BROOMFIELD — After a 2-10 season in 2014, Colorado football coach Mike Mac- Intyre said the issues surrounding the Buffaloes’ porous defense would be evaluated and addressed.
“I have dug in. We have new coaches,” MacIntyre said Thursday after announcing the additions of Jim Leavitt as defensive coordinator and Joe Tumpkin as safeties coach during a boosters luncheon.
Leavitt and Tumpkin replaced two coaches, Kent Baer and Andy LaRussa, who had worked for MacIntyre for years and followed him from San Jose State to CU before the 2013 season. Baer and LaRussa are now at UNLV.
“We definitely needed to improve on defense,” MacIntyre said. “I think (with the new coaches) we’re in that category.”
Leavitt was the head coach at South Florida for 13 seasons and, more recently, served as linebackers coach the past four years for the San Francisco 49ers. MacIntyre said he has known Leavitt for a long time and was attracted by his experience in building the USF program, as well as being the linebackers coach and defensive coordinator at Kansas State in the early 1990s, when the Wildcats were just starting to win under head coach Bill Snyder.
“Jim is a very energetic guy, a lot of passion, a lot of charisma, a lot of enthusiasm,” MacIntyre said. “Every day, he’ll be fired up, ready to go. I thought that would bring a lot of energy to our staff. I thought he’d fit in well.”
Tumpkin was the defensive coordinator at Central Michigan for the past five years. His background could be a boost to CU’s future recruiting efforts with connections and ties to the states of Texas and Florida, in addition to the Midwest.
Tumpkin attended the boosters meeting. Leavitt had not yet arrived in Colorado.
“I’m ecstatic about the opportunity to come here,” Tumpkin said.
Tumpkin said he knows of Leavitt but has never met him.
“People I talk to say we will mesh very well together,” Tumpkin said. “I’m energetic and very demanding. We want to be fundamentally sound all the time.”
MacIntyre said he did his research regarding the circumstances that forced Leavitt out of South Florida, where he compiled a record of 95-67. Leavitt was fired in January 2010 after an alleged incident that involved striking one of his players. He sued USF, claiming that he was wrongly terminated. Ten months later, the sides reached a $2.75 million settlement.
“That’s way in the past,” MacIntyre said. “Everyone I’ve talked to rants and raves about him.”
Leavitt will take over the same duties — defensive coordinator and linebackers coach — that Baer held. The addition of Tumpkin required some shuffling, because LaRussa coached defensive ends last fall. Jim Jeffcoat will now be responsible for coaching the entire defensive line. Secondary coach Charles Clark will concentrate on coaching the cornerbacks, leaving the safeties to Tumpkin.
“I’ve got two (new coaches) who have great coordinator experience and a great wealth of knowledge,” MacIntyre said. “I needed to get the right people with the right fit. We have to play better defense, and I think we will.”
Tom Kensler: tkensler@denverpost.com or
