Colorado's Brennan Marion, Rick George Turn Heads with Courtside Conversation

Newly hired offensive coordinator Brennan Marion attended a Colorado Buffaloes basketball game with Colorado athletic Rick George, who plans to step down at the end of the academic year. What does the moment mean about the Buffs future?

Mar 8, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes athletic director Rick George claps during the first half against the TCU Horned Frogs at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

As the Colorado Buffaloes men's basketball team used a dominant second half to bury the UTSA Roadrunners 88–64, cameras found newly hired offensive coordinator Brennan Marion in a cowboy hat sitting next to athletic director Rick George.

That courtside snapshot matters as a relationship and commitment seems to be forged. George, who has already announced he will step down at the end of the 2025–26 academic year, has made it clear he will stay involved with football and fundraising as an advisor. Marion was just hired to overhaul an offense that averaged only 20.9 points per game and finished 3–9, 1–8 in the Big 12 this fall. 

For anyone wondering how aligned the leadership will be through yet another transition, seeing the next play-caller sitting with the man who hired Colorado coach Deion Sanders, sends a quiet signal that the offensive reset is well underway.

Why Rick George’s Presence Still Matters

Mar 3, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes athletic director Rick George during the second half against the Stanford Cardinal at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

George’s decision to step down could have created uncertainty around the football program, especially with the Colorado Buffaloes slipping from 9–4 in 2024 to 3–9 this year. Instead, he has been clear that he plans to stay close to football and support Coach Prime. His tenure has already included moving CU back into the Big 12, spearheading major building projects and navigating a global pandemic and the early NIL era, so his experience in the room is meaningful even as a new athletic director is hired.

Seeing George and Marion together as the Buffaloes basketball team beat UTSA, fits that story. It suggests that the athletic director is not checking out early, and that he views Marion as a central piece of the next phase. For recruits and donors in the building, the visual is simple, as the new play-caller is already in the inner circle, sitting with the person who has shaped Colorado athletics for more than a decade.

A Perfect Colorado Fit

Aug 29, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders on the sidelines in the second quarter against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Marion’s presence next to George is the result of a relationship that started before his contract was signed. As a player at Tulsa, he listed Deion Sanders as his favorite football player, then built his own name as a record-setting receiver with 2,356 yards and 19 touchdowns in two seasons for the Golden Hurricane. Years later, as a rising coach, he went public on social media, calling Sanders “the standard” even though the two had never met.

Marion arrives in Boulder after turning Sacramento State from 3–9 into a seven-win team in one season, with his "Go-Go" offense averaging nearly 34 points and stressing defenses horizontally and vertically. Colorado’s staff believes that an aggressive mindset fits with the way Coach Prime wants his program branded, and that it can pull more out of a roster that flashed big-play ability but never found consistency.

The timing of Marion’s arrival lines up almost perfectly with the next era belonging to quarterback Julian Lewis, who kept his redshirt but earned valuable reps in 2025. In four appearances, Lewis threw for 589 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions, showing poise and accuracy even as the offense sputtered around him. Marion’s history developing quarterbacks in flexible, run-pass-conflict systems gives the staff confidence he can bring Lewis along quickly. 

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MORE: Shedeur Sanders' Late Push To Become NFL's Best Rookie Quarterback 

Why Relationships Matter at Colorado

Oct 11, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes offensive lineman Jordan Seaton (77) and athletic director Rick George following the win against the Iowa State Cyclones at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The on-field numbers from 2025 are a reminder that talent alone is not enough. Colorado finished near the bottom of the Big 12 in scoring and efficiency, often looking predictable under former offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur. That is why the program needs more than just another play-caller. They need alignment from Coach Prime to the athletic department on what the offense should be and how aggressively they are willing to support it through NIL, recruiting and resources.

Courtside moments won’t win games overnight, but they can reveal how those relationships are forming. Marion in a cowboy hat next to George while Colorado basketball improves to 9–1 is one of those moments. It shows that Marion is choosing to be visible on campus and around other programs. It also shows an athletic director who, even with an exit date on the calendar, is still present with the people tasked with fixing football. 

For the Colorado Buffaloes, searching for a big offensive leap in 2026, that kind of cohesion will be a foundation that has to exist before the first game in Atlanta against Georgia Tech.