When Fernando Lovo stepped into the athletic director role at New Mexico just over a year ago, he was immediately thrown into the deep end-five days in, the football coach was out, and Lovo had to make one of the biggest hires in college athletics. Fast forward 13 months, and he’s now taking over at Colorado, where the situation is a little more stable-and a lot more high-profile.
At Colorado, Lovo inherits a football program led by Deion Sanders, a coach who needs no introduction and who still has four years left on his contract extension. After a rollercoaster two seasons under Sanders-going from a 9-4 breakout in 2024 to a disappointing 3-9 campaign this past year-there’s no doubt the Buffaloes have work to do.
But Lovo isn’t shying away from that challenge. In fact, he’s leaning into it.
“I think (Sanders) would obviously be the first person to admit that last year didn’t meet his expectations, and I know he’s shared that,” Lovo said this week.
Despite not having worked directly with Sanders before, Lovo has had a front-row seat-like the rest of the college football world-to the buzz Sanders has brought to Boulder. Whether it’s the media frenzy, the sold-out games, or the recruiting headlines, CU football has been in the national conversation ever since Sanders arrived.
“The visibility and the notoriety and the excitement that he’s created around CU football is palpable,” Lovo said. “Everywhere I’ve been, you can’t go very long without hearing about CU football, and that’s a testament to him and just the great coach that he is and how he goes about his business.”
Now, Lovo’s job is to help turn that visibility into sustained success. That means more than just wins on the field-it means building revenue, investing in facilities, and supporting coaches in ways that elevate every program on campus. Still, football is the engine, and Lovo knows it.
“Obviously we have high expectations,” he said. “I know nobody has higher expectations than (Sanders), and that’s my job to support that and help us chase championships.
Just look at a year ago: nine wins, in the national conversation, Fox Big Noon, Heisman Trophy winner, that whole deal. The power of that is really impactful.”
That 2024 season wasn’t just a flash in the pan-it was a glimpse of what the program could be under the right conditions. And while 2025 was a step back, Lovo believes the foundation is there to get back to that level-and stay there.
He’s already had conversations with Sanders during the hiring process and is eager to hit the ground running once he arrives in Boulder.
“When I get there, we’re going to dive in, and I’m going to be fully supportive of whatever’s needed to continue to elevate the program,” Lovo said. “It was awesome to speak with him during the process, and I’m really looking forward to getting to work.
“When we get to the season, I have full confidence that we’re gonna have a great year. We’re going to be extremely competitive, and we’re going to put a good product on the field for our fans, and they’re going to love it.”
And it’s not just football that Lovo will be overseeing. Colorado has a strong core of veteran coaches across multiple sports-Tad Boyle (men’s basketball), JR Payne (women’s basketball), Danny Sanchez (women’s soccer), Jesse Mahoney (women’s volleyball), Roy Edwards (men’s golf), and Ann Elliott Whidden (women’s lacrosse) have all been in Boulder for at least a decade. That kind of continuity is rare in college athletics, and Lovo sees it as a major asset.
“It’s a big advantage,” he said. “It’s something I’m excited about.
Credit to (outgoing AD Rick George) and his team for hiring great coaches and being able to keep them there. … It’s good for us to be able to dive in with them, as well, and see in the midst of how we’re trying to generate more revenue and do different things, how we help them, how we help their programs.”
Lovo knows that some athletic directors prefer to bring in their own hires, but he’s not looking to make changes just for the sake of it. His philosophy is simple: support the people already in place and help them thrive.
“I’m a firm believer that it’s a job of an administrator to just pour in to the coaches that are on your team, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do,” he said. “I was able to connect with almost all of them over the phone (this week), and it just reinforced what I thought I knew when I was exploring this opportunity-that there’s great coaches here, and I’m just so excited to work with them and really see how I can help elevate their programs.”
So while the spotlight will naturally fall on Sanders and the football program, Lovo’s vision is broader. He’s stepping into a department with a solid coaching foundation, a passionate fan base, and a football program that-despite recent struggles-has shown it can capture the nation’s attention.
Now it’s about turning that attention into results. And for Lovo, that challenge is exactly why he’s here.