Alabama associate defensive coordinator and safeties coach Charles Kelly is joining Deion Sanders at Colorado as the Buffaloes’ defensive coordinator, sources to ESPN confirmed on Wednesday night.
Kelly has been at Alabama for the past four seasons. He was the defensive coordinator at Florida State under Jimbo Fisher from 2014-17 and spent one season at Tennessee in 2018 as special teams coordinator and safeties coach before going to Alabama.
Kelly, an Auburn graduate, began his coaching career in 1990 in the high school ranks. His first defensive coordinator job was at Jacksonville State in 1994.
Sanders is continuing to assemble his Colorado staff, which also includes former Kent State head coach Sean Lewis, who will be the Buffaloes’ offensive coordinator.
Kelly’s hire was first reported by the Boulder Daily Camera.