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Woelk: CU's faith in Hawkins will pay off
In 1984, in the midst of a 1-10 season that only seemed to get worse as the year dragged on, Colorado athletic director Bill Marolt handed a contract extension to coach Bill McCartney.
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There were plenty of folks -- including yours truly -- who wondered if Marolt should have worn a helmet in his days as a skier.
Not only was McCartney in the process of finishing 1-10, the program had shown very few outward signs of improvement. The Buffs had gone 2-8-1 and 4-7 in Mac's first two years, leaving him with a 7-25-1 record and a new contract after three seasons.
At the same time fans and media were questioning Marolt's wisdom, they were also questioning McCartney's coaching staff. Mac's assistants were a group of young, relatively untested coaches, a group many thought was in over its head in the rugged Big Eight.
You know the rest of the story.
The Buffs never had another losing season under McCartney. He rewarded Marolt's faith with a 7-5 finish and a bowl game the following season, and by the time he stepped down, CU had its first national championship and a firm spot among national football powers.
Now fast-forward to 2008.
Tuesday afternoon, CU athletic director Mike Bohn announced that Dan Hawkins has signed a contract extension that should keep him in Boulder through at least 2012.
It's a move I favored eight months ago, and absolutely nothing has happened since to cause me to reconsider.
Fact is, Hawk is ahead of schedule -- and certainly ahead of the pace established by McCartney.
Hawkins has recruited well. He has won games against teams with superior talent, and he has upgraded the talent on his team on a steady basis. He took Colorado to a bowl game in his second year, and is still on target to do it again this season.
Equally important has beenHawkins' influence off the field. When Hawk took over, enthusiasm for Colorado football was at a low not seen since the post-Fairbanks, early McCartney years. A stretch of disappointing seasons coupled with the fallout over the recruiting scandal had the program teetering.
Hawkins has since reinvigorated CU's fan base. With the help of such folks as Bohn and CU chancellor Bud Peterson, he has also restored the public's general faith in CU football in particular and the athletic department in general.
Tuesday, Bohn announced that CU's season ticket sales -- not including student tickets -- hit 22,603 this year, an increase of more than 1,300 from last year and more than 2,100 from two years ago. CU also increased its club seat sales this year, and sold out its luxury suites for the first time this season.
"The spirit and energy he's brought to campus are more important than wins right now," Bohn said. "But we believe the wins will come, and they will come in abundance to match the world class reputation of this institution."
Actually, the wins have come a little quicker than most expected -- and certainly faster than they did under McCartney. After Hawkins' 2-10 debut season, the Buffs rebounded to finish the regular season 6-6 a year ago before losing to Alabama in the bowl game.
This year, the Buffs are 3-2 with a win over Colorado State and then-No. 21 West Virginia. Given the fact that plenty of folks had the Buffs no better than 2-4 after their first six, it's a better start than expected.
But the biggest difference between Hawk's situation and Mac's is that patience doesn't exist in today's society. In an era of cable television explosion, internet chatroom experts and talk radio, instant gratification is the norm.
"We're in the era of PlayStation," Hawkins said Tuesday afternoon. "If you don't like it, just hit reset."
But patience will pay huge dividends for Colorado. Hawkins is building a solid foundation that bodes well for the future, and agree with Bohn. The wins will come.
Meanwhile, Hawk faces another issue that confronted McCartney. There are folks who wonder if Hawkins' staff is in over its head.
We can't guarantee Hawk's staff will turn out like Mac's.
But just in case you were wondering, that 1984 CU staff included guys by the name of Gary Barnett, Gerry DiNardo and Lou Tepper, plus a kid from Michigan named Les Miles.
It turned out to be a pretty good staff, after all.
Posted by TarheelBuff on October 8, 2008 at 7:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Make no mistake,
Hawk is the right man for the job.
His ethic, his message and his commitment are precisely what we needed. Not for the short term but for the long term. I don't recall anyone calling for Hawks head.
It is his third year and we have 2 major upsets (you can say in hindsight WVU isn't that good but nobody would have said it before the game) a bowl game and more imptortantly a program with class, at least on the field, the students are still an embarassment.
I was very impressed that none of the field goal teams rolled their eyes or rolled Aric for that matter, they understand team and they understand it's a sport.
Nice job Bohn.
Go BUFFS, roll Kansas.
Posted by nepabuff on October 8, 2008 at 7:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Silliest thing I ever read.
Hawkin's is the 2d coming, "ok"...
Posted by smokey on October 8, 2008 at 7:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
nepabarnett is still trying to figure out what it means to recruit.
Posted by rbboulder on October 8, 2008 at 9:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree with this article. He is not the 2nd coming, but the right man for the job.
Posted by roamingbuff on October 8, 2008 at 9:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I like Hawk and think we are in good hands. Here is the part I think CU has to work on. The Buffs had great success under Eddie Crowder. Eventually the progam virtually disintigrates into oblivion. Everybody gets sick and tired of it - and we start to rebuild. McCartney takes CU to new heights. Then we slip back into oblivion. Everybody gets upset - and Hawk is hired to save the day. Can we end the roller-coaster ride? What will it take to not only get back to the top - but stay there? Let's not have all our energy focused soley on cracking the top 20 again and getting to big bowl games and winning the Big 12 - maybe a national title. Let's think about what the heck it will take to stay there a while, like the other legendary programs across the country. Everybody has down times - but the great programs quickly pop back up. It has been 15 years since the National Championship. We have ONE Heisman winner. Let's re-build, but go beyond that. Let's shoot for much bigger and better, long term. Some of this will include Hawk -some of it won't. But let's figure it out.
I think Hawk is a great step for 'today'. Fixing the assistant coaching issue is another. Lets keep working on it so that we have the pieces in place to stay on top for a long, long time, and to quickly rebound after times get tough. Lets not allow these 10 and 15 year dips to re-occur.
GO BUFFS.
Posted by homeontherange on October 8, 2008 at 9:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Hawkins is the right man for the job. Across campus and the state Dan Hawkins has begun to develop relationships where there were none before. His athletes attend special events in support of CU departments such as Physics and Art. He teaches not just football, but life, and relationships. For too long our society has focused on immediate gratification, as a result we see the Terrell Owens' and the "Ocho cinco" type show boat players which demonstrate to our kids an unhealthy example of sportsmanship. Hat's off to Hawkins for his leadership and for the example he sets for his kids (see Cody Hawkins). Good job to Mike Bohn as well for being able to see the "forest".
Posted by BuffTime on October 8, 2008 at 10:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Long term success depends on having the right leadership in place to keep things up to the correct standard. The reason I like both Bohn and Hawkins is not that they are "great guys" but that they both understand (and Bzdelik fits here too) that it takes hard work and a good work ethic to get things done the "right" way.
Plenty of people can build a nice looking house of cards, but we all know how flimsy those are in the long run. To build something that stands a long time requires attenion to detail, an even handedness that you don't go wild on the good times and you don't throw in the towel in the bad times. That takes patience and a good eye on the long-term goals. This doesn't just apply to sports of course and is a good lesson for all of us and hopefully the kids in the program are taking that lesson to heart for their post-playing days.
Posted by rswright on October 8, 2008 at 1:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Neill tells us how wonderful things are and cites an increase in ticket sales. With a great staff (Hawk,Bohn and Peterson)there should be. But the truth is that in the last three years Texas was the only sellout. (source: Kyle Ringo). The truth hurts. CU fans only come to games only when the better teams play. Proof? E.Washington. They yell "Go Buffs" and disect the team with their posts while they let the students subsidize their fun.
Posted by NCBUFF on October 9, 2008 at 10:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Hey Nepa if you think this article was "silly" try reading yours or RSWrong's posts...
Now THAT is some "SILLY" reading!!
GO BUFFS!!!!
Posted by rswright on October 9, 2008 at 11:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Hey NC, tell me which of the facts were wrong.
1."in the last three years Texas was the only sellout". If that was wrong tell it to Kyle who is probably more is not a bad source.
2. "CU fans only come to games only when the better teams play." Source: Hawk. Proof? E.Washington.
3. Students subsidize their fun. Source: Coloradan March 2006. Regents lend the AD 8 million to pay for football deficits.
If there was any fact here that it incorrect let's see some proof NC. Until then stick with yelling "Go Buffs".
Prediction:NC has no facts.
Posted by rswright on October 10, 2008 at 8:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Told you so.
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