Colorado has named New Mexico's Fernando Lovo as its next athletic director, giving him a five-year contract that will pay $1.2 million annually.
The school's board of regents approved the contract Monday for Lovo, who spent last year in New Mexico after completing his second term as a Texas administrator. In New Mexico, he hired football coach Jason Eck, who led the Lobos to their first nine-win season since 2016 in his debut.
Lovo will replace Rick George, Colorado's athletic director since 2013, who will take over as the school's athletic director emeritus. George hired football coach Deion Sanders, a member of the Pro and College Football Hall of Fame, who will begin his fourth season with the Buffaloes next fall. Lovo will begin his role on January 1.
“Fernando is a dynamic leader who is perfect for these dynamic times and embodies CU's high standards and values,” Colorado Chancellor Justin Schwartz said in a statement. “He has a proven track record of guiding student-athletes to success both in competition and in the classroom, and I am confident that he is the perfect administrator to guide CU Athletics into this new era of collegiate athletics.”
Schwartz told ESPN that Sanders was heavily involved in the athletic director search, meeting with him and the search firm Colorado used to review potential candidates. Sanders suggested several candidate names. When Lovo came up in the search, he met with Sanders and George in the days before the deal was closed.
“Deion Sanders is never happy with a 6-5 record, and Fernando has a deep competitive spirit,” Schwartz said. “So I think they're going to be great together.”
Lovo called the meeting with Sanders “unbelievable.”
“All the coaches I've worked with have always focused on trust and alignment and making sure the coaches know that you're in the trenches with them and you're going to do everything in your power to support them,” Lovo told ESPN. “Coach Prime has my full and unequivocal support.”
Lovo began his career in football operations at Florida, his alma mater, and served as Texas' chief of football personnel from 2016 until assuming the same role with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021. He then returned to Texas as senior associate athletic director.
