After just one season as Sacramento State’s playcaller, head coach Brennan Marion will be leaving the Hornets ahead of the 2026 campaign.
Marion will allegedly be taking his talents to Boulder, joining University of Colorado head coach Deion Sanders’ staff as their offensive coordinator.
BREAKING: Multiple sources tell me that Head football coach Brennan Marion has informed his staff that he is leaving Sacramento State to join the University of Colorado. Sac State went 7-5 in their only season with Marion.
— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) December 4, 2025
The Hornets improved from 3-9 to 7-5 under Marion, whose Go-Go offense powered them to be the best rushing team in the FCS. Despite a disappointing close to the season at the Causeway Classic, it was a strong showing in their final season in the Big Sky.
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For Sac State, Marion’s departure is a disaster. There was significant investment in him from the school, who was made one of the FCS’s highest paid head coaches, and by far the highest earner in the Big Sky.
Marion’s total potential compensation of over a million dollars dwarfed his conference counterparts, some of whom could only earn a third of that. His Go-Go offense was a major selling point for high school recruits and transfer portal entries, attracting high profile classes to a program that has struggled to do so.
There were a multitude of promises levied by President Luke Wood, including a program jump into the FBS and a brand new stadium for the 2026 season. At the time of writing, an invite has not been secured and it has been confirmed that Sac State will not move to the proposed Cal Expo site in time for 2026.
With their exit from the Big Sky and no entry into a different conference, the Hornets have just four games on their schedule for next season. At least of those games, the matchup against Youngstown State, is a buy game with a price tag of 350,000 dollars.
Sac State will be back on the coaching market for the third time since 2022, and given the nature of their transfer portal player-laden roster, will likely need to build their team from the ground up.
With four games on the schedule, a stadium plan in flux, and a roster of players at risk of transferring away, Sac State’s football program is in a precarious situation.
