More than a Tad Better, Boyle is Buffs' Best

Colorado University need look no further for another basketball coach for as long as head Coach Tad Boyle is breathing in the thin, rarified air of Boulder.  It may seem like a bold claim after a mere three seasons at the helm of the Buff basketball program, but we're witnessing greatness fans couldn't even imagine a handful of years ago.

It is true he hasn't reinvented the sport.  Tad Boyle hasn't drawn up a scheme that confounds foes, or signed a squad of soon-to-be-NBA players throughout his roster.   He has accomplished what no one before him has -- and that is to convert a football school into a basketball tradition inside of 36-months.  Oh, I know, CU hasn't been much of a football school either, at least since the last run as Big-12 Champions in 2001.  That was four head football coaches ago.

In fact, the hiring of Boyle away from the University of Northern Colorado may be the primary reason CU Athletic Director Mike Bohn was allowed to hire his third gridiron coach in six years.  Yes, I did mention he was hired away from a program at Northern Colorado that is still waiting for the paint to dry on their "now in Division I" signs around campus.

Boyle built Northern Colorado out of the regional thin air and took a team from four to 20-wins in three years.  I recall the reaction to his announced hiring in Boulder.  The quite press conference, the whining of hardcore fans on the 'net and a couple crickets chirping in the distance to herald his arrival.  He replaced the fairly popular Jeff Bzdelik, who had done a nice job in the NBA with a horrid Denver Nuggets team, assembled a pair of impressive 20-win Air Force Falcon teams and was supposedly the guy who was going to finally bring the big time to college basketball at CU.  Instead, he coached three losing seasons, a 36-58 record and accepted the first job that could evacuate him from basketball purgatory.  And hey, Wake Forest isn't Duke, but it is ACC hoops and Bzdelik hit the big time after all, just not for Colorado.

The real next guy to actually bring glory, glory to Colorado was Roll Tad. Which just goes to show how far and how fast the man has brought the program, he has his own hashtag.  First season, a school record 24 wins, a team that should have been invited to the Big Dance.  Even the NCAA selection committee was surprised to see them on the bubble, they passed on the Buffs, in part, as we were told, because of a lack of tradition.  Fair point, but they still got jobbed.

Boyle's Buffs roll into the NIT semi-finals and enter a whole new conference in year two of the Tad.  No expectations, no respect going into the PAC-12, the Buffs went ahead and won the first ever conference tournament, won in the first round and pushed former Big-12 foe Baylor to the brink, just missing the Sweet-16.  Buffs tie their school record of 24-wins.

With only one senior, the Buffs do not rebuild, they march to March Madness for consecutive seasons for the first time since 1962 and 1963.  In essence, the first back-to-back trips in my lifespan.  Long suffering hoop fans know how bad it was.  You could walk into a conference 'showdown' and sit anywhere you wanted, any year you wanted to hang out with about four or five thousand fellow, hardcore black and gold supporters.

Now, Buff basketball is one of the toughest tickets to find in town. Now we're talking about tradition, now we're talking about the best Buff Hoops coach, maybe ever.  And again, in 36-months, Colorado went from a perceived football school, to a basketball powerhouse.  Well, powerhouse for this program, which is a nice start to something no one even considered.  Roll Tad has compiled a fine 69-37 record heading in the first round match-up against Illinois, and win, lose or somehow draw, everyone knows the Buffs will be competitive again next year.  I don't know what his salary is, but I think everyone who loves hoops should probably kick in a few extra bucks in the hat to make sure he doesn't ever get away.