Colorado’s Deion Sanders is looking to add another gold jacket to the coaching staff.
BuffZone has learned through a source that former college and NFL great Marshall Faulk is the top candidate to become the Buffs’ new running backs coach. Faulk would replace Gary Harrell, who is no longer with the Buffs.
Faulk, 51, does not having coaching experience, but would bring an exceptional resume as a player. Faulk was a two-time All-American at San Diego State and from 1994-2005 he was one of the best running backs in the NFL.
Sanders and Faulk were part of the same Pro Football Hall of Fame class in 2011. The staff also includes Hall of Fame defensive tackle Warren Sapp, who was hired a year ago to work with defensive linemen.
For more than a decade, from 2006-17, Sanders and Faulk worked together as on-air talent for the NFL Network. Faulk’s time with the NFL Network came to an end, however, after he and others, including Sapp, were named in a lawsuit filed by a woman who worked as a wardrobe stylist and accused them of sexual misconduct.
Although the NFL Network filed documents denying the allegations, Faulk and others were suspended in December of 2017. In 2018, the NFL Network reached a settlement with the accuser and the case was dropped, but Faulk and others did not return to the network.
Faulk has worked in the financial and men’s health industries in recent years.
During a brilliant three-year college career at San Diego State from 1991-93, Faulk rushed for 4,589 yards and 57 touchdowns. He was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in 1992 and was fourth in Heisman voting in 1993.
The No. 2 overall selection in the 1994 NFL Draft, by the Indianapolis Colts, Faulk played five seasons with the Colts and seven with the St. Louis Rams.
Faulk was the NFL’s most valuable player in 2000 and the NFL offensive player of the year three years in a row from 1999-2001. He is fifth in NFL history for career yards from scrimmage (19,154), seventh in total touchdowns (136) and 12th in career rushing yards (12,279).
In 1999, Faulk rushed for 1,381 yards and caught 87 passes for 1,048 yards. He is one of only three players in NFL history to top 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season, along with Roger Craig (1985) and Christian McCaffrey (2019).
The 1994 NFL offensive rookie of the year, Faulk was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection and helped the Rams to a victory in Super Bowl XXXIV on Jan. 30, 2000.
Another key aspect to hiring Faulk is that he has worked since 2018 as a financial professional for WealthWave, a financial education and financial services marketing company. In the NIL era of college sports, student-athletes are making more money than ever before. Prior to the Alamo Bowl last month in San Antonio, Coach Prime was asked what he would do if he could change one thing about college football.
“I think financial literacy classes should be mandatory so these kids understand how to manage their money when they get their money,” he said, while adding he would also add a pay scale.
In addition to coaching running backs, Faulk could make a significant impact on CU players with his ability to teach financial literacy.
If Faulk is hired, he will work with Tommie Robinson, who has been named as an assistant running backs coach, as previously reported. Robinson, 61, has nearly four decades of coaching experience, including as a running backs coach at Texas A&M, LSU, USC, Texas and the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals in the past 15 years.
BuffZone has also learned through a source that George Hegamin and Gunnar White are teaming up to share offensive line coach duties, replacing Phil Loadholt, who took a similar job at Mississippi State.
It was reported earlier this week that Hegamin and White would be co-assistant O-line coaches, but it was unclear if they would work under someone else who has yet to be hired. A BuffZone source confirmed, however, that the plan is for Hegamin and White to lead the group together.
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