November 1st Grades of Colorado's Defensive Coaching Staff

Yesterday, we looked at the grades of the offensive coaches for the Colorado coaching staff. Today, the focus moves to the defensive side of the ball.

Jim Jeffcoat -- A+
Defensive Line 

I gotta admit that Jeffcoat has a special place in my heart. We're the same age and both showed up in Tempe, Arizona in 1979. I can still remember the tall gangly young man who grew into one of the finest players in Arizona State history and went on to become one of the best defensive linemen in NFL history.

Jim Jeffcoat has been with head coach Mike MacIntyre for six years, including the last four at Colorado. When he arrived, the Buffs' defensive line was routinely pushed around by Pac-12 offensive lines. Now, those young men under Jeffcoat are controlling the line of scrimmage. As far as defensive rankings are concerned, they have moved from worst to first.

Charles Clark -- A+
Cornerbacks

No coach on the staff has been working with Mike MacIntyre as long as Clark. He was a graduate assistant and Duke and followed Mac to San Jose State and then to Colorado.

Clark is known not only for his position coaching, but also as an outstanding recruiter and has a keen eye for talent. That combination has helped the Buffs upgrade their talent both on the field and on the sideline.

Clark not only works with the corners, but also the nickel backs along with Joe Tumpkin. His charges include Chidobe Awuzie, Ahkello Witherspoon, Isaiah Oliver and Anthony Julmisse. The collective work has helped make the Buffaloes' secondary one of the best in the conference and also the country.

Joe Tumpkin -- A++
Safeties

To say that Tumpkin is just a "safeties coach" would be a serious defamation. He is in just his 2nd year with the Buffs, but has a world of experience. At Central Michigan, he coached the entire secondary and was also defensive coordinator. Tumpkin understands how all parts of the D work together to create a cohesive and dominant force.

Tumpkin's knowledge provides excellent guidance to young cornerbacks coach Charles Clark, and together they have put together an outstanding secondary backing up Colorado's front six or seven.

Most importantly, Tumpkin works extremely well with defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt to help make the Buffs' D one of the best in the country. Tumpkin is also a great recruiter.

Jim Leavitt -- A+++
Linebackers and Defensive Coordinator

It's hard to find enough superlatives to talk about Jim Leavitt. He is, quite simply, one of the finest defensive minds in all of college football. He also showed his chops as a linebackers coach in the NFL where his unit had two All-Pro players and was a main reason the Jim Harbaugh led 49ers made it to the Super Bowl in 2013.

In his earlier years, he helped turn Kansas State from one of the laughingstocks of the college football world into a top defense under head coach Bill Snyder. 

Later, he became the very FIRST head coach for the University of South Florida. He built that program from scratch and soon made them a Division 1-AA power. After moving to Division 1 (now FBS), Leavitt led his team to a #2 ranking. It was the fastest any NCAA team ever moved into the Top 10 after joining Division 1.

Jim Leavitt joined the Colorado staff in 2015 just days before the Buffs began spring drills and immediately made an impact. The Buffs had been one of the worst defensive teams in the country before he arrived and had been woeful in creating turnovers. Since Leavitt arrived, the Buffs have created a turnover in EVERY single game. It is the longest streak in the FBS.

 In 2012, the Buffs gave up an astonishing 552 points (46 points per game). In 2014, the Buffs gave up 468 points (39 per game). In Leavitt's first year in Boulder, the Buffs improved by almost 12 points to giving up just over 27 ppg. This year, Leavitt's second, the Buffs are giving up only 18 points per game. Take away the loss on the road to #2 Michigan, and the Buffs are giving up only 14 points per game in one of the highest scoring conferences in the country.

OVERALL DEFENSIVE GRADE -- A++

Chances are, Leavitt will have a number of head coaching offers following this season. Only the fact that both Leavitt and his family ABSOLUTELY LOVE BOULDER do the Buffs have an outside possibility of keeping him much longer.