Deion Sanders adds former Colorado State assistant George Helow to staff, per report

Colorado football is reportedly adding to its coaching staff just two weeks before the 2024 season opener.

Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes are hiring George Helow as a senior defensive coach, according to The Athletic's Bruce Feldman , where he'll work closely with first-year defensive coordinator Robert Livingston.

Helow has worked at a number of college football programs, including Colorado State.

He spent two seasons (2021-22) at Michigan as the Wolverines' linebackers coach, helping the program rank in the top 20 in both total defense and scoring defense in his first year on staff. Helow and Michigan reached the College Football Playoff the following season.

During his time in Ann Arbor, Helow coached new Colorado linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green , who transferred to the Buffs from Charlotte this offseason.

"Winning is all he knows," Hill-Green said of Helow on Thursday. "He knows what it takes, what you must sacrifice daily and how to go about it. He makes everyone around him better because he explains the ‘why’ behind everything he teaches and he’ll be a huge part of why we do great this year.”

Helow has coached at some of the top programs in college football, including stints at Alabama, Florida State and Georgia.

He was a special assistant to Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa last season. He helped the Seminoles win a national championship in 2013 as a defensive graduate assistant coach. He also spent two seasons as a defensive graduate assistant at Georgia (2014-15) where he worked with the safeties.

The former college football player at Ole Miss even has former ties to the state of Colorado, spending four years at CSU (2016-19 under Mike Bobo) where he coached the Rams' safeties during his final two seasons in Fort Collins.

Livingston will be a first-time playcaller in 2024, but the arrival (and experience) of Helow should help the new defensive coordinator with the transition.

Colorado opens the 2024 season against North Dakota State on Thursday, Aug. 29 in Boulder.

Follow Colorado Buffaloes sports reporter Scott Procter on X .

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Deion Sanders adds former Colorado State assistant George Helow to staff, per report