It was bound to happen eventually. All good things must come to an end, and great things are under that rule, too. This season was one for the ages. A truly remarkable and historic season. The best conference improvement in Pac-12 and CU history. One of few double digit win seasons in history. And, of course, a return to what CU fans know CU football to be. Fast and tough and victorious. Unquestionably, the Buffs rode the defense to many of these victories. They were aggressive, playmaking, and stout. Truly a joy to watch. It’s hard to write about this season and this D without getting too philosophical or hyperbolic, but this defense was a bunch of guys that decided they weren’t going to give points up. Remember the Dolphin’s "no-name defense" of their undefeated season, led by CU grad Dick Anderson? The college version, at least in 2016, was your Colorado Buffaloes.

Much of that is owed to Jim Leavitt. Everywhere he’s been, he has engineered miraculous defensive turnarounds. His schemes aren’t crazy and his players aren’t individually dominant. But every single player gives every single ounce on every single play. They lay it all out on the field and dare other teams to out-will them. They usually don’t.

But before I wax poetically too much about this D (save it for the season review), let’s get to the point of this article. The country took notice of the Buffaloes, and specifically, the defense. Jim Leavitt was a hot commodity for big names in football. Oregon shot their shot and gave him an offer that many of us couldn’t refuse. He is now (supposedly) the most paid Pac-12 assistant EVER by around 500,000 dollars, at 1.2 million per. There are very few programs that can match that offer for a defensive coordinator, and even fewer west of the Mississippi. But, alas, Oregon snags one of the best coordinators in the country. CU is left looking for a replacement. Here’s who I think could step in and do just fine.

Joe Tumpkin

This is most likely the next hire, and one that I would be completely fine with. Tumpkin has a few factors going for him. He has coordinator experience at Central Michigan, improving that defense incrementally while there (up to 29th in the country in raw points allowed per game, though advanced stats weren’t as kind). He obviously is currently on staff at Colorado as the safeties coach, who had three standout performers this year with Ryan Moeller, Afolabi Laguda and Tedric Thompson. Tumpkin is credited with moving Ryan Moeller to the OLB position for the Oregon game, an experiment that shows his creativity and knowledge of the current personnel. Tumpkin also has been a great recruiter for CU, with his connections to Detroit, Houston, and Miami, three talent hotbeds. Keeping Tumpkin would help strengthen those connections. He also has LB coach experience at Pittsburgh if CU so desires to move him there as DC. I suspect that Tumpkin will turn in his resume in the form of the bowl game defense. If we successfully shut down Oklahoma State, or slow them down, Buff fans and coaches alike will be more than comfortable with Tumpkin taking over.

The added benefit of Tumpkin is that we know he’s a great position coach and recruiter, and he frees up a spot to look for an ace LB recruiter and coach. With Tumpkin keeping the safety responsibility as well as DC duties, the new LB coach would have plenty of time to hit the trail. Erik Chinander is an intriguing name. He’s the DC of Central Florida, who had a surprisingly tough defense this year. He followed Scott Frost there, and was Oregon’s OLB coach from 2014 until last year. West Coast ties and a young defensive mind. Another name to keep an eye on would be Tyrone McKenzie, who coached in Boulder as a GA and did the same for Stanford last year. The players loved him and he now has a solid foothold in the West as well Tampa, where he played for Leavitt at USF.

Tim DeRuyter

This name has been popular to throw out for the fans. DeRuyter interviewed for the job that Mike MacIntyre has now, coming off a successful interim season as Texas A&M’s head coach. DeRuyter has a long history of solid defenses under his tenure, but he’s on the market due to his failure as Fresno State’s head coach this year. However, he checks all of the boxes for CU: Consistently good defenses, experience in Texas, Colorado, and California, and he’s obtainable. He also runs an aggressive 3-4 defense, very similar to what CU ran this year.

Kacy Rogers

This is an intriguing name for me. Kacy Rogers has NFL experience with Mike MacIntyre, with Rogers coaching the defensive line and MacIntyre coaching the secondary under Bill Parcells. Rogers is relatively young, and he’s an NFL defensive coordinator right now for the New York Jets. Right now, it looks like that coaching staff may not survive the offseason. Rogers would have the pedigree and resume, but there a few big hang ups when considering him. Would he move down from NFL DC to college DC? Can he recruit in the Pac-12 when so much of his experience is East? Can CU hire him in time for spring camp or signing day? He’s someone to keep an eye on.

Peter Sirmon

Another intriguing name. He has a wealth of experience in the Pac-12, serving under Steve Sarkisian as LB coach at UW and then as assistant head coach, linebacker coach, and recruiting coordinator at USC. There’s a lot to like. He’s a great recruiter, he’s young, and he has experience with the 3-4. However, unlike the previous three candidates, Sirmon does not have much experience as a DC. 2016 was his first season calling the D, and Mississippi State’s strength was definitely the offense. However, when you look a little closer, it gets a little more optimistic for Sirmon. His unit, the linebackers, was the most effective of the defense by far, posting a 47th ranked havoc rate and the three leading tacklers of the defense. This would be a risky hire, but recruiting would see an uptick.

Demetrice Martin

My sleeper pick. He has been considered for a few DC positions in the past. As DB coach for UCLA, he has recruited and developed some ballers. He obviously the recruiting chops required. He’s been recruiting and coaching in the Pac-12 sine 2008, and has a positive track record for development and scouting. He’s relatively young at 43, and may look to jump ship from Jim Mora. The problem with Martin is that he coaches DBs, so he would have to replace a coach currently on staff. I don’t know if any CU fans want any change in the secondary coaches after the no-fly zone that was this year.