Is Colorado's Tad Boyle coaching for his job after loss to Arizona originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Colorado's regular season finale against Arizona was not a game many circled on the calendar. The Wildcats were 28-2 heading into this game. While the Buffaloes were staying afloat at 17-14 record and a sub .500 record in the conference.
Tad Boyle vs. Arizona in Boulder specifically has become a routine concern for the Wildcats. Almost regardless of how good Arizona is year to year, the Buffs tend to play Arizona tough, especially at home.
In nine games where Arizona played Colorado in Boulder under Boyle, the Buffaloes are 5-4. That record includes a stretch of going 5-0 against the national contender between the 2022-23 and the 2015-16 seasons.
Colorado also did not win those games by necessarily slim margins. The Buffaloes have a 383-351 combined score and margin of victory in those games. Boyle might not own Arizona in the all-time matchup, but when the game is in Boulder, throw out the records.
However, everything aside, this year could've presented a must-win situation for Boyle and the Buffs. A win over Arizona would give the program something to hang their hat on. Now, the future seems uncertain with many questions left to be answered.
Colorado played well… for most of the game
The Buffaloes played the Wildcats like it was a tournament game for much of the contest. For the most part, Colorado led the bulk of this game until the 9:58 mark of the second half.
Arizona shot 15% better from the floor but Colorado made up for it by getting to the free throw line 21 times and making 95% of them. Neither team shot the three-point shot well.
Turnovers were even and Arizona held a slight rebounding edge. Both teams held double digit leads (12 for Arizona, 11 for Colorado) and Colorado led for 51% of the game.
Colorado freshman Isaiah Johnson set a program record for scoring in a season by a freshman with 526 points. The previous record was held by Alec Burks with 516. Johnson more than doubled the next best Buffalo player. Arizona got double digit scoring from four players including Koa Peat’s 25 and Brayden Burries’ 31.
In the latter half of the second half, Arizona began to win the individual possession situations and started to pull away. Down the stretch Colorado failed to score on possessions they needed to.
In addition, Arizona shot better from three-point range, creating a deficit the Buffs could not overcome. Down by only six with less than four minutes to play, costly turnovers and questionable shot selection only seemed to extend the Wildcats’ lead.
Arizona will likely carry the No. 2 national ranking into the Big 12 tournament. Colorado on the other hand will face an uphill battle in the Big 12 tournament. A deep tournament run for Arizona should lead to a top seed in the NCAA tournament. While a deep run for Colorado could put them into bubble NCAA tournament consideration.
Where does this leave Boyle?
As of now, Boyle seems safe and has done enough, according to a recent report by ESPN Jeff Borzello. “While speculation has surrounded Colorado’s Tad Boyle… seemingly every season, [he is] likely to be back in [his position] for the 2026-27 campaign," Borzello said. “The Buffaloes have struggled since moving to the Big 12."
Make no mistake about it, getting rid of Boyle would bring on a significant cost for Colorado. The current buyout is $10 million and likely not afforable at this point. Boyle has been at Colorado since the 2010-2011 season, with six NCAA Tournament appearances on his resume. But the Buffs haven't advanced past the Round of 32.
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