Report: Colorado assistant coach relieved of duties

Colorado head coach Karl Dorrell relieved offensive line coach Mitch Rodrigue of his duties Sunday, according to Altitude TV’s Vic Lombardi. The Buffaloes needed a spark on offense after starting 2-5, averaging just 15.1 points per game.

Colorado’s two wins, which account for 69 of their 106 points, came against FCS opponent Northern Colorado and 0-7 Arizona. The losses, which include a disappointing 26-3 loss against Cal, have featured little offensive production.

Rodrigue spent two seasons as Colorado’s offensive line coach, joining as part of Dorrell’s initial staff in 2020.

After seven seasons as the run game coordinator and offensive line coach at Louisiana, he spent two seasons at Spanish Fort High School. He then took the job with Dorrell, hoping to repeat his prior success developing offensive linemen.

At Louisiana, he helped Daniel Quave and Mykhael Quave make the 2014 preseason Lombardi Award watch list. The Ragin’ Cajuns were 51-38 over Rodrigue’s tenure as an assistant. He also developed several NFL lineman over his coaching career.

Former Colorado coach denies USC connection

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported last month that former Colorado assistant and NFL offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy was a USC candidate. And just days after his name surfaced, Bieniemy was asked about the opening.

“Well you know me — you guys know me. I am where my feet are,” Bieniemy said Thursday in a press conference. “So when it’s all said and down with, I am focused on the task at hand. I’m not worried about anything where my name is being mentioned. My job right now is to make sure that we’re preparing for this weekend’s opponent.”

An alumnus of Colorado, where he played for the Buffaloes, and former second-round pick in the 1991 NFL Draft, Bieniemy also began his college coaching career at Colorado in 2001. He spent two seasons as the Colorado running backs coach (and later, two seasons as the Buffaloes’ offensive coordinator) and three seasons as the UCLA running backs coach, before moving on to NFL coaching roles.

In a follow-up question, Bieniemy doubled down on his first answer. He declined to provide further comment on the USC Trojans’ coaching vacancy.

“I think you guys know me better than that. So if USC reached out to me right now, my answer would be I am preparing for this team… and that’s how I roll,” Bieniemy said. “I am where my feet are, OK? My job is to make sure we’re ready to play a complete, sound, 60-minute football game where we can come out and win the game.”