It's a Karl World After All
It's a comparatively small Colorado football community over the last few decades, especially former players and coaches who remember when the Buffs won all the time. In that small world, the Buffs apparently have found someone who was a part of those good old days with the selection of Karl Dorrell.
While the hiring remains unofficial, the pile of internet sources seems to agree the Buffs went with a former CU assistant with 14-years of PAC-10/PAC-12 coaching experience, coupled with some solid NFL stints with the Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets.
And yet, some voices yelling into the internet void remain unimpressed, wanting to go with -- according to the modern vernacular -- another sexy hire. Did fans really want Alabama offense coordinator Steve Sarkisian, despite the fact the last hot name/sexy beast of a hire just packed his bags for East Lansing, Michigan?
Both Sarkisian and Mel Tucker used the Buffs to pad their bank accounts, and yet some fans seem to like the risk versus reward of a big name. And sure, Mel Tucker was fun for fans and media alike to watch the high energy guy talk about commitment to the program. What if the Buffs skipped a big name for the right name?
Fourteen months of commitment later, Colorado Athletic Director Rick George was back on the road looking to find someone who really wants to be here. The destination hire become a bit of mantra in this very brief and intense search.
Of course Eric Bieniemy topped my wish list, but as number of people noted, E.B. has outrun his dreams, and set his goals for an NFL head coaching position. We don't know if Bieniemy could have rescued the Buffs from the spiral they've been in since the end of the Gary Barnett era. The truth is, no one can be certain about anyone being able to win at Colorado.
Being an elder observer of the program since, well, the 1970's, I can verify it ain't easy to win in Boulder. Of course, it's a beautiful campus, and a fantastic place to play football or any other sport for that matter. However, Colorado has always played within the shadow of programs who view football as important as life itself. There were those Big 8 days -- or the Big 2, Little 6 conference as many media members called it. The Buffs were the little brother to football factories of Oklahoma and Nebraska.
In that era, I recall another time when the Buffs overpaid and overreached for a big name in the form of Chuck Fairbanks and that disaster still haunts the program.
Now, they find themselves in an entire conference that is having trouble keeping up with the SEC and Big-Ten, and yet, they're still in the shadows of USC, Oregon and Washington, to name a few and back on the fringes of pigskin relevance.
But you know who else wasn't a sexy hire? Bill McCartney. He was just a guy who loved the game and wanted to be here. Someone who really thought it would be special to raise the level of play and dare to go toe-to-toe against the Cornhuskers, Sooners and Fighting Irish.
I'm not saying Karl Dorrell is the next Coach Mac, there was really only ever one of those.
Besides, comparison is the death of joy.
I'm just saying the Buffs need to start with someone who loves football and living in Boulder. One can't really build up the Buffs if they're dreaming of someplace else.
Dorrell was with the Buffs as an assistant for five years, and went to five bowl games. He coached UCLA for five years and took them to five straight bowl games. I think some post-season bowl games would be a step up, considering the Buffs have only found their way to two bowl games in the last 14-years.
They got a well respected coach. Just jump on the old smart phone and look up what Mike Shanahan says about Coach Dorrell. Or Ed McCaffery. Or a pile of former Buffs who played for him.
There's only one person I know who wants the Buffs to win more than any other Colorado fan, and that's AD Rick George. He's not bringing in a band-aid or boring dude. He's found someone who clearly loves to coach and keeps finding his way back to Colorado.
Again, the Colorado football community is comparatively small world, but now for the Black and Gold, it's a Karl world after all.
While the hiring remains unofficial, the pile of internet sources seems to agree the Buffs went with a former CU assistant with 14-years of PAC-10/PAC-12 coaching experience, coupled with some solid NFL stints with the Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets.
And yet, some voices yelling into the internet void remain unimpressed, wanting to go with -- according to the modern vernacular -- another sexy hire. Did fans really want Alabama offense coordinator Steve Sarkisian, despite the fact the last hot name/sexy beast of a hire just packed his bags for East Lansing, Michigan?
Both Sarkisian and Mel Tucker used the Buffs to pad their bank accounts, and yet some fans seem to like the risk versus reward of a big name. And sure, Mel Tucker was fun for fans and media alike to watch the high energy guy talk about commitment to the program. What if the Buffs skipped a big name for the right name?
Fourteen months of commitment later, Colorado Athletic Director Rick George was back on the road looking to find someone who really wants to be here. The destination hire become a bit of mantra in this very brief and intense search.
Of course Eric Bieniemy topped my wish list, but as number of people noted, E.B. has outrun his dreams, and set his goals for an NFL head coaching position. We don't know if Bieniemy could have rescued the Buffs from the spiral they've been in since the end of the Gary Barnett era. The truth is, no one can be certain about anyone being able to win at Colorado.
Being an elder observer of the program since, well, the 1970's, I can verify it ain't easy to win in Boulder. Of course, it's a beautiful campus, and a fantastic place to play football or any other sport for that matter. However, Colorado has always played within the shadow of programs who view football as important as life itself. There were those Big 8 days -- or the Big 2, Little 6 conference as many media members called it. The Buffs were the little brother to football factories of Oklahoma and Nebraska.
In that era, I recall another time when the Buffs overpaid and overreached for a big name in the form of Chuck Fairbanks and that disaster still haunts the program.
Now, they find themselves in an entire conference that is having trouble keeping up with the SEC and Big-Ten, and yet, they're still in the shadows of USC, Oregon and Washington, to name a few and back on the fringes of pigskin relevance.
But you know who else wasn't a sexy hire? Bill McCartney. He was just a guy who loved the game and wanted to be here. Someone who really thought it would be special to raise the level of play and dare to go toe-to-toe against the Cornhuskers, Sooners and Fighting Irish.
I'm not saying Karl Dorrell is the next Coach Mac, there was really only ever one of those.
Besides, comparison is the death of joy.
I'm just saying the Buffs need to start with someone who loves football and living in Boulder. One can't really build up the Buffs if they're dreaming of someplace else.
Dorrell was with the Buffs as an assistant for five years, and went to five bowl games. He coached UCLA for five years and took them to five straight bowl games. I think some post-season bowl games would be a step up, considering the Buffs have only found their way to two bowl games in the last 14-years.
They got a well respected coach. Just jump on the old smart phone and look up what Mike Shanahan says about Coach Dorrell. Or Ed McCaffery. Or a pile of former Buffs who played for him.
There's only one person I know who wants the Buffs to win more than any other Colorado fan, and that's AD Rick George. He's not bringing in a band-aid or boring dude. He's found someone who clearly loves to coach and keeps finding his way back to Colorado.
Again, the Colorado football community is comparatively small world, but now for the Black and Gold, it's a Karl world after all.
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