News

Bearcat star Livingston named DC for 'PrimeTime' Sanders' Buffs

By Lightning Reports, Published: February 12, 2024

Robert Livingston, the Hendersonville High School star quarterback who went on to play varsity college ball before landing on the NFL sidelines as a coach, is the new defensive coordinator for the University of Colorado, one of the most closely watched teams in college football.

Livingston's new boss is Deion Sanders, the legendary NFL and Major League baseball star who is in both the College Football and Pro Football halls of fame. Known in his playing days as Neon Deion and Prime Time, Sanders became a high-profile figure yet again last football season when his Buffaloes opened the season with three wins. The Buffs finished the season with a 4-8 record, in part because of its porous defense.

As ESPN reprorted, "Livingston has been tasked with shoring up a defense that surrendered 34.8 points a game in 2023."

Livingston led the Bearcats to the final four of the state playoffs as a senior. A two-time Athlete of the Year at HHS, he played free safety at the College of William & Mary from 2007-09. Livingston and his wife, Tricia, have a son, Luke, and three daughters, Emma, Savannah and Lily.

He spent eight seasons on the coaching staff of the Cincinnati Bengals, including the past six overseeing the safeties. Before moving to the NFL, he coached at Furman and Vanderbilt.

He's a third generation star athlete in Hendersonville prep sports history. His father, Rutledge, starred for the Bearcats and went on to play defensive back at Clemson. His grandfather, Bob Livingston, played football for the Blue Ridge School for Boys and was a varsity swimmer at the University of South Carolina.