Kanavis McGhee, an all-American linebacker with Colorado who helped the Buffaloes to the 1990 national title, is returning to Boulder as an assistant coach under new coach Jon Embree, a source close to the situation said this morning.
The position he’ll coach has not been disclosed. He will be the sixth former Buffalo on the new staff, including Embree, Eric Bieniemy, Brian Cabral, Darian Hagan and Jashon Sykes, the director of football operations. Embree is expected to name part of his staff Sunday.
In addition, a source close to the situation said that former Akron coach and ex-Colorado State receiver J.D. Brookhart will also be added to Embree’s staff as tight ends/passing game coach and as special teams coordinator.
added that offensive line coach Steve Marshall of Cal will also be joining Embree’s staff.
McGhee, 42, is a teacher at Challenge Early College in his hometown of Houston, but has coaching experience. In 2006-07 he coached defense for the Amsterdam Admirals of the now-defunct NFL Europe after starting his coaching career as head coach for Ross Shaw Sterling High in Houston.
Playing at Colorado, McGhee was a finalist for the 1990 Butkus and Lombardi awards, given to the nation’s best linebacker and lineman, respectively. After the New York Giants drafted him in the second round in 1991, he played three seasons at defensive end before a knee injury ended his stint in New York.
He played for the Cincinnati Bengtals in 1994 and the Houston Oilers in 1995.
This fall McGhee was mentioned in a Sports Illustrated report on agent corruption in which agent Josh Luchs claimed he gave McGhee $2,500 to represent him while McGhee still played for Colorado. That would have been a violation of NCAA rules. Luchs said McGhee never repaid the money.
Brookhart, a football and basketball teammate of Embree’s at Cherry Creek High School, said he was happy when Embree got the CU job. Bookhart and Embree were rivals in college as Embree went to CU and Brookhart played for CSU from 1985-87.
After coaching on the University of Pittsburgh staff, he went to Akron where he was 2004 MAC coach of the year with a 6-2 league mark.
At that time, many CSU fans projected him as the eventual heir to ex-Ram coach Sonny Lubick. However, he was fired a year ago at Akron, following a 3-9 record. He said he has spent the year in private business.
He is the brother of current Cherry Creek football/basketball coach Mike Brookhart.
John Henderson: 303-954-1299 or jhenderson@denverpost.com
