Five days after Fernando Lovo was hired as the athletic director at New Mexico 13 months ago, the Lobos’ football coach left and he was tasked with finding a new one. Lovo likely won’t have to worry about that at Colorado, as Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders has four years remaining on the contract extension he signed less than a year ago. As CU’s new athletic director, though, Lovo is eager to work with Sanders to get the football program on the winning track. CU went 9-4 in 2024, but slipped to 3-9 this past season and hasn’t been to back-to-back bowl games in 20 years. “I think (Sanders) would obviously be the first person to admit that last year didn’t meet his expectations and I know he’s shared that,” Lovo told BuffZone this week. Colorado football coach Deion Sanders, left, chats with athletic director Rick George during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game between Colorado and Southern California on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) While Lovo, who worked at Texas before his one year at New Mexico, hasn’t been around CU or Sanders in the past, he’s been well aware of the Buffaloes because of the national attention on the program during Sanders’ three seasons in Boulder. “The visibility and the notoriety and the excitement that he’s created around CU football is palpable,” Lovo said. “Everywhere I’ve been, you can’t go very long without hearing about CU football, and that’s a…
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