Tony Alford should be atop CSU head coach wish list

Mercifully, the Steve Addazio era for the CSU Rams is over.

On Thursday, the school announced athletic director Joe Parker had, “after an extensive review of the Colorado State football program,” determined that Addazio would not return in 2022.

“The decision we have made today is not one we take lightly,” Parker said in a statement. “I am grateful to Steve Addazio and his coaching staff for their steadfast commitment to our student-athletes, both athletically and academically, to developing men of high character and reinvigorating our locker room with a culture of toughness and accountability.

“However, after a thorough review of where our program stands today and our outlook for the future, looking at the totality of factors, I felt this was a necessary step.”

Parker — via a release from CSU — would go on to say that the school’s standards include competing for conference championships and reaching bowl eligibility each season — expectations in which Addazio and company did not manage to live up, going 4-12 in two seasons.

And with yet another head coaching vacancy in Fort Collins, CSU will conduct a national search “for the next leader of the Rams,” which will be assisted by a national search firm.

“We live in one of America’s best cities, serve a world-class university and I am confident we will find a stalwart leader who can meet those expectations head on,” Parker said.

But Colorado State need not look terribly long to find Tony Alford, Ohio State’s assistant head coach for offense/running backs coach.

Alford not only graduated from Doherty High School in Colorado Springs but also was a 1,000-yard rusher and Doak Walker Award nominee for the Rams from 1987-’90.

On Friday, ESPN senior college football writer Adam Rittenberg tweeted that the Buckeyes assistant would “make a lot of sense” for the open CSU position.

“Would be dream job for him,” Rittenberg said.

There has reportedly been interest from other universities for Alford’s services, which includes being linked to the Akron head coach opening. And not for nothing, Alford reportedly turned down what was likely an interesting offer from new LSU head coach Brian Kelly to join him in Baton Rouge.

“I LOVE it here,” Alford said in a text to The Columbus Dispatch explaining his decision to remain — for now — at Ohio State. “Not like it — LOVE IT!!. Ryan Day is the best coach in the business.”

But could the allure of a head coaching job at his alma mater draw the once prominent Rams rusher back to Fort Collins?

For CSU, it’s at least worth a shot. In fact, it’s been worth a shot at least three times now, as Alford was on the short list the previous two times the Rams needed a head coach.

But who knows how Alford feels about being passed over for the job — twice — in favor of Mike Bobo and Steve Addazio.

There are plenty of solid candidates for the CSU job — including Alford’s former Rams teammate and Florida passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales.

But to land a coach like Alford — who not only was a finalist for 247Sports.com’s National Recruiter of the Year in 2011 at Notre Dame but also shepherded several highly-touted prospects to the NFL (see Ezekiel Elliott) — would be a home run hire for the Rams.

Here’s hoping the third time’s the charm for Alford — for CSU’s sake.