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Hawkins: Regrets bringing Cody to CU

Buffnik

Real name isn't Nik
Club Member
Junta Member
Ringo just posted a Tweet:

Coach Hawkins says if he had it to do over, he would not have brought his son to Colorado to play quarterback

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I would expect that this will turn into several newspaper articles, especially if Dan said it in his presser.
 
I agree with Hawkins, this must have been really tough on Cody. Tharp was smart not to let his kid consider CU, just think of the ****storm he would have had to endure.
 
I really feel bad for Cody. He just wasn't physically ready for Big 12 football. Great heart, great head, great warrior. He truly is the embodiment of what Coach Hawk expects out of his players. If he went to Boise State and played in the WAC he would have been a stand out player.

He has been a class act and gave us his best every time he was asked to, but the deck was stacked against him.

Next season, when his father is no longer coach, Cody's character and value to the team will be even more telling. Normally that would be an awkward situation, but somehow I just don't see Cody letting it affect him to the point where it will become "drama".
 
Cody is a good kid, and I've felt bad for him over the past few years. Still, he's held his head high and has been a great representative of the university -- and his family -- over the past few years.
 
Cody comming to CU was not the problem, the problem started when Dad named him the starting QB, resulting in other QB transfers.

Leaving him is as a starter when every other person on the planet knew that he should not was the beginning of the end.
 
Ringo just posted a Tweet:

Coach Hawkins says if he had it to do over, he would not have brought his son to Colorado to play quarterback

===========

I would expect that this will turn into several newspaper articles, especially if Dan said it in his presser.


I could write about 10,000 words regarding the impact of that decision...you are all spared I will not do that.

Briefly -

That impacted -
  • Recruiting of a QB.
  • Team chemistry
  • Perception of nepotism
  • Assistant coaches being able to do their job
  • On field performance
I really think in the end CU was pushing their offense to have Cody on the field - that is why Simas was not playing much. He was not a compatible receiver for Cody Hawkins.

That decision had major impacts on the team.
 
No doubt.

Incredibly bad judgement from someone who is getting paid major bucks to have good judgement in these matters. DH is not a young and inexperienced coach who is still learning. He's been around. He should have known. Hindsight is obviously 20/20, but this one seemed obvious to me and nearly everyone else from the start.
 
If Kiesau gets the Portland State HC job, it wouldn't shock me if Cody decided to play his senior year for him there. I'd also love to have Cody back with the Buffs. Whatever he decides is best for himself.

But, yeah, what Cody has gone through has been the worst thing about the current situation. On a positive note, this kind of trial by fire should help make him a hell of a coach some day.
 
I could write about 10,000 words regarding the impact of that decision...you are all spared I will not do that.

Briefly -


That impacted -
  • Recruiting of a QB.
  • Team chemistry
  • Perception of nepotism
  • Assistant coaches being able to do their job
  • On field performance
I really think in the end CU was pushing their offense to have Cody on the field - that is why Simas was not playing much. He was not a compatible receiver for Cody Hawkins.

That decision had major impacts on the team.

All valid points that are "tip of the iceberg" issues, as you say one could write a tome about those issues and their impacts.

The biggest issue is that the "upside" was really marginal. It's one thing to risk it all on something that would have paid off in spades, but what was the great "payoff". Still never understood what was so worth that gamble.
 
If Kiesau gets the Portland State HC job, it wouldn't shock me if Cody decided to play his senior year for him there. I'd also love to have Cody back with the Buffs. Whatever he decides is best for himself.

But, yeah, what Cody has gone through has been the worst thing about the current situation. On a positive note, this kind of trial by fire should help make him a hell of a coach some day.

I sure as hell bet his kid is not playing for him in 30 years.
 
If Kiesau gets the Portland State HC job, it wouldn't shock me if Cody decided to play his senior year for him there. I'd also love to have Cody back with the Buffs. Whatever he decides is best for himself.

But, yeah, what Cody has gone through has been the worst thing about the current situation. On a positive note, this kind of trial by fire should help make him a hell of a coach some day.

Thought the same thing, but I can't see Cody "quitting" on his teammates.

Does he have a real close relationship with Kiesau? I thought he was much more "attached" to Helfrich.
 
Even if Cody Hawkins was the best quarterback in the country coming out of high school, it just wasn't a smart move to make him starting QB his FRESHMAN year (even though it was redshirt). Did Dan Hawkins never figure into the equation the effect this would have? This is a major football university in America, not a high school football team. He signed his own fate and alienated a lot of the fanbase for doing this.

Its interesting to think how things could have been different had Cody never came to CU. I don't think we'd be much better, but I certainly think there would be more of a team unity.
 
I could write about 10,000 words regarding the impact of that decision...you are all spared I will not do that.

Briefly -


That impacted -
  • Recruiting of a QB.
  • Team chemistry
  • Perception of nepotism
  • Assistant coaches being able to do their job
  • On field performance
I really think in the end CU was pushing their offense to have Cody on the field - that is why Simas was not playing much. He was not a compatible receiver for Cody Hawkins.

That decision had major impacts on the team.

What? Simas can't run a three yard curl?
 
Hawkins did well as a RS-Freshman, he just never improved. If a 5* Freshman played like he did they woulda gotten alot of hype. Too bad that was also the year when the Big12 Offenses started to explode.
 
only a bad choice because it didn't work out. If Cody would have been an all big 12 qb we would be talking about what a great move that would have been.
 
Cody is a great Buff. This has no doubt been a terribly difficult situation for him.

I hope to see him back in black and gold next season.
 
only a bad choice because it didn't work out. If Cody would have been an all big 12 qb we would be talking about what a great move that would have been.

Not true, imo.

That’s like saying that going for it on 4th & 10 on your own five yard line with 13 minutes left in the fourth quarter of a tie ball game is only a bad decision if it doesn’t work out.

It’s the judgment factor. There are so many potential problems and complications of having your son play QB for a major program when you’re the coach. It’s knowing enough to evaluate the risk/return. It’s about dealing with certain realities, probabilities, etc.
 
Ringo just posted a Tweet:

Coach Hawkins says if he had it to do over, he would not have brought his son to Colorado to play quarterback

===========

I would expect that this will turn into several newspaper articles, especially if Dan said it in his presser.

Ringo is in Maui, did Hawk call him? :confused:
 
only a bad choice because it didn't work out. If Cody would have been an all big 12 qb we would be talking about what a great move that would have been.

I'm assuming that Dan regrets the move as a father.
 
When Cody first signed with CU everyone was ecstatic about the possibilities. He was a part of the Nike Elite 11 QB crew and we were THIN at QB. THIN. James Cox, Brian White and Bernard Jackson. Yeah, we were so loaded at QB that Cody should have never set his foot in the field. :rolleyes:

Had he gone off to BSU or wherever people would have blasted Hawk for not bringing in his son (look at Hagan and his kids and the comments people have said).

We never really saw Nelson or Ballenger. They did mismanage the QB situation, but in 07 we looked to be going upward given the lackluster performance of 06. Ballenger (who redshirted in 07) should have been given a chance in 08. Nelson was a senior so it wasn't likely he was going to play. That's where the staff showed that they were going to stick only with Cody and was a bad decision. Tyler should not have stepped on the field last year. It was an attempt to get us to a bowl, but they didn't decide to stick with him or go with Ballenger when Cody couldn't get it done.

Then the issue of flip-flopping. Again, Tyler should have played from KSU onward. Hawk was trying to get us to a bowl with Cody at the helm (hence the constant QB switches), but we didn't go bowling. That decision to not get Tyler the reps and not be able to make it to a bowl was an unmitigated disaster. Now we have a QB who is starting to show his potential with not as many reps as he should have given that he's a True Sophomore.
 
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Then why was he at the press conference in Boulder this morning? Ryan Thornburg is in Maui since he is the BB beat writer. Ringo is the football beat writer and stays in Boulder.

Ahh, thanks for the clarification. How pissed must Ringo be, he gets to go to Stillwater, the other guy goes to Maui.
 
When Cody first signed with CU everyone was ecstatic about the possibilities. He was a part of the Nike Elite 11 QB crew and we were THIN at QB. THIN. James Cox, Brian White and Bernard Jackson.

I was thinking the same thing as I was reading the posts in this thread. I remember thinking that it was nice we had an incoming frosh qb who had performed well in the elite-11, was accurate, and had a good mind for the game.

My hat's off to Cody...he seems to be handling this whole thing quite well. I kinda feel like he's always known what his future in football would be; to become a coach someday. I'm sure all of this will help him when that day comes.
 
When Cody first signed with CU everyone was ecstatic about the possibilities. He was a part of the Nike Elite 11 QB crew and we were THIN at QB. THIN. James Cox, Brian White and Bernard Jackson. Yeah, we were so loaded at QB that Cody should have never set his foot in the field. :rolleyes:

Had he gone off to BSU or wherever people would have blasted Hawk for not bringing in his son (look at Hagan and his kids and the comments people have said).

We never really saw Nelson or Ballenger. They did mismanage the QB situation, but in 07 we looked to be going upward given the lackluster performance of 06. Ballenger (who redshirted in 07) should have been given a chance in 08. Nelson was a senior so it wasn't likely he was going to play. That's where the staff showed that they were going to stick only with Cody and was a bad decision. Tyler should not have stepped on the field last year. It was an attempt to get us to a bowl, but they didn't decide to stick with him or go with Ballenger when Cody couldn't get it done.

Then the issue of flip-flopping. Again, Tyler should have played from KSU onward. Hawk was trying to get us to a bowl with Cody at the helm (hence the constant QB switches), but we didn't go bowling. That decision to not get Tyler the reps and not be able to make it to a bowl was an unmitigated disaster. Now we have a QB who is starting to show his potential with not as many reps as he should have given that he's a True Sophomore.


I really disagree with this. Hawkins may have been ridiculed for not bringing in his son, but it wasn't Dan's decision, it was Cody's. Cody chose to come to Colorado, Dan Hawkins could only try to influence his son to do so. If Dan had better judgement on starting out a new job in a high pressure situation, he should never have made it an option for Cody. Behind the scenes he could have told Cody "look, I think its best for both of us not to be at the same school" and then publicly said he wanted Cody to play for Colorado but Cody decided to go elsewhere.

Dan Hawkins really put his job on the line by having Cody at this team. I think it has done more harm than good. Players see favoritism as much as the fans do. Players want the QB who gives us the best opportunity to win. Cody was never going to be a good QB, and he when he was starting, he was the worst starting QB in the Big 12. He works hard but some people are limited despite their work ethic.

Had Dan Hawkins not brought in Cody, things could have been a lot different. For one, I think Dan Hawkins would have another year to prove himself. He starting receiving a ton of pressure last season, mainly because of his inability to bench his son, who was not our best option at the time. We may not have seen so many transfers occur either. There would be more confidence by the players in Dan Hawkins judgement. We would have had the opportunity to recruit a much better quarterback the following recruiting season (in 2007). Hawkins would not have been given nearly as much pressure for NOT bringing Cody in had he done well at a WAC school as he has received by bringing him in.

Additionally, despite Cody being an elite 11 QB, it obviously has shown that the rating system is not always correct. Cody has always been limited athletically and physically to be playing in the Big 12. Not sure how those rating systems work but something was wrong in how they assessed his potential.
 
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I don't put much stock in the Elite 11 thing. If someone is really one of the best 11 QB prospects in the nation, he's got the big time offer list. Based on that criteria, Munchie Legaux is probably the best QB prospect we've landed in a decade (Michigan, Oregon, Tennessee, West Virginia, etc.). Cody's was better than people remember, though (Wisconsin, Oregon, BYU, Boise State).
 
I really disagree with this. Hawkins may have been ridiculed for not bringing in his son, but it wasn't Dan's decision, it was Cody's. Cody chose to come to Colorado, Dan Hawkins could only try to influence his son to do so.

While you're correct in saying that Dan could not have stopped Cody from attending CU, he most certainly could've decided to not let him on the football team.
 
Patrick Ridgell covered it best - also a note about Kasa possibly playing Friday:

Hawkins discusses son; Kasa might play

Coach Dan Hawkins and a few players just finished speaking today at Colorado's weekly media luncheon.
There was not a lot of hard news that came from it, but the coach was talkative and reflective. And one interesting point he made was this: given a chance to do things again, he would not recruit his son and put him the situation Cody was in.
"It's not fair to him," Dan Hawkins said Monday. "Here's a guy trying to do his best to win games and help his team and he does everything right and he's a good student. And he's getting killed on facebook and he's getting killed on his cell phone.
"The great thing about this job is you meet some unbelievable people, great people. But you also see another side of humanity that's not real fun.
"He's been flipping awesome through the whole thing. When we took him out of the Texas game, people said, 'I bet that had to hurt had to bench your kid.' It didn't
"What hurt is you're basically telling the whole world it's one guy's fault. It's not, but that's the implication."
CU benched Cody in the Big 12 opener at Texas after he started the season's first four games. He has played sparingly since.
There wasn't a lot of hard news, but Hawkins did say defensive end Nick Kasa might play Friday against Nebraska.
Kasa has been out with an enlarged spleen and mono. Hawkins said it does not look like Kasa will receive a medical hardship from the NCAA, so he's trying to get ready to play. We'll have much more on Cody Hawkins and the Buffs in Tuesday's Times-Call.
 
When Cody first signed with CU everyone was ecstatic about the possibilities. He was a part of the Nike Elite 11 QB crew and we were THIN at QB. THIN. James Cox, Brian White and Bernard Jackson. Yeah, we were so loaded at QB that Cody should have never set his foot in the field. :rolleyes:

Had he gone off to BSU or wherever people would have blasted Hawk for not bringing in his son (look at Hagan and his kids and the comments people have said).

We never really saw Nelson or Ballenger. They did mismanage the QB situation, but in 07 we looked to be going upward given the lackluster performance of 06. Ballenger (who redshirted in 07) should have been given a chance in 08. Nelson was a senior so it wasn't likely he was going to play. That's where the staff showed that they were going to stick only with Cody and was a bad decision. Tyler should not have stepped on the field last year. It was an attempt to get us to a bowl, but they didn't decide to stick with him or go with Ballenger when Cody couldn't get it done.

Then the issue of flip-flopping. Again, Tyler should have played from KSU onward. Hawk was trying to get us to a bowl with Cody at the helm (hence the constant QB switches), but we didn't go bowling. That decision to not get Tyler the reps and not be able to make it to a bowl was an unmitigated disaster. Now we have a QB who is starting to show his potential with not as many reps as he should have given that he's a True Sophomore.

Well said. CH gets a lot of flak, and at times, I feel bad for him. But, on the other hand, it also strikes me as wanting to have it both ways. You want the notoriety and the opportunity to be on the big stage, but don't want the heat when you look like you don't belong on the big stage. CH gets much more criticism because of his last name, but it seems real clear to me he got more of an opportunity to play because of his last name too.

DH mismanaged the QB situation from day one, IMO. Cox looked good in relief of JK, but something never clicked upstairs. White had the arm and the looks, but somehow got in DH's dog house. BJ, great athlete, but no accuracy. CH gets a year to mature while the team struggles. Maybe he wasn't ready then, I don't know.

Ballenger was Helfrich's hand picked QB supposedly, but he never really got a shot. He looked good in relief v. UT, but then disappears. Nick Nelson never got anything more than spot duty, so who knows about him. TH got his RS burned and was brought up from scout team. He should have been the starter since after the KU game in '08 because at that point it was clear CH wasn't getting it done. But CH gets opportunity after opportunity while other QB's get little consideration. Nepotisim becomes the description of CH's spot in the starting lineup, fair or unfair. The fact he was dead last in nearly every category only fanned the flames.

DH fouled up big time on this issue, and it is part of his demise...
 
No doubt Cody has had to endure alot from the fans & press. But as B&G pointed out, starting Cody at QB wreeked of nepitisum. And that usually spells trouble in more ways than one. My question is, when did DH finally figure out this was a bad move on his part?
 
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