Rick George releases a statement

[The Alabaster Yak]

And as for new president Saliman? Not going to be helpful. Life long budget/policy wonk. Not adept at high level competitive hiring. And not sure his rolodex is dialed into the big donors needed. Call me chicken little.

This is the exact opposite of what one credible poster on 247 has said about Saliman, fwiw.

 

[GawainBuff]

UCLA isn't good but they have a mobile QB and that's all it takes to blow out CU

Any QB, really.

 

[BUFFS14]

If Bieniemy wanted the job, he would have been here. He absolutely, positively turned down every opportunity to interview for the CU HC position. He is holding out for a shot at a HC position in the NFL.

After another year of interviews and rejections, has he seen that his future might not be a HC in the NFL? Would he reconsider the CU job now?

 

[1989Buff]

I recall the sentiment of RG/CU feeling very jilted when mmt bolted in February. That was the prevailing thought in their heads when they hired Dorrell and gave him that contract. They wanted a Buff who would be committed and hard pressed to leave if poached. I also agree with those who say RG sort of panicked and took the easy choice. As for Distefano, I see him as pure bureaucrat very uninterested in ever doing any heavy lifting for athletics. And as for new president Saliman? Not going to be helpful. Life long budget/policy wonk. Not adept at high level competitive hiring. And not sure his rolodex is dialed into the big donors needed. Call me chicken little.

I think I agree with you. I remember it this way too.

As those of us who attended CU know, Athletics has never been live or die in Boulder. And to be honest, I don't want it to be the way it is at the "Big football program with a little school attached to it" type institutions. I always hope we can be akin to a Washington or Wisconsin. Those seem to me to offer the right balance of football competitiveness without losing the plot that being an institution of higher learning and research is really the mandate of the University. There's a happy medium there somewhere.

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

I think I agree with you. I remember it this way too.

As those of us who attended CU know, Athletics has never been live or die in Boulder. And to be honest, I don't want it to be the way it is at the "Big football program with a little school attached to it" type institutions. I always hope we can be akin to a Washington or Wisconsin. Those seem to me to offer the right balance of football competitiveness without losing the plot that being an institution of higher learning and research is really the mandate of the University. There's a happy medium there somewhere.

Yeah, it's not an either/or proposition w/r/t football success and academic standards. There are plenty of Universities out there that walk and chew gum at the same time.

 

[1989Buff]

...let me add (and sorry to post so many times) that Gordon Gee's signature is on my diploma. Yet even when we were a top-5 school student support was nowhere near what it was/is at places like NU and the SEC schools. Heck, I would argue the students at CU flocking to the first game of THIS season seemed more into football than my class was. We liked it...but there was always plenty of other things to do in the Boulder area that people in Nebraska don't have as options.

 

[ahoelsken]

I think if RG was in danger of getting canned, you'd see a statement like that from Todd Saliman, instead of RG. I'm guessing RG is here through his contract and will be involved, with Saliman, in firing and hiring a new HC.

Oh completely agree. I expect him to be involved in some capacity in the search. Lance Carl might be a completely different discussion than he is right now.

 

[leftybuff]

After another year of interviews and rejections, has he seen that his future might not be a HC in the NFL? Would he reconsider the CU job now?

I am not really sure I would want Bieniemy. He has a lot of experience, but many say Andy Reid runs the O. Nevertheless, being second chair is worth a bundle, but do we really want somebody trying to install a pro-style WCO at CU with a talent deficiency? Last time I checked, CU doesn't have a Patrick Mahomes clone lying about. Sounds like a recipe for disaster. Also, we have run the "get the band back together" motif into the ground, dug it up and run it into the ground again.

 

[Denver_sc]

FOR ****'S SAKE.

I am literally begging some of you to think a little bigger than "hey who is coaching now that I remember playing for the Buffs?"

We had Bieniemy here before! We've seen that show!

CU needs someone who is dialed in to the modern game and recruiting. Major plusses if they have an identity they can bring on either side of the ball. I have serious doubts that anyone with an "NFL Pedigree" has those characteristics.

 

[Not Sure]

Please, not Bienemy. I would like somebody without any connection to CU. Somebody who doesn’t have any of that baggage. We have gone to the “Buff family” well twice and both times have been utter and complete catastrophic failures.
Hire a good football coach. That’s the only criteria. Dude has to be a good football coach.

 

[FM-Buff]

I think you may be forgetting how we had to scramble when Mel left us high and dry and unexpectedly (wasn't he basically assuring RG until the last minute that he was good with staying at CU?). And when your coach leaves after one season the way Mel left, it doesn't exactly make the university look like a place a coach with any shine to them would want to end up. Yes, there was the scent of desperation. Perhaps a desire to somehow hold on to whatever recruiting momentum Mel seemed to have generated.

I don't want to seem like an RG fanboy. But I don't think he's a fool (and we have thought past AD's were idiots...until they left and seemed to do well elsewhere. Mike Bohn comes to mind...).

Not an excuse. Kansas hired their coach in April or May.

 

[H.E. Pennypacker]

Nebraska has been following that model for the most part and look how well its worked out for them.

 

[RuffBuff]

What in the small time, mickey mouse operation, bush league NAIA BS is that? This university does not care about winning and doesn't know the value that a successful football program brings to the entire university. CU is the laughing stock of the CFB world and beyond.

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

FOR ****'S SAKE.

I am literally begging some of you to think a little bigger than "hey who is coaching now that I remember playing for the Buffs?"

We had Bieniemy here before! We've seen that show!

CU needs someone who is dialed in to the modern game and recruiting. Major plusses if they have an identity they can bring on either side of the ball. I have serious doubts that anyone with an "NFL Pedigree" has those characteristics.

I think people are always going to cling to former Buffs who have made it to a successful position in coaching where returning to CU as HC is possible and in line with career trajectory, simply because people don't think we can attract great candidates, and if said coach turns out to be legit, he'd likely be a coach for life. Look for Ryan Walters' name to pop up again, along with local media to have EB as a top 3-5 candidate if the job opens up again. Wouldn't surprise me if Uzo-Diribe also made an appearance on this list, although, that's probably down the road a few more years if he stays in favor at UGA.

 

[Goose]

Yeah, I don't understand why KD's contract was structured the way it was. If I had to guess it was probably part of arranging it to disuade KD from pulling a Midnight Mel if he turned out to do well...but I don't understand it well enough to say that. Otherwise a buyout that ties the university's hands like that is inexplicable.

BUT, those who suggest it is because RG is a fool or something I think are underselling the guy. Many of you work at high level outfits. You have run into people like this. A guy like RG would have already fouled out long before this at a previous gig (remember what those were) had he been incompetant.

The suggestions that it is structural/institutional seem more on point to me than thinking the AD is an idiot.

With due respect, you're either being naive or ignoring all the evidence. He is incompetent. He is an idiot. At least when it comes to contracts*. How many does he have to **** up before you come to that realization? Mike Mac? ****ed up. Mel? ****ed up. Dorrell? Holy ****ing **** ****ed up. At this point, I fully expect to find out that there's some random intern in the AD that somehow has a guaranteed $1M a year contract for 10 years that no one has found out about yet (in which case, go kick some ass intern and God willing I hope you're our new AD someday).

* - Personally, I think he's a dip**** on damn near everything, but I'm giving the benefit of the doubt because as I've established on this one I'm biased as all hell.

 

[Devildog2]

Firing another coach that the University still owes millions to regardless of whether or not he's contributing anything at all. That hasn't worked out well for over a decade. I get it, Dorrell isn't ever taking this program anywhere good. Seriously though... CU is where football head coaching careers go to die. What coach on an upward trajectory would consider this "opportunity"? They are just the next one up when the fans begin the fire coach ______ chant that I've witnessed annually since Hawkins.

 

[BUFFS14]

I am not really sure I would want Bieniemy. He has a lot of experience, but many say Andy Reid runs the O. Nevertheless, being second chair is worth a bundle, but do we really want somebody trying to install a pro-style WCO at CU with a talent deficiency? Last time I checked, CU doesn't have a Patrick Mahomes clone lying about. Sounds like a recipe for disaster. Also, we have run the "get the band back together" motif into the ground, dug it up and run it into the ground again.

I agree, my point was he is in a different position then he was a few years ago. IF we were interested he might be as well, since he has been turned down for every NFL HC job. This was more of a statement about his availability, not weather we should pursue him.

 

[PhillyBuff]

Please, not Bienemy. I would like somebody without any connection to CU. Somebody who doesn’t have any of that baggage. We have gone to the “Buff family” well twice and both times have been utter and complete catastrophic failures.
Hire a good football coach. That’s the only criteria. Dude has to be a good football coach.

I think excluding Bieniemy because of his CU ties is just as wrong as picking someone because of his CU ties. Eric was the RB coach from 2001-2002 and by all accounts that was a success. He was the OC for CU in 2011-12 and that was not successful. He should now be judged on his resume from 2018- 2022 offensive coordinator for the Chiefs along with his ability to recruit. He should be asked to interview again because maybe he does feel that an NFL HC position is out of the question.

I would err on the side of INCLUDING him in the process.

 

[Not Sure]

I think excluding Bieniemy because of his CU ties is just as wrong as picking someone because of his CU ties. Eric was the RB coach from 2001-2002 and by all accounts that was a success. He was the OC for CU in 2011-12 and that was not successful. He should now be judged on his resume from 2018- 2022 offensive coordinator for the Chiefs along with his ability to recruit. He should be asked to interview again because maybe he does feel that an NFL HC position is out of the question.

I would err on the side of INCLUDING him in the process.

Include him in the process at our own risk. He’s a distraction and hasn’t recruited a college football player in over 10 years. He’s ill equipped for the college game and would inevitably get all kinds of folks all excited if he’s a candidate, only to be disappointed when he’s not the guy hired. Very little upside with a lot of potential downside risk.

 

[NuggNinja]

Firing another coach that the University still owes millions to regardless of whether or not he's contributing anything at all. That hasn't worked out well for over a decade. I get it, Dorrell isn't ever taking this program anywhere good. Seriously though... CU is where football head coaching careers go to die. What coach on an upward trajectory would consider this "opportunity"? They are just the next one up when the fans begin the fire coach ______ chant that I've witnessed since Hawkins.

Mel Tucker was poached for a higher paying Big 10 job just a couple of years ago.

The problem is that coaches that are in over their head (going back to Hawkins) have consistently been hired.

 

[PhillyBuff]

Include him in the process at our own risk. He’s a distraction and hasn’t recruited a college football player in over 10 years. He’s ill equipped for the college game and would inevitably get all kinds of folks all excited if he’s a candidate, only to be disappointed when he’s not the guy hired. Very little upside with a lot of potential downside risk.

I am of the opinion that everything that CU does in relation to the football program is in error, therefore, they should err on the side of including Bieniemy in the interview process. I think he turns it down again, however reaching out to him should be on the list of things to do.

 

[ahoelsken]

After another year of interviews and rejections, has he seen that his future might not be a HC in the NFL? Would he reconsider the CU job now?

Pass on him at this point.

 

[Not Sure]

I am of the opinion that everything that CU does in relation to the football program is in error, therefore, they should err on the side of including Bieniemy in the interview process. I think he turns it down again, however reaching out to him should be on the list of things to do.

Respectfully disagree. What’s the upside? For him or us?

 

[ZandiBuff]

So, this is a nice reminder to let you know that @Bread , @manhattanbuff and I are welcoming members to the “RG Sucks” club. Yes, you should have known earlier but we will still welcome you with punch and pie. We also have jackets available for the long winter he has guaranteed for us.

I started the damn thread, don't I get a little love on this front?

FireRickGeorge

 

[LesGrossman]

No Bieniemy. No Chev. No 90s WR coaches who haven’t advanced. No buffs4life has-beens. No 20x retreads.

ffs

Fresh offensive mind that can make do with limited resources by implementing their unique system. G5 and schools like WSU seem to be able to nail this profile all the time. It’s not that hard

 

[J.R. Ewing]

No Bieniemy. No Chev. No 90s WR coaches who haven’t advanced. No buffs4life has-beens. No 20x retreads.

ffs

Fresh offensive mind that can make do with limited resources by implementing their unique system.

No former Buffs. At any level. No excuses.

 

[ahoelsken]

No Bieniemy. No Chev. No 90s WR coaches who haven’t advanced. No buffs4life has-beens. No 20x retreads.

ffs

Fresh offensive mind that can make do with limited resources by implementing their unique system. G5 and schools like WSU seem to be able to nail this profile all the time. It’s not that hard

Can we also stop trying to be Stanford? I'd be open to hiring an Air Raid disciple right now or running some variant of that offense.

I think we need to do something different offensively.

 

[Not Sure]

Can we also stop trying to be Stanford? I'd be open to hiring an Air Raid disciple right now.

****. Even Stanford sucks at being Stanford.

 

[PhillyBuff]

Respectfully disagree. What’s the upside? For him or us?

The upside is that he has now coached a Super Bowl champion and a Super Bowl runner up as the Offensive Coordinator. He happens to work under (whom I think) the best QB coach since 1999 by turning a raw Donovan McNabb into a QB that made the Super Bowl and 4 NFC Championship games.

Bieniemy has had a tremendous amount of experience since he left CU in 2012. I have no idea how he will come off as a recruiter, but let him present a plan in an interview. I see NO downside to including him. He wouldn't be my front runner right now, but I would interview him and completely ignore the alumni reaction.

Bieniemy has worked hard to get a HC interview. It's something that we should do.

Mel Tucker (and Stoneface for that matter) was able to convince RG to hire him, give Eric a chance.

 

[ahoelsken]

****. Even Stanford sucks at being Stanford.

You know what I mean. Its another aspect of CU trying to replicate the glory years. Barnett's teams were very physical at the LoS. Watch the 2001 Nebraska game.

Be creative. Use the altitude at Folsom to your advantage by hiring somebody who knows how to use tempo. Try the air raid.