What has happened to the University of Colorado? I grew up watching them. I had the pleasure of being able to see them rekindle some success in the early 2000s while my best friend/brother-in-law played for them in college. Colorado was a place to go to coach football and was a Top 25 program. It was a place that the location sold itself to recruits since most had not seen the beauty of a place like CO. The tradition of a strong program and national recognition was known by any possible recruit born until about 1990. But for those born after that, when those kids got into middle school and high school, they saw something else. I coached those ages in high school football and wrestling. All I heard was smack talk about CU. Nothing about what they had accomplished even in the early 2000s because they were still in elementary. The downward spiral started shortly after the Big XII Championship game:
-CU hosts recruits a week after winning the Big XII title. A party occured, like had been occuring since the inception of college, alcohol and sex became part of society. That is before any of our time that is on the internet I assume. A girl that has been known to host these parties and has a punch bowl of condoms has a sketchy story of rape by members of the team. No one is formally charged. CU is put through the ringer for years because of it though. She gets a whole bunch of unwarranted money in a settlement.
-A female kicker that wasn't any good makes allegations with no formal charges brought against a CU player. This player she had had relationships with previously (but no means no if it is true) but still no charges. This is in 2004.
These were the main two things that started this spiral.
In between this and after this, CU began struggling on the field and had a losing season in 2003, then showed they could compete in a weak North Division Big XII but had no chance against the South getting handled in two consecutive Big XII Championships. With a lack of leadership being cited and too many black eyes, Dick Tharp was replaced by Mike Bohn as AD. Shortly after a 70-3 loss and weeks after upping Barnett's contract, Mike Bohn decides he wants his guy and to get away from the cloud that had been created since that night in 2001.
He brought in Hawk Love and from the first game, Hawk love took a big crap Montana State style. Hawkins did not know how to coach "Big XII football" or big boy "Division I football" and should have coached "intramurals brotha". He lasted an extra year and his teams were like someone with PE (premature ej... you get it), they do well and surprise their lover once in a while but most of the time it's only a thrill for themselves and it leaves the other searching for better. Finally after 5 years, Hawkins is fired.
One thing done right in that time was CU announcing the switch to the Pac 12. The Big XII looked to be crumbling and even though it lasted and is okay, CU had facilities, alumni and were more suited for the Pac 12 conference. The hire made by Bohn of Jon Embree was simply a stop gap to keep people interested in the program with hopes he would surprise us. CU did not have the money or couldn't hope for a person to turn around the program, so they went with the former Buffs and former coaching greats choices. It blew up in their face with two seasons worse than the Fairbanks era of the early 80s. I for one believe Embree and members of his staff are solid coaches but they all needed more time at a higher position before coming to a Top 3 BCS conference school. It showed so badly the last two seasons.
The search now is a hit or Bohn is fired and who else out of the group. CU has a donor that is worth billions that is tired of losing. He and Bohn courted a man with bigger aspirations, but Butch Jones doesn't want to start from scratch in a tough conference and was looking for bigger. My guess is he is Tennessee's next head coach and if not, he'll get a shot at a bigger than Purdue Big X school or other top BCS school next year. Jones will make the same amount of money CU offered or more. CU is going to have to take a chance with a coach without years of experience or from a smaller conference, go after a big time coordinator from a power school that has been super succcessful or go after a person with character issues that you know would bring some buzz. Either way, let's hope whoever it is, he's successful and we start climbing some of the Rocky Mountains instead of being buried underneath them.
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