Brennan Marion was a successful play caller at UNLV before leaving to take over at Sacramento State. Sacramento State Athletics
Sacramento State head coach Brennan Marion is expected to step down to become Colorado’s next offensive coordinator, according to a program source. The 38-year-old Marion, who went 7-5 in his first season with the Hornets, brought his “Go-Go offense” to UNLV three years ago when Barry Odom hired him as the Rebels’ OC.
It didn’t take long for that program to become a force in the Mountain West. The Rebels, who hadn’t won more than seven games in a season in the previous two decades-plus, went 20-8 over the next two seasons.
In 2023, Marion’s offense at UNLV scored 40-plus points in a school-record six games and ranked sixth in the FBS in third-down conversions (49.3 percent), eighth in red zone offense (93.1 percent) and No. 22 in scoring (34.4 ppg) despite having to replace its starting QB a few games into the season.
At Colorado, Marion will try to help Deion Sanders revitalize a program that dropped off significantly in 2025 after losing Heisman Trophy-winning two-way star Travis Hunter and record-setting QB Shedeur Sanders. The Buffs, 3-9, ranked No. 14 in the Big 12 and No. 113 nationally in yards per play and were No. 116 in scoring.
Marion’s arrival with his offensive system should spark what has been a dreadful running game at CU. In 2025, the Buffs ranked 15th in rushing in the Big 12 with 125.6 yards per game, which was actually a significant improvement from the previous season, when they were last in the league at 65.2 yards per game.
Marion’s offense, a creative pro-style, triple-option scheme that sometimes incorporates ring-around-the-rosy motions, is essentially a two-back misdirection offense with a ton of window dressing. It includes the triple-option coming off every run and also attacks the field vertically with the pass. Before Odom hired Marion at UNLV, the scheme was very successful at William & Mary and Howard at the FCS level.
Dec 4, 2025
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