Colorado’s overhaul of the football staff continued on Monday, as director of football sports performance Shannon Turley was let go, according to multiple BuffZone sources.
First-year head coach Deion Sanders did not retain any of the 10 full-time assistant coaches, quality control coaches or graduate assistants from last year and he will also be going with a new strength and conditioning program.
Sanders, hired on Dec. 4, was expected to retool the entire staff. During a meeting with players on the day he was hired, Sanders told them that “probably none” of the assistants would be retained. When asked if they would have the same strength staff, he said, “Probably not,” but added that a final decision had not been made at that time.
That decision has now been made to move on from Turley. Others on the strength and conditioning staff are still at CU for now.
Turley, originally hired by former head coach Karl Dorrell on Jan. 29, 2021, has spent the past two seasons with the Buffaloes and he has one year remaining on a two-year contract.
Prior to coming to Boulder, Turley was the director of sports performance at Stanford from 2007-19 before being fired in April of 2019 for undisclosed reasons.
He was named the FootballScoop.com strength and conditioning coach of the year in 2011. In 2013, the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) named him the college strength and conditioning coach of the year.
While at Stanford, he helped the Cardinal to three Pac-12 titles and worked with 42 players who were taken in the NFL Draft.
Kopp to transfer
Redshirt freshman quarterback Maddox Kopp is moving on from Boulder, announcing Monday that he will put his name in the NCAA transfer portal.
Kopp, who began the season fifth on the depth chart, made his collegiate debut when he started CU’s finale on Nov. 26, a 63-21 loss to Utah. He completed 15-of-28 passes for 123 yards and a touchdown.
A Houston native, Kopp transferred to CU a year ago after one season at Houston.
Kopp is the ninth player – and eighth on scholarship – to put his name in the transfer portal since the end of the season.
Overall, three of the five scholarship quarterbacks CU had this past season have put their name into the portal, including sophomore Brendon Lewis, who left the team in October, and true freshman Owen McCown.
Others to put their name in the portal since the end of the season: offensive linemen Noah Fenske, Austin Johnson and Casey Roddick; cornerback Kaylin Moore; safety Isaiah Lewis; and receivers Jack Hestera and Chase Penry.
Moore, who started at 12 games at cornerback this season, committed to California on Saturday.
New commit
Taje McCoy, a 6-foot-3, 245-pound edge prospect from Oklahoma City, committed to the Buffs on Monday night.
McCoy had 97 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and four forced fumbles as a senior this season at Putnam City (Okla.) High School.
McCoy has 12 scholarships offers, including eight from Power 5 schools.
