As the Colorado Buffaloesnavigate a mass exodus to the transfer portal, head coach Deion Sanders is getting his coaching staff in order.

Sanders is strengthening his defensive staff by hiring former Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Chris Marve, who is expected to be namedColorado's linebackers coach, per CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz.

In addition to the Marve hire, Sanders is bringing in former Sacramento State head coach Brennan Marion as his offensive coordinator and will make additional staff moves after Colorado assistant Brett Bartolone's move to Nevada.

As a player, Marve was a four-time all-SEC linebacker and has spent 11 seasons coaching. He served as Virginia Tech's defensive coordinator for three years. In his time as the Hokies' defensive coordinator, he led them to second in total defense in 2023. In 2025, the defense ranked 72nd in the FBS and allowed 32.8 points per game, the second-worst in the ACC.

Colorado struggled mightily on the defensive side of the ball in 2025, especially at linebacker. Only one linebacker broke 60 total tackles, while the next closest had 48. The Buffaloes' linebackers also failed to execute run stops, resulting in Colorado ranking second-worst in the FBS.

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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Colorado football hires Chris Marve to bolster defensive staff