Tad Boyle Names Colorado's Next Assistant Coach

The Colorado Buffaloes gave graduate assistant Tyson Gilbert a major promotion in their coaching staff.

Jan 20, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Tad Boyle during the second half against the Kansas Jayhawks at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

On Wednesday, it was announced that the Colorado Buffaloes are promoting graduate assistant Tyson Gilbert to the role of assistant coach and quality control analyst.

Gilbert is entering his third season as a member of the Buffs coaching staff and will take over the position Mike Rohn stepped down from in the offseason.

Tyson Gilbert’s career on the court and the sidelines

Nov 25, 2024; Lahaina, Hawaii, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Tad Boyle speaks with the referee as his team takes on the Michigan State Spartans in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game at Lahaina Civic Center. Mandatory Credit: Marco Garcia-Imagn Images | Marco Garcia-Imagn Images

Gilbert started his college career in Colorado with the Colorado State Pueblo Thunderwolves in 2018. In his first two seasons, the Denver native averaged 7.4 and 11.1 points per game, respectively. 

He transferred to the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves in 2020 and played out the rest of his career there through the 2024 season. He battled injuries, but went out on a high note. He averaged 15.3 points per game in his senior season and was named the 2023-2024 Alaska Anchorage Athlete of the Year.

Following his time with the Seawolves, he came home to Colorado and joined coach Tad Boyle’s staff as a graduate assistant. In this role, he was in charge of several scouting reports and overseeing student managers.

He performed well in his role, taking on leadership responsibilities in his role and towards players. Players gravitated towards Gilbert, and when Rohn announced he’d be leaving Colorado to take the same role for the Kansas City Roos, Gilbert was the perfect replacement.

Tyson Gilbert’s comments on his promotion

Dec 7, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Members of the Colorado Buffaloes bench reacts in the first half against the Colorado State Rams at CU Events Center. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Gilbert issued a statement to CU Athletic Communications after it was announced he’d be taking over Rohn’s former role.

"These past two years I've learned a ton and have been able to just grow as a coach and more importantly as a person," Gilbert said. "I'd like to thank coach Boyle and the entire staff for allowing me to grow. I'm extremely excited for the future in this role." 

In the same statement, Gilbert talked about how the staff at Colorado has helped him grow as a coach and prepared him for this role.

"This whole business is about relationships," Gilbert said. "I just try to learn from everybody I encounter, try to learn from everything.”

And there has quite possibly been no coach more influential to Gilbert’s growth than the man who gave him a chance in the first place: Boyle. As a known player developer, the way Boyle goes about building his program has rubbed off on Gilbert and the rest of the staff as well.

“Coach Boyle has a quote, 'When you're done learning, you're through.' So, the last couple of years, I've tried to dive into player development,” Gilbert said. “Learning what it takes to be successful at this level of coaching, working hard, and grinding. The whole staff is full of guys who sacrifice a lot and work extremely hard."

Tad Boyle’s comments on Tyson Gilbert

Mar 7, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Tad Boyle reacts in the first half against the Arizona Wildcats at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

But among a talented staff, top to bottom, Gilbert stood out to Boyle. He attributed Gilbert’s uniqueness to his ability to connect with players, something he’ll now get the chance to do more of in his new role.

"Tyson has a very unique ability to connect with our players, and our players really respond to him," Boyle said. "Obviously, he's young and can speak their language…He's from their era, and he's a guy who's got great energy and just has an infectious personality. He's a guy that you enjoy being around." 

Boyle is known for developing his coaches just as much as his players. He keeps a finger on the pulse of his coaching staff, seeing what works and what doesn’t. Despite his relatively short time spent on the staff, everything Gilbert has done so far has worked. For that reason, Boyle knew he was the right man for the job.

"Sometimes the best people for the job are right under your nose and in your own ranks," Boyle said. "He's mature beyond his years, so he can deal with adults and handle himself in recruiting circles and recruiting conversations, yet, he's young enough to really connect and identify with our players, and so he's going to be a really, really good coach."

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