Former NFL coach seen at Colorado's practice hinting at another big coaching staff hire

Could another former NFL coach join Deion Sanders' coaching staff in Colorado? After Thursday's practice, it sure looks like a possibility.

Former Minnesota Vikings head coach and longtime NFL defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer was spotted at Colorado's practice, deked out in full CU gear and chopping it up with Deion Sanders and Travis Hunter.

Zimmer is no stranger to Boulder, as he was an analyst on Coach Prime's 2023 staff. He was Sanders' defensive backs coach when Sanders was with the Cowboys and the duo won Super Bowl XXX together. The longtime NFL coach returned to the Cowboys' last season as their defensive coordinator but was dismissed after the year when the team moved away from head coach Mike McCarthy.

Zimmer's most successful stint in the NFL was as the head coach of the Vikings from 2014 to 2021. In 2017, he led the Vikings to the NFC Championship game, with the "Minneapolis Miracle" being one of the more memorable moments of the season. He ended his run in Minneapolis with a 74-59-1 record.

He would add 28 years of NFL coaching experience, a Super Bowl and an NFL Assistant Coach of the Year to Colorado's coaching staff.

Zimmer would be the fourth coach with significant NFL ties to join the coaching staff this offseason, following Marshall Faulk, Domata Peko and Byron Leftwich. Although not officially announced by the school, Leftwich's hire generated a ton of buzz as a potential quarterback coach with his NFL offensive coordinator experience.

It wouldn't be surprising to see Zimmer back on the staff this season in some role, given his deep ties to Deion Sanders and the fact that he spent a season at Colorado just two seasons ago.

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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Colorado football coaching staff could add Mike Zimmer to the mix

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