According to ESPN reports on Wednesday, the Denver Broncos have stayed within Colorado borders to fill a key coaching vacancy, bringing aboard University of Colorado defensive coordinator Robert Livingston for their defensive passing game coordinator and lead defensive backs coach positions.
The 40-year-old Livingston steps into the role previously held by Jim Leonhard, who departed Denver earlier this month to take over as the Buffalo Bills’ defensive coordinator.
This marks Livingston’s comeback to professional football following a two-year stint with the Buffaloes. His NFL background includes nine years with the Cincinnati Bengals from 2015 through 2023, where he primarily served as the secondary coach for eight seasons. His Bengals tenure began in 2014 as a scout before moving to special teams assistant duties in 2015, working alongside current Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, who was coaching Cincinnati’s defensive backs at the time.
Under Livingston’s guidance in 2024, Colorado’s defense showed remarkable transformation during his inaugural season working with head coach Deion Sanders. The Buffaloes made a stunning leap from 121st place in scoring defense during 2023 to 43rd nationally in 2024, surrendering just 23.1 points and 351.9 yards per contest while posting a 9-4 record with a 7-2 Big 12 Conference mark.
The previous season told a different story, as Colorado struggled to a 3-9 overall record and 1-8 conference performance after losing key players including Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, safety Shilo Sanders, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, and other core starters to the NFL. During that campaign, the Buffaloes allowed 30.5 points per game, ranking 111th nationally, while giving up 425.7 yards per contest, placing them 121st in the country.
ESPN’s reporting indicates that Colorado linebackers coach Chris Marve will step up to fill Livingston’s former role as the university’s defensive coordinator.
