BOULDER-Vance Joseph has been named defensive backs coach at the University of Colorado, head coach Gary Barnett announced Thursday.
Joseph, 29, returns to his alma mater after a brief stint as the secondary coach at Wyoming, where he was hired in April following two years as a graduate assistant at CU. His return is bittersweet, however, as he replaces his mentor as a GA, co-defensive coordinator Tom McMahon. McMahon passed away on June 9, succumbing to cancer after battling the disease for two years.
"I strongly believe that Vance is a bright young coach with a terrific future," Barnett said. "We're just glad that he's going to get started here at Colorado. He has a great pedigree, not only from Colorado football but from his professional career as well."
Joseph is no stranger to the CU football program, as he lettered three times during his collegiate career at CU, which spanned five years (1990-94). He was a true freshman who saw some spot action on Colorado's 1990 national championship team, and as a quarterback, was under the tutelage for two years by Barnett, who was coaching the quarterbacks and fullbacks as an assistant on Bill McCartney's staff. His redshirt year came in 1992, and he was moved to tailback the spring of his senior year, playing behind Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam and frosh sensation Herchell Troutman in 1994.
He graduated from CU in the August prior to his senior season (1994), earning his bachelor's degree in marketing. He signed as a free agent with the New York Jets in 1995, but as a defensive back. Pressed into a starting role due to injuries, he played 17 games in the NFL with New York and Indianapolis over the course of two seasons, and he had two interceptions.
At age 29, Joseph is the youngest full-time coach on the CU staff since current Buff receivers coach Jon Embree was hired as a 28 year-old by former coach Bill McCartney in 1993.
Barnett also announced that co-defensive coordinator Vince Okruch will assume full responsibilities as coordinator.
Okruch, 46, began his career at Colorado as a grad assistant in 1983, and returned to CU with Barnett from Northwestern in 1999. Barnett named him co-defensive coordinator at Northwestern in 1997, and he assumed the same role here with McMahon three years ago.
"Vince has proven that he is able to run our entire defensive package, and has proven himself through the years on many levels," Barnett said. "It is certainly the time to give him this opportunity and responsibility to run the defense entirely."
TIMES, TV ANNOUNCED FOR SEPTEMBER FOOTBALL
BOULDER-Both ABC and Fox Sports Net have released their September television schedules, and for the fourth time in six years, Colorado will have all of its non-conference games televised on a national or a regional basis.
Fox Sports Net will televise the Sept. 7 CU-San Diego State in Boulder on a national basis, with kickoff set for 5:00 p.m. mountain time. ABC will televise regionally the Sept. 14 CU-Southern Cal (also at Folsom Field) and Sept. 21 CU at UCLA contests, both with 1:30 p.m. mountain starts.
It was earlier announced that the Aug. 31 CU-Colorado State from INVESCO Field at Mile High in Denver would be shown nationally on ESPN2, with kickoff set for 11:00 a.m.
Game times for seven of CU's eight Big 12 Conference games won't be known until at least 12 days before the game. The Nov. 29 contest at Nebraska is slated for national broadcast on ABC with a 1:30 p.m. kickoff.