Report: OC demoted by Coach Prime gets a new gig elsewhere
Nov 28, 2023, 2:22 PM | Updated: 2:44 pm
Sean Lewis left his head coaching gig to join Deion Sanders’ staff with the Colorado Buffaloes, now he’s leaving Boulder for a lead whistle elsewhere.
According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel and the Action Network, Lewis will become the head coach of San Diego State. Lewis will replace longtime college coach Brady Hoke, who retired at season’s end, finishing his second stint with the Aztecs.
Lewis was as notable addition to the Buffs as any outside of the Sanders family and Travis Hunter. Lewis left his leadership of the historically bad Kent State program to become Prime’s offensive coordinator. Lewis took the Golden Flashes from a perennial two or three-win team to two bowls including the first postseason win in school history. With Lewis gone, the Golden Flashes already dropped back to 1-11.
In Boulder, Lewis led one of the best offenses in college football to start the season. Though, he was demoted away from playcalling duties mid-season in bizarre fashion. Under Lewis’ playcalling the Buffs scored 227 points through 6.5 games, or about 35 points per 60 minutes. That mark would’ve finished CU in the top 15 offenses in the country, but they fell apart. Scoring just 30 points over 21 possessions a 29-0 halftime lead over Stanford. Losing to the Cardinals and streaking the wrong way, CU cemented their 4-8 record.
The Buffs offense took a massive step back without Lewis leading the play calls, and instead failed NFL coach Pat Shurmur at the helm. Many around the country questioned the decision and it obviously made Lewis look bad for not much reason. Sure, Colorado struggled up front and running the ball, but they were scoring. With Shurmur, the Buffaloes didn’t do as much scoring—granted star quarterback Shedeur Sanders got hurt in the end.
Lewis is the second big-time staff member to leave Boulder in the hours since the season ended, joining Tim Brewster. Lewis also seemingly had a pretty big hand in recruiting and Colorado has already lost both their quarterbacks of the future to decommitments.
The Buffaloes will pasture back to the Big 12 next year and in a slightly different universe, the Pac-12 held together and expanded to add SDSU. That would’ve set Prime up for a matchup with a coach under his tree, who was wronged.
