Colorado legend Darian Hagan has "No regrets" after leaving Coach Prime and Buffs

The CU Hall-of-Famer is settling in nicely with Sean Lewis at San Diego State

CU Buffs

Former Colorado Buffaloes star quarterback Darian Hagan made a significant transition in his coaching career this offseason, leaving Boulder after nearly two decades to become the running backs coach at San Diego State University. 

Hagan’s decision came after Deion Sanders took over as Colorado's head coach, prompting a reshuffling of roles within the staff. He had been the Buffaloes’ running backs coach from 2016 to 2022, but was reassigned to an off-field community engagement position under Coach Prime. However, his desire to coach and impact young athletes led him to pursue a new opportunity at SDSU.

“I have no regrets," Hagan told the Denver Post. "It is weird. But at the same time, if you want to grow in this profession, you can’t stay in the same place when it’s time to move and adapt to life and its changes."

Hagan is now working under Sean Lewis, who was Colorado’s offensive coordinator for much of the previous season before being demoted by Sanders. The former Kent State head coach was subsequently hired as SDSU and brought Hagan onto his staff. Despite missing aspects of Colorado and Boulder, Hagan expressed no regrets about his decision to leave. He emphasized that his primary motivation was to get back on the field. 

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“I was taking the job for all the right reasons. And I still believe I took the job for the right reasons,” Hagan said. “The reasons were, for me, to get to the field and do what I do — and that’s to coach and (help) young men to get to their best. … I’m just happy that I’m in a place where I can be coaching and impacting men.”

Hagan acknowledged that while he and Sanders were not particularly close, their interactions were always professional. He stressed that his departure from Colorado was not due to any personal conflict but rather a natural progression in his career. After 20 years with the Buffaloes, he felt it was time to embrace change and continue growing in the coaching profession.

The CU legend remains focused on his new role. Though his family is still in Boulder, he is confident that his decision to move on was the right one, both for his professional aspirations and his desire to continue positively impacting college football players.