and come into the final game of the season with a record of 5-6. Colorado needs to win a game at California in order to clinch bowl eligibility, although it may be unexpected MacIntyre would coach the bowl game should Colorado manage to go bowling this season.
This story has been updated from its original posting to reflect Colorado’s confirmation of the news and to provide additional details provided by Colorado.
UPDATE (2:47 p.m. ET): Quarterback coach Kurt Roper will take on the role of interim head coach.
#cubuffs interim HC will be QB coach Kurt Roper
— Brian Howell (@BrianHowell33) November 18, 2018