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My view on Coach Hawkins...

BlackNGold

Club Member
I have been critical of Hawkins longer than most so the struggles of this season are not a big surprise to me. I predicted 6-6 for this year (maybe I was over optimistic) and was quickly lambasted by those predicting an 8 to 10 win season.

I really doubted Hawkins abilities to coach at this level before this season and all that has happened this year has just convinced me that he is not the man for the job.

My perspective is that of a fan, a season ticket holder and a donor to the CU program. I am really tired of the excuse-making culture that has risen out of CU football under Dan Hawkins. There really cannot be excuses for losing to CSU, Toledo, and KSU - those programs have smaller football budgets, have not had better recruiting than CU, and their coaches have had less time to build their programs.

It doesn't matter to me if CU wins the weak Big 12 North because in the long run I am convinced that Hawkins is not good for the program and will continue to lead the program downward and because of that conviction I want him gone.
 
I have been critical of Hawkins longer than most so the struggles of this season are not a big surprise to me. I predicted 6-6 for this year (maybe I was over optimistic) and was quickly lambasted by those predicting an 8 to 10 win season.

I really doubted Hawkins abilities to coach at this level before this season and all that has happened this year has just convinced me that he is not the man for the job.

My perspective is that of a fan, a season ticket holder and a donor to the CU program. I am really tired of the excuse-making culture that has risen out of CU football under Dan Hawkins. There really cannot be excuses for losing to CSU, Toledo, and KSU - those programs have smaller football budgets, have not had better recruiting than CU, and their coaches have had less time to build their programs.

It doesn't matter to me if CU wins the weak Big 12 North because in the long run I am convinced that Hawkins is not good for the program and will continue to lead the program downward and because of that conviction I want him gone.

All valid points. I still cannot join you on the replacement bandwagon, although I'm pretty close. IF DH put together a late season run, with the team putting together solid games the rest of the way through, I'd be willing to see what happens in year five.

As a general rule, I say give a guy five years unless: (a) he inherited a machine (i.e. UT, Mich, USC, LSU) or (b) the results are so miserable after three or four years it's obvious the HC doesn't know his head from a hole in the ground.

For me, DH is perilously close to (b).
 
That's pretty much where I'm at with him. He teases us with a good to great win every year; then follows that up with ugly losses and excuses. I'm going to remain open to the possibility that we win out, but I'm far from expecting it. Maybe I'm unfair, but 4 years in this day and age, where apparently you can walk into Toledo amidst all kinds of turmoil and take down CU, is enough if you're not showing progress.

I guess what I'm trying to say is I think we're much more likely to go 2-10 again than we are going to win out. Though, we have looked pretty good at home, so I'm sure we'll squeak out a win over Mizzou this weekend and I'll be tempted to change my mind, only to see us lose to ISU or A&M in the coming weeks.
 
That's pretty much where I'm at with him. He teases us with a good to great win every year; then follows that up with ugly losses and excuses. I'm going to remain open to the possibility that we win out, but I'm far from expecting it. Maybe I'm unfair, but 4 years in this day and age, where apparently you can walk into Toledo amidst all kinds of turmoil and take down CU, is enough if you're not showing progress.

I guess what I'm trying to say is I think we're much more likely to go 2-10 again than we are going to win out. Though, we have looked pretty good at home, so I'm sure we'll squeak out a win over Mizzou this weekend and I'll be tempted to change my mind, only to see us lose to ISU or A&M in the coming weeks.

IMO, Mizzou is going to show up here P.O.'ed, hungry and with an angry HC expecting to smack somebody in the mouth. Unfortunately, I expect the staff to love up the team, and have iced juiceboxes ready for the gang, win or lose. I think I know how that match up pans out. I hope I'm wrong because I want the Buffs to win every single game they play and I root for them even when that looks like a longshot.
 
I'm reserved to the near certainty that juicebox will be here until December 2010, at which time he'll be shown the door. Not that I think he deserves it. He's done nothing to warrant another year. He's an incompetent ass who managed to leverage several years of winning at lower levels into a BCS job that he was clearly unable to perform. With the current political & economic situation being what it is, I'm convinced that there's no way they can fire him now, as much as they'd love to. Let's face it, Bruce Benson has a much harder time convincing the legislature to increase funding for higher ed when his athletic department is paying $3MM to a guy to not coach it's football team.
 
I'm reserved to the near certainty that juicebox will be here until December 2010, at which time he'll be shown the door. Not that I think he deserves it. He's done nothing to warrant another year. He's an incompetent ass who managed to leverage several years of winning at lower levels into a BCS job that he was clearly unable to perform. With the current political & economic situation being what it is, I'm convinced that there's no way they can fire him now, as much as they'd love to. Let's face it, Bruce Benson has a much harder time convincing the legislature to increase funding for higher ed when his athletic department is paying $3MM to a guy to not coach it's football team.

A ray of sunshine before the weekend. Not that I disagree, or that I think DH should be fired, at least not yet, but I'd still like to believe change is possible and that CU actually wants to field a competitive FB team.....
 
I'll offer my view of coach Hawkins............

thumbsdown.jpg
 
I have been critical of Hawkins longer than most so the struggles of this season are not a big surprise to me. I predicted 6-6 for this year (maybe I was over optimistic) and was quickly lambasted by those predicting an 8 to 10 win season.

I really doubted Hawkins abilities to coach at this level before this season and all that has happened this year has just convinced me that he is not the man for the job.

My perspective is that of a fan, a season ticket holder and a donor to the CU program. I am really tired of the excuse-making culture that has risen out of CU football under Dan Hawkins. There really cannot be excuses for losing to CSU, Toledo, and KSU - those programs have smaller football budgets, have not had better recruiting than CU, and their coaches have had less time to build their programs.

It doesn't matter to me if CU wins the weak Big 12 North because in the long run I am convinced that Hawkins is not good for the program and will continue to lead the program downward and because of that conviction I want him gone.

I'm with you. I was happy in 2006 when he was hired because like many I thought he was good hire (fooled like most in thinking he was ebhind the success at Boise St.). The the 2006 season happened, and I thought no way, we lose thing many with GB, there was enough talent to win at least 2-4 more, and how can this be an improvement? 2007 I was skeptical, but the win over OU, CSU, and NU, gave me hope. Perhaps he is turning it around. Last year did me in, after 2 yrs of watching him win some lose some, after last year's KU game I was convinced he was in over his head and we would be better off with him gone.
 
Buffalo Stampede this week was from a bed and breakfast or something. CJ said "Coach, you need to get here after games...get a little R&R" Hawkins said--"I havent won enough games. I'll rest when we start getting W's". Thought that was a good quote for those who say he doesnt care about W's, just grades and good kids. Again, Im not sure he's capable of the W's, but, he cares.
 
I think folks don't always understand, or forget the gravity of the alleged "scandal" under Barney. The legacy of those allegations is a cinder and a puff of black smoke for the Buffs.. A lot of the current problems are attributable to the Mary Lacy, or Mary Keenan or whatever her name is these days...........
The day those allegations were announced by the Boulder DA, I told my wife that this was BS, and that these allegations would put this program back 10 years. What it did to our recruiting was absolutely devastating, and certainly taken advantage of by other recruiting coaches. I think that as far as Hawkins has risen the bar of moral depravity in the program, he is going to get one more year, to show what is possible with his own seniors. The economics of switching the head coach right now makes no sense. Bringing in another coach now, and starting all over again with a whole new staff and systems might further set the program back. That being said, winning solves everything. I hope for a final run to be set tomorrow against the tigers. Go Buffs!
 
all valid points. I still cannot join you on the replacement bandwagon, although i'm pretty close. If dh put together a late season run, with the team putting together solid games the rest of the way through, i'd be willing to see what happens in year five.

As a general rule, i say give a guy five years unless: (a) he inherited a machine (i.e. Ut, mich, usc, lsu) or (b) the results are so miserable after three or four years it's obvious the hc doesn't know his head from a hole in the ground.

For me, dh is perilously close to being the poster child for (b).

fify
 
I was a big supporter of Hawk when he was hired as were most people around here. I am not one who believes that Hawk won in spite of himself at Boise, he was in charge, made the decisions and he won big, can't take that away from him now to try to support a case against him here.

I also give him credit for doing some very good things here. He has substantially upgraded the quality of talent recruited at most positions over what Barnett was bringing in in his last few years and it could be argued at any time in his tenure. He has recruited O-Linemen and D-linemen and backers better than Barnett or Skippy did. He has changed the perception of CU football of the field to a significantly better place than it was, fewer police reports, more players in class and graduating.

That all said the bottom line is winning. Hawk has won a few big games in his four years including the OU game, WVU last year, KU this year and shown well in some others. At the same time he has failed to beat the teams we should be easily beating based on the talent we have on the team. There is no excuse in any way for losing to Montana St., CSU (twice), Toledo, KjSU, Iowa State, and almost losing to Eastern Washington. I am willing to be patient if I see hope of progress but when a program is in its fourth year and still cannot get a play called, line up, and snap the ball on a consistent basis without a penalty for delay of game or mass confusion in terms of who is supposed to be on the field there is a problem. When teams are able to beat us with the same defensive or offensive scheme play after play for an entire game and we don't make any significant adjustments I lose hope. When I see players come in as highly touted recruits that could have gone to any number of other quality programs and then stagnate or regress as players I don't see much hope. When we have superior athletes on the bench and Hawk is playing a bunch of walk-ons who cannot compete against the guys they are lining up against then it is time for a change.

A coaches job at this level is not to play those guys who are the hardest workers, the best attitude, etc. His job is to get the best players on the field and figure out how to motivate them and prepare them. If he can't do this then he will fail because other teams will do exactly that. Does anyone think that Salaam or Westbrook or Williams or many of the other stars of the top 10 teams of the Mac era were the hardworking lunchbucket guys? I am sure that a few were but most were guys who brought their talent to the table and were coached to a higher level. Hawk is not doing this and unless he does we are wasting our time.
 
All valid points. I still cannot join you on the replacement bandwagon, although I'm pretty close. IF DH put together a late season run, with the team putting together solid games the rest of the way through, I'd be willing to see what happens in year five.

As a general rule, I say give a guy five years unless: (a) he inherited a machine (i.e. UT, Mich, USC, LSU) or (b) the results are so miserable after three or four years it's obvious the HC doesn't know his head from a hole in the ground.

For me, DH is perilously close to (b).

Winner
 
With respect to the KU game, my brother, who is a Jayhawk, told me before the game that KU is terribly overrated this year. As of right now, it looks like he was right. Oklahoma was a great win. KU was not.
 
I think folks don't always understand, or forget the gravity of the alleged "scandal" under Barney. The legacy of those allegations is a cinder and a puff of black smoke for the Buffs.. A lot of the current problems are attributable to the Mary Lacy, or Mary Keenan or whatever her name is these days...........
The day those allegations were announced by the Boulder DA, I told my wife that this was BS, and that these allegations would put this program back 10 years. What it did to our recruiting was absolutely devastating, and certainly taken advantage of by other recruiting coaches. I think that as far as Hawkins has risen the bar of moral depravity in the program, he is going to get one more year, to show what is possible with his own seniors. The economics of switching the head coach right now makes no sense. Bringing in another coach now, and starting all over again with a whole new staff and systems might further set the program back. That being said, winning solves everything. I hope for a final run to be set tomorrow against the tigers. Go Buffs!
Here's the thing. The "scandal" would affect recruiting. Talent does not appear to be the biggest weakness on this team (although I think the team is far less talented than most on this site). This team appears to be terribly coached. That has nothing to do with the scandal.
 
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