GOLDEN, Colo. - After a career spanning more than 40 years, including the last seven at Colorado School of Mines, head football coach Gregg Brandon has announced his retirement from coaching.
 
A search will begin immediately for the next head coach of Mines Football. Brandon will continue to work through Feb. 1 to recruit the next generation of Orediggers along with the assistant coaching staff, which remains in place.
 
"After many thoughtful conversations with my wife Robyn, family, and close friends, we made the decision to retire from the coaching profession," Brandon said. "I want to thank David Hansburg for the opportunity to lead Mines to new heights. What a great place to coach! I'm excited for the 2022 Orediggers and the future of Mines Football. We are leaving the program in a better place."
 
Brandon presided over the most successful period in program history, winning four RMAC championships with four NCAA Championship appearances over six seasons. Brandon was 59-15 at Mines and 103-45 overall as a head coach including his six seasons at Bowling Green from 2003-08. Brandon was also 48-10 in RMAC play, with both his .797 overall winning percentage and .828 in-conference winning percentage ranking third all-time among RMAC coaches.
 
"When I hired Gregg to come to Mines, we discussed the concept of taking a good football program and making it a great football program without compromising our values as an institution," said Director of Athletics David Hansburg. "Coach Brandon successfully accomplished this goal. Mines Football is consistently winning RMAC championships and we know we can compete with the nation's best teams. I want to thank Gregg for his hard work and dedication during his tenure as our head football coach and congratulate him on an amazing career overall in college football."
 
Brandon's list of accomplishments at Mines is extensive. A two-time RMAC Coach of the Year and three-time National Football Foundation Colorado Chapter Coach of the Year, Brandon coached 15 All-Americans, 127 All-RMAC players, and had two Harlon Hill Trophy finalists including 2016 winner Justin Dvorak and 2021 finalist Michael Zeman. The Orediggers won the RMAC title in 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2021, advancing to the NCAA tournament in each of those seasons, and Mines made their deepest postseason run ever in 2021 with an appearance in the national semifinals and a 12-2 record. Brandon is the only coach in program history to win 12 games in a season twice as he compiled double-digit wins four times and had a winning record in all six seasons. The Orediggers ended 2021 with the highest national ranking in program history at #3.
 
His teams excelled in the classroom as well, twice winning the RMAC Brechler Award for top GPA in the conference. He coached 11 Academic All-Americans and four RMAC Academic Players of the Year at Mines.
 
"I was fortunate during my career to meet many outstanding and wonderful people," Brandon said. "I want to thank all the players and coaches I have had the privilege to coach and to work with through the years. Robyn and I have many fond memories of our times together in coaching. She has been with me every step of the way!"
 
"Coaching football is a tremendous honor and privilege," Brandon continued. "The game provides so many life lessons for all its participants. To all my current and former players: continue to champion the sport and its ideals. To all the coaches: remember to chase your passion and make those around you better!"
 
While ending his career at Mines, Brandon coached at nearly every level of football throughout a career that began in 1978. After graduating from Northern Colorado, the Colorado Springs native became head coach at Ellicott High School before moving on to be an assistant at Weber State, Wyoming, and Utah State. He landed at Northwestern in 1992 as their wide receivers coach under Gary Barnett and eventually followed Barnett to Colorado in 1999 before accepting the offensive coordinator position at Bowling Green in 2001. He was elevated to that program's head coach in 2003 and spent six years there, and later was the offensive coordinator at Virginia, Wyoming, and New Mexico State, along with a brief stint in the UFL coaching with the Las Vegas Locomotives, before being hired at Mines on Dec. 30, 2014.