Dan Hawkins End of Season Press Conference Notes

by irish1611 on Dec 1, 2008 4:18 PM MST

Here is some news from Dan Hawkins press outing today with media folk:

Hawkins says he loves his coaches and believes you need to look at all the factors in judging them. He also made a plug for the university needing to ante up the cash because Colorado pays their assistants the least in the Big 12 conference and Colorado is the most expensive place to live in the Big 12. He referenced Missouri as an example of keeping coaches together and finding success over time. I THINK THIS MEANS WE WON'T SEE ANY CHANGES TO THIS YEAR'S STAFF.
Hawkins said that spring practice might start later next year due to a number of factors but most importantly, to allow proper time for all the injuries to heal. Players who suffered severe injuries this year who will need all the time to recover is OT Ryan Miller, LB Jon Major, RB Rodney Stewart and OG Max Tuioti-Mariner. Hawkins also said that more than 5 players will have surgery in the next couple of weeks. FB Jake Behrens sprained his MCL in the Nebraska game.
Sounds like DE Jason Brace will not be back next year due to concussions. The junior defensive end was at one time starting this year. The final injury was believed to be suffered in the West Virginia game. He did not play another game this year.
Hawkins will be leaving for two weeks of recruiting on Tuesday and he will be signing a larger class than originally thought because of players leaving the program. Look for a number in the 20 + range but I will shocked if they get that considering where they are now. Anything over 20 would be a shock. The players leaving the program making room for more youth would be Brace, OL Drew Hudgins, WR Kendrick Celestine and FB Kai Maiava.
Hawkins also said the turn around of the program has taken longer than he expected and it is "never as fast as you want it. "
Hawkins set up the excuse of "youth" again next year saying this team won't have a lot of seniors.
Should Hawkins stop using the excuse of the "issues" before he got here referring to the Gary Barnett era? It's been three full years!
Believes that running the spread/no huddle is the way to go especially in the Big 12.
He didn't sound entirely optimistic about LB Lynn Katoa. Very brief and that their is a lot of things they "are working on with him."
Hawk is also concerned about the QB situation, defensive line and the kicking game.
And the Buffs are recruiting another kicker/punter for a scholarship!

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no way

this is the worst story in forever. I was starting to get excited about next yr and you shot all hope, lol.

I’m definitely not happy about not seeing changes on teh staff

by roxbombers on Dec 1, 2008 10:42 PM MST 0 recs

“Should Hawkins stop using the excuse of the "issues” before he got here referring to the Gary Barnett era? It’s been three full years!"

If by issues is he refering to winning? How many Big 12 championship games did the Buffs go to under barnett? 4? This program was not the rebuilding job he is making it out to be. Hell we went to the big 12 championship game the year before he got here.

“Hawkins set up the excuse of "youth” again next year saying this team won’t have a lot of seniors. "

Someone should remind Hawk that “its the Big 12!” no team has a lot of seniors because the talented would be seniors leave for the NFL. There are plenty of examples of young teams out there having sucees including #1 ranked Alabama.

I don’t think setting the bar at a winning season was too high for year three but next year he is really going to start feeling the heat if their isn’t vast improvement regardless of injuries, youth or any other “issues.”

by NYCskibum on Dec 2, 2008 5:38 AM MST 0 recs

Especially while looking at your other post on the off the field issues, it seems like he hasn’t cleaned that up one bit in 3 years since Barnett. And yea at least Barnett was winning. This year was such a giant step backwards for the program it is painful to think about next year and that we are probably worse off than we were this time last year (we were at least going to a bowl and beat NU last year). I’m still trying to remain positive on Hawk but we have to see something man.

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by BVaz on Dec 2, 2008 7:47 AM MST up 0 recs

Mizzou

To be fair, Barnett’s departure coincided with the rise of Mizzou (I think temporarily) and Kansas to a lesser extent. I do think Colorado should be a lot better than they have shown recently, but it’s not like they were beating up on the rest of the conference the last couple of years under Barnett. The North wasn’t very good those years. Hell, Iowa State almost won the north those last two years.

I think the downward trend started under Barnett, but it’s not like Hawkins has stopped it or even slowed it. I’m beginning to think he might not be the man for the job.

by Texas Wahoo on Dec 2, 2008 9:52 AM MST up 0 recs

Please...

“If by issues is he refering to winning? How many Big 12 championship games did the Buffs go to under barnett? 4? This program was not the rebuilding job he is making it out to be. Hell we went to the big 12 championship game the year before he got here.”

Good Lord…

Yeah, those were the glory days: winning the North with a 7-5 record and then getting pasted in the championship game and going to the EV1.net Houston Bowl! The halcyon days of GB; where art thou?

The recruiting classes in GB’s last two years were terrible, and Hawkins only had 2 months before signing day to put together the ‘06 class. Those are your Juniors, Seniors and 5th year guys for 2008. Next year will be the first year that any of the real Hawkin’s players will be upperclassmen. Wait and see what a difference it makes.

by denver_sc on Dec 2, 2008 10:15 AM MST up 0 recs

I agree

Barnett had to go, no doubt about that, I don’t wish we had him back either, I just wish Hawk had turned this ship around a little more so far than he has, and being reminded of the off the field issues which should have been long gone by now doesn’t help. I am just still in post-NU sour grapes mode and probably will be for another 270 days.

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by BVaz on Dec 2, 2008 11:26 AM MST up 0 recs

The Very Last Thing This Team Needs is Coaching Changes . . .

. . . calling for coaches heads is easy and fun. Evreybody gets to play. Nobody gets to actually coach.

Mark it down: in 2 years, we will be talking about Mark Helfrich as the best OC in recent CU history. There. I said it. Take a few steps back and think. What OC in the country could extract more than 20 points a game from a decimated offensive line, and Cody Hawkins throwing to Cody, Scottie, some kid named Melton and a very raw Josh Smith. Name one.

Defense? Did you happen to watch OU smother Texas Tech last week? Did that defense look familiar? It should. It’s the same scheme CU utilized against Texas Tech the last 2 years. CU DB coach Greg Brown and OU defensive coach Brent Venables are very close. Venables didn’t dream that scheme up. The CU defense played very, very well this year and kept that team in every single game except Mizzou (that thing just started bad and accelerated – we had no chance). The CU defense was asked to shut out teams in the second half so the CU offense could win with 14 points on the board. It worked against KSU and West Virginia. Almost worked against Kansas.

Denver_sc is right. CU is missing almost 2 full recruiting classes – GB’s last one and Hawks salvage job in ‘06. Those players should be juniors and seniors right now . . . and they’re not there.

CU has issues right now – coaching is not one of them.

by HiRanchBuff on Dec 2, 2008 10:19 AM MST 0 recs

I hope your right about Helfrich

Special Teams is my big beef

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by irish1611 on Dec 2, 2008 10:51 AM MST up 0 recs

I've Spent Some Time UpThere This Year . . Got Access Most Fans Don't Get . . .

. . . trust me, Helfrich and Hawk were using a fraction of the playbook they put together. They had no choice. They had 2 freshmen at RB and 2 freshmen OL’s and one converted TE. Cody knows the playbook like no other, but . . . well, he knows the playbook like no other. Everybody else was getting spoon fed. It was starting to come around at the end of the year – the replacement freshmen OL’s were starting to get it together, but it was too late. There are a couple of guys on the OL right now that just aren’t physically mature enough to go to to toe with the Big 12 D Lines. They’ll get there, but you can’t “coach that up”.

Hawk and Helfrich are like Formula 1 race car drivers being asked to win a Gran Prix race with a Honda. There’s only so much horsepower you can wring out of what you’re driving.

by HiRanchBuff on Dec 2, 2008 1:29 PM MST up 0 recs

what kind of access do you have? wouldnt mind having a contributor to the site with a little more

access?

The Ralphie Report - Shoulder to Shoulder...All Colorado Buffaloes on SBNation - http://www.ralphiereport.com/

by irish1611 on Dec 2, 2008 1:43 PM MST up 0 recs

they will both have their judgment year

next year. Helfrich and Hawkins will get there chance. I think we need to see more than the 10th ranked offense in the Big 12 next year. That is his highest ranking since Hawkins got here

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by irish1611 on Dec 2, 2008 1:44 PM MST up 0 recs

I Agree - Next Year Is the Tipping Point . . .

. . . assuming (and right now that’s an assumption) everybody comes back healthy, we should be just fine. If not outright loaded.

Injuries aren’t a mere “excuse” – it is THE reason why we didn’t see more success this year. The attrition CU took this year is simply unprecedented and something you can’t prepare for with a team that young to begin with. Like I said, there’s a reason CU is using freshmen starters all over the place – its because junior and seniors from the ‘04 and ’05 classes simply aren’t there. The young Mizzou and Okie St teams that Barnett killed with experienced teams in ’05 are now senior-laden team. And we have had nothing to match them with.

Special teams? Chalk it up to 1) 1 kicker with a bad leg and 2) 1 kicker with a bad head. I’m thrilled with the coverages on punts and KO’s, but a lot of that stems from our inability to kick a football with authority.

As for my access . . . it’s nothing special. I just have some contacts and friends up there. I’m not comfortable with disclosing specifics.

I greatly enjoy this site though.

by HiRanchBuff on Dec 2, 2008 1:59 PM MST up 0 recs

cool man...thanks for coming to the site

The Ralphie Report - Shoulder to Shoulder...All Colorado Buffaloes on SBNation - http://www.ralphiereport.com/

by irish1611 on Dec 2, 2008 2:09 PM MST up 0 recs

Reminds me of the 06 Sooners

A lot of Sooner fans were calling for Kevin Wilson’s head because the playcalling was so boring and vanilla. He was hamstrung by what Paul Thompson could do at the quarterback position and wasn’t able to use a lot of the playbook. That 06 OU team had a TON more talent than this year’s Buffs.

This season Wilson is a finalist for the Broyles award for best assistant coach and OU has put up 60+ points four weeks in a row.

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by WoodrowWilson on Dec 2, 2008 3:01 PM MST up 0 recs

drinks on me if Helfrich ever becomes assistant coach of the year...oh and didnt that 06 team make it to a BCS game?

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by irish1611 on Dec 2, 2008 3:16 PM MST up 0 recs

Only becauseTexas lost two late games to K-State and A&M.

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by WoodrowWilson on Dec 3, 2008 8:19 AM MST up 0 recs

BCS is BCS

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by irish1611 on Dec 3, 2008 9:25 AM MST up 0 recs

Hawk talk

we have him for several more years so we have to deal with it but how is he going to deal with the QB situation. If the position is still open after the spring we will have a big problem. Don’t we know what lil hawk can bring to the table? The offense can only work if we have a dual threat QB. The WRs will not be much better but we do have the makings of a strong running game. the question in my mind is: are H &h willing to make the changes that fit the talent as opposed to the drawing on their chalkboards. i have serious doubts and am very concerned about 2009. What excuses will we hear next year after we go 3-0 and then tank? Go Buffs!

by rugbybuff on Dec 2, 2008 9:47 PM MST 0 recs