A reasonable assumption of "The Process" for CU football:
1. Changing the culture. This involves raising the expectations for practice, academics, and play on the field. We saw a lot of this last spring and into the fall. The intensity at practices was increased, the intensity in pregame and post-game speeches was increased, and the intensity on the sidelines was increased. The anger in the post-game press conferences was palpable. Essentially, the message sent was, "The last five years have been unacceptable. This coaching staff will not compromise our standards, you will need to rise to meet them." Probably the most notable example was the suspensions in the middle of the 2011 season. It hurt the team on the field in the short-term, but it also showed the team that there are no compromises, no matter the situation. Another important part of this process is to cultivate an atmosphere that allows player leadership to thrive. True player leadership emerges, it is not just authority or titles granted by the coaches. The overall process continues with the bluntness you hear from Embree on a regular basis.
2. Improving the overall talent level. The first part of this is setting out an overall recruiting blueprint. It is clear that the coaches are focusing on the PAC-12 footprint, Texas, and Washington D.C. (which basically happened by accident). This starts with going into the schools that the assistants have existing relationships with and figuring out which players are BCS quality. Most coaches will also give the coaches a heads up on players from opposing schools that are worth a look. This is a long process, but is vital to overall recruiting success. Sure, you might see some offers pop up outside of the footprint, but those offers are the exceptions. Another important piece of this is making early recruiting a priority. This includes making Junior Day a priority and pushing for early commitments. You are likely to lose a couple early commitments, but that can be offset by flipping players from other teams. The final piece to this puzzle is to have a clear understanding of what the recruiting board looks like. Not every offer is equal and not every offer is good through signing day. A CU offer has to mean something to recruits, it has to be special. Most importantly, thoroughly vet the character of each and every recruit that could be signed. Chemistry is always an important piece of winning football teams and it is hard to get it back once it is gone. Kids obviously grow up when they go off to college, but taking lots of character risks every year eventually catches up to you.
3. Winning on the field. This is not saying winning only matters after a couple years. It is saying that consistent winning may or may not happen overnight. If it does not happen right away, you do not veer from the plan. There needs to be a clear offensive and defensive scheme in place that is adaptable enough to fit players on the current roster. This also does not mean that changes are a bad thing. Roster turnover and assistant coach turnover cannot be avoided in college football. Evaluation is a constant and ongoing process. The players and coaches have to know that there are standards for the ultimate product put on the field. Quality depth means competition at all positions throughout the offseason and into the season.
This all may sound like fluff, but there are no shortcuts here. No commitment to a plan = little hope for success. It remains to be seen if Embree will work out at CU, but if you go back and look at the three steps, you find several examples where Hawkins failed.
