Colorado is adding a long-time NFL player and coach to its staff.
According to BuffZone sources, CU and new head football coach Karl Dorrell are expected to hire Brett Maxie as a secondary coach.
Dorrell, introduced as head coach on Feb. 24, has now completed his 10-member assistant staff.
Buffzone has previously reported that Taylor Embree (tight ends), Danny Langsdorf (quarterbacks/passing game coordinator), Demetrice Martin (secondary), Mitch Rodrigue (offensive line) and Chris Wilson (defensive line) are expected to join Dorrell’s staff.
CU has not confirmed or announced any outside hires, although Embree, Langsdorf, Martin and Rodrigue have already changed their Twitter accounts to reflect the moves.
Darrin Chiaverini (offensive coordinator/receivers), Darian Hagan (running backs), Brian Michalowski (outside linebackers) and Tyson Summers (defensive coordinator) have been retained from previous head coach Mel Tucker’s staff.
Maxie, 58, worked last season as the defensive coordinator at IMG Academy in Florida. He spent 19 of the previous 21 seasons coaching in the NFL. Most recently, he was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defensive backs coach from 2016-18.
Prior to joining the Bucs, Maxie had his only previous stop as a college coach, spending two years (2014-15) working with defensive backs at Vanderbilt. In 2014 at Vandy, Maxie worked with Dorrell, who was the offensive coordinator for the Commodores that season.
As a player, Maxie went to Texas Southern as a quarterback, but was moved to defensive back early in his career with the Tigers.
He went undrafted in 1985 but signed with the New Orleans Saints and played nine years with them. In all, he played 13 years in the NFL (1985-97), including with the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers.
In 10 of Maxie’s 13 seasons in the NFL, he had current Denver Broncos head coach Vic Fangio as one of his coaches. During Maxie’s two seasons with the Panthers (1995-96), Fangio was defensive coordinator.
In 1998, after Maxie’s playing career came to a close, he immediately jumped into coaching. Fangio was in his final season as Panthers’ defensive coordinator and Maxie was hired as a defensive quality control coach.
Maxie’s coaching career has also included stints with the 49ers (1999-03), Falcons (2004-06), Miami Dolphins (2007), Dallas Cowboys (2008-11) and Tennessee Titans (2012-13).
With the hiring of two secondary coaches, it is likely that Summers will coach inside linebackers. He coached safeties last season.
Summers coached linebackers at Central Florida from 2012-14 and at Alabama-Birmingham from 2007-10.
