1. It's been said on Allbuffs repeatedly, but bears mentioning for this production: Embree was not fired for failing to turn CU Football around. I believe he really did have five years to make that happen. He was fired because he demonstrated that he would not be the guy who could turn it around.
2. Circumstances are different in the Embree and Hawkins firings. For instance, Hawkins demonstrated progress in his second year--enough that the fanbase was reasonably excited for his extension. But also, the University more financially stable now, permitting more options. It's unfair to compare the two situations.
3. I believe that historically our President and Chancellor have viewed our program as a public relations liability, and prioritized it accordingly. But only recently--as the CU brand was downgraded to the status of a national laughingstock--has our administration begun to understand the impact of a bad football program as well. With this new-found perspective (my opinion) and improving financial resources (both in the athletic department, and the broader university), our leadership can finally afford to prioritize football. We'll see how they do with this hire, and with a facilities announcement.
2. Circumstances are different in the Embree and Hawkins firings. For instance, Hawkins demonstrated progress in his second year--enough that the fanbase was reasonably excited for his extension. But also, the University more financially stable now, permitting more options. It's unfair to compare the two situations.
3. I believe that historically our President and Chancellor have viewed our program as a public relations liability, and prioritized it accordingly. But only recently--as the CU brand was downgraded to the status of a national laughingstock--has our administration begun to understand the impact of a bad football program as well. With this new-found perspective (my opinion) and improving financial resources (both in the athletic department, and the broader university), our leadership can finally afford to prioritize football. We'll see how they do with this hire, and with a facilities announcement.
