Skip to main content

The CU Buffs are digging Karl Dorrell's coaching style

Karl Dorrell's commitment to transparency has been a welcomed change for the CU football program.

Last week, Colorado’s Mustafa Johnson and Will Sherman described the difficulty of getting to know their new head coach because of the coronavirus situation.

This week, with voluntary workouts underway, tight end Brady Russell and safety Derrion Rakestraw say they’ve had more opportunities to interact with Karl Dorrell and learn about his coaching style.

“I've seen him in some of the workouts, just watching some of the groups. I think he's done a good job of showing us who he is even through the zoom meetings that we had going on the past couple weeks,” Rakestraw said. “I feel like we got a good feel of what kind of coast that he is and the things that he expects out of us.”

“He’s definitely a big change from (former head) Coach (Mel) Tucker,” Russell said. “I think it’s a good change too. It’s been cool to see the different things he’s brought from the NFL and the different experience he has.”

One of those lessons Dorrell brought from the NFL is his commitment to transparency.

“He really lives that through and through,” Russell said. “He will tell us every single thing that’s happening, everything that’s going on with the program. If someone’s doing something they shouldn’t, he’ll call them out in team meetings. He’s just really transparent, and I think that’s a cool part of his coaching personality.”

More than half of Karl Dorrell’s experience coaching football has come from the NFL, coaching wide receivers and quarterbacks in various stints with the Broncos, Texans, Jets and Dolphins. 

In a time full of unwelcome changes for Colorado football, Dorrell’s coaching style doesn’t seem to be one.