Report: Cincinnati Bengals' Robert Livingston expected to be new Colorado defensive coordinator

Colorado is expected to hire Robert Livingston as its next defensive coordinator, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported. He spent the last nine seasons on the Cincinnati Bengals’ coaching staff, most recently as secondary coach.

Livingston headed to Boulder on Wednesday to discuss the position, Rapoport said, and the expectation is he’ll take over for Charles Kelly. He just completed his eighth season as the Bengals’ secondaries coach after initially joining the staff as a defensive secondary assistant. He also has experience as an NFL scout with Cincinnati.

Robinson last worked at the college level in 2011 as a defensive quality control coach at Vanderbilt, which came after a year at Furman working with the safeties. He joined the Bengals organization as a scout before becoming an on-field coach in 2015.

Colorado’s defense struggled last year in the first season under Deion Sanders, ranking 11th in the Pac-12 with 453.3 yards per game allowed and 34.8 points allowed on average. Kelly then left the program in late December to become the co-defensive coordinator at Auburn, meaning Sanders had to search for a replacement.

Last month, he updated the search and said he was narrowing it down to a few names.

“It might be three people it might be out of three people right now. They’re in interviews as well,” Sanders said during an appearance on RGIII and The Ones. “They’re really good, they really are relational, and they really know this game; know this game and can utilize what we have here and take them to the next level.”

Colorado’s first season under Sanders got off to a promising start with a 3-0 record, but the Buffaloes ended the year 4-8 after a rough go in Pac-12 play. Now, they’re heading to the Big 12 – and they’re keeping their coach.

During an appearance on Undisputed, Sanders indicated he got interest from “a couple” teams, but ultimately chose to stay in Boulder.

“Couple of times,” Sanders said. “But I’m happy where I am as you see but I’m out there home shopping with the kids that means I don’t plan on going anywhere. I got a kickstand down. I love this fan base. I love looking out the window right now, these snow covered mountains, I’ve been snowmobiling the last two weekends … I mean loving life right now. My kids are snowboarding, Shilo, Shedeur, I’m telling him to take it easy … So we’re doing things that we would have never fathom. But I love me some Colorado.”