Deion Sanders isn’t just reshaping Colorado’s roster-he’s continuing to overhaul the Buffaloes’ coaching staff, too. The latest moves? Promotions, new hires, and a clear signal that Coach Prime is building a staff in his image: energetic, experienced, and aligned with his vision.
Johnnie Mack Steps Into the Spotlight
One of the more notable developments is the promotion of Johnnie Mack to running backs coach. Mack, who joined the Buffs last season as an analyst and assistant running backs coach, now takes over the room full-time. He worked closely with former RB coach-and Pro Football Hall of Famer-Marshall Faulk, who recently left to become the head coach at Southern University.
Mack’s path to this role has been anything but conventional, but it’s clear he’s earned his stripes. Before arriving in Boulder, he built his coaching resume at the high school level in Texas, including stints at North Shore and Paetow.
He also logged time at Southeastern University as a receivers coach, and held analyst and quality control roles at Hawaii, Houston Baptist, and North Texas. He’s coached everything from inside receivers to specialists to running backs, giving him a well-rounded perspective that should serve CU’s backfield well.
As a player, Mack was a junior college All-American at City College of San Francisco before playing under Mike Leach at Texas Tech from 2002-04. He graduated from Tech in 2005, and his playing background-especially in Leach’s high-octane system-adds another layer of insight to his coaching toolkit.
Chris Marve Expected to Take Over Linebackers
On the defensive side, Colorado is expected to bring in Chris Marve as linebackers coach. Marve most recently served as Virginia Tech’s defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 2022-24, and his track record speaks for itself.
During his three seasons in Blacksburg, Marve’s defenses consistently ranked in the top 60 nationally in both scoring and total defense. The Hokies allowed 24.7 points per game in 2022 (54th nationally), improved to 23.9 in 2023 (51st), and trimmed that to 22.8 in 2024 (39th).
In terms of total yardage, they ranked 58th, 20th, and 57th over those three years, respectively. That kind of steady production, especially in a Power Five conference, is no small feat.
Marve brings SEC roots and a linebacker’s mindset to the position. A standout player at Vanderbilt, he was a freshman All-American in 2008 and earned second-team All-SEC honors three straight years from 2009 to 2011.
After finishing his playing career, he quickly transitioned into coaching at his alma mater, starting as a quality control coach in 2014 and eventually becoming Vanderbilt’s linebackers coach by 2016. He’s also held linebacker coaching roles at Mississippi State and Florida State.
He replaces Andre Hart, who has coached CU’s linebackers for the past three seasons. Hart remains under contract for another year, but the Buffs are clearly moving in a new direction at the position.
A Staff in Motion
With Mack and Marve joining the fold, Colorado has now made at least four changes among its 10 full-time assistant coaching positions. Brennan Marion, known for his innovative “Go-Go” offense, was recently hired as offensive coordinator. And the Buffs are still looking to fill the tight ends coach role following Brett Bartolone’s departure to become OC at Nevada.
To backfill Mack’s previous spot as an analyst and assistant RB coach, CU has brought in Kyle Wagner, who held a similar role at Sacramento State this past season. Wagner worked under Marion there, so there’s already familiarity between the two-another sign Sanders is prioritizing continuity and chemistry on his staff.
What It All Means
These moves aren’t just about filling vacancies-they’re about building a coaching unit that reflects Sanders’ vision for the program: dynamic, experienced, and ready to connect with today’s players. Promoting from within shows trust in the existing culture, while bringing in proven names like Marve adds credibility and production.
There’s still work to do, but if these hires are any indication, Sanders is assembling a staff that’s as ambitious and forward-thinking as he is. The pieces are coming together in Boulder-and fast.