September 16, 2009

On the Hot Seat: Mike Bohn

When a team starts to struggle on one side of the ball fans begin to call for the coordinators on that side to be replaced. If the problems are more widespread or a run of bad coordinators exists the head coach comes under fire.

When I can, with a straight face, state that a loss this week would raise questions about whether Colorado is as good as Weber State, the Buffs fans have fallen far from their hopes of making a run this year for the Big 12 North.

When years of questionable decisions bankrupt an athletic department and the team tanks to unimaginable levels the fans call for the athletic director to resign. AD's can also be let go mid season with far less disruption.

Bohn continues to stand by Hawkins.

I'm as frustrated and disappointed as anybody, I believe in Dan.

...

It's the nature of the business. I'd prefer not to have all those negative thoughts channeled into a negative direction, He's frustrated and he understands that he's responsible for what's going on. He's looking at the mirror and trying to figure out new ways to present his program and put new things in. I salute that competitive spirit.

...

I don't feel under attack, but I also understand we're not meeting the expectations of our fans, We're not providing a sense of accomplishment at a level we expect ourselves. The outside attacks are really not driving us as much as our competitive spirit. We're competitive people and we have a great resolve to improve.

Hawkins is taking heat for his statements this off season that he thought he had a 10 win season, which now looks to be closer to his eventual loss total. If they don't win this week I am not sure they have a 1 win season.

The plain fact is Colorado might not have the funds to buy out Hawkins contract. At $850,000 per year through January 2013 it could cost upwards of $3 million to release him.

www.buffzone.com reports more on Colorado's desperate financial situation.

The athletic department remains in deeply in debt with the majority of an $8 million loan from the campus and the CU system in 2006 still to be paid off. Part of that debt was caused by the last coaching change when Bohn fired Gary Barnett at the end of the 2005 season and hired Hawkins. ... The department would have to borrow money to buyout Hawkins and it would be hard-pressed to do so in the current economic climate in which state funding is being significantly trimmed and some CU employees have already lost their jobs.

If Bohn is not feeling the heat he is not listening to his fans. The Ralph Report is hot on his trail. The descriptions of anger and frustration at the CSU results turning to despair after the Toledo game are painful to read for any fan. We can all be thankful this did not happen to our team this year ... unless our team is Colorado.

This Bohn quote is featured promonently in their writeup:

"We maybe have been guilty of building a facade that maybe didn't reveal the hole that we were in and the severity of the situation we were in associated with the program."

Using this quote and the fact that Hawkins contract was extended past 2010 in 2008 they reach this conclusion:

If the University wanted to make a change even after the 2010 season when the original contract would have expired, it would cost them 25 extra months of the buyout clause at $70,833 a month or a total of $1,770,833. Simply put, the athletic department may have made a $1.8 million dollar mistake based on little results on the field back in 2008.

...

What does this all mean? I think you can put away the coaching wish lists and the thoughts about getting the next guy in Boulder. If the Buffs go 1 - 11 or 2 - 10 this year and a buyout was necessary, buying out a contract that ended in 2010 compared to 2013 would obviously be easier to discuss. But I struggle to find a logical thought for the administration approving $2.9 million of additional debt plus whatever a new coach costs on top. I don't blame them either considering the financial times we are in. I do blame the parties involved for allowing an extension after two years that would have the potential to cost the University an extra $1.8 million especially considering they were judging success on a "facade", as Mike Bohn puts it.

...

[Ending in a touch of class, we get:]

So where do we go from here? We support the players of this team. Coming from a guy who played a little ball in his day and lost the opportunity in college because of injury, the ability to play collegiate sports is very short. You have only so much eligibility and time to play before it is over. The kids deserve the support of the fans even if you don't support how the operation is being run. They chose Colorado to use their four years of eligibility here when they could have gone a multitude of other places.

What I would do
I think it is time for Colorado to fire Mike Bohn. Miss representing the state of his department has lead to a serious problem for the Universities image.

The decision to remove Hawkins is complicated financially. I would expect a new AD to demand an action plan from him for what steps he will take to improve his team and hold him accountable for them.

If Hawkins does not perform according to these plans and goals, likely to focus on winning a game or two this year and getting to a bowl game next year, he should be fired then for being derelict. If he is fired with cause then the buyout does not come into play.

This assumes Hawkins does not take the initiative to resign after this season.

Comments:

On the Hot Seat: Mike Bohn
When a team starts to struggle on one side of the ball fans begin to call for the coordinators on that side to be replaced. If the problems are more widespread or a run of bad coordinators exists the head coach comes under fire. When I can, with a straight face, state that a loss this week would raise questions about whether Colorado is as good as Weber State, the Buffs fans have fallen far from their hopes of making a run this year for the Big 12 North. When years of questionable decisions bankrupt an athletic department and the team tanks to unimaginable levels the fans call for the athletic director to resign. AD's can also be let go mid season with far less disruption. Bohn continues to stand by Hawkins.
I'm as frustrated and disappointed as anybody, I believe in Dan. ... It's the nature of the business. I'd prefer not to have all those negative thoughts channeled into a negative direction, He's frustrated and he understands that he's responsible for what's going on. He's looking at the mirror and trying to figure out new ways to present his program and put new things in. I salute that competitive spirit. ... I don't feel under attack, but I also understand we're not meeting the expectations of our fans, We're not providing a sense of accomplishment at a level we expect ourselves. The outside attacks are really not driving us as much as our competitive spirit. We're competitive people and we have a great resolve to improve.
Hawkins is taking heat for his statements this off season that he thought he had a 10 win season, which now looks to be closer to his eventual loss total. If they don't win this week I am not sure they have a 1 win season. The plain fact is Colorado might not have the funds to buy out Hawkins contract. At $850,000 per year through January 2013 it could cost upwards of $3 million to release him. www.buffzone.com reports more on Colorado's desperate financial situation.
The athletic department remains in deeply in debt with the majority of an $8 million loan from the campus and the CU system in 2006 still to be paid off. Part of that debt was caused by the last coaching change when Bohn fired Gary Barnett at the end of the 2005 season and hired Hawkins. ... The department would have to borrow money to buyout Hawkins and it would be hard-pressed to do so in the current economic climate in which state funding is being significantly trimmed and some CU employees have already lost their jobs.
If Bohn is not feeling the heat he is not listening to his fans. The Ralph Report is hot on his trail. The descriptions of anger and frustration at the CSU results turning to despair after the Toledo game are painful to read for any fan. We can all be thankful this did not happen to our team this year ... unless our team is Colorado. This Bohn quote is featured promonently in their writeup:
"We maybe have been guilty of building a facade that maybe didn't reveal the hole that we were in and the severity of the situation we were in associated with the program."
Using this quote and the fact that Hawkins contract was extended past 2010 in 2008 they reach this conclusion:
If the University wanted to make a change even after the 2010 season when the original contract would have expired, it would cost them 25 extra months of the buyout clause at $70,833 a month or a total of $1,770,833. Simply put, the athletic department may have made a $1.8 million dollar mistake based on little results on the field back in 2008. ... What does this all mean? I think you can put away the coaching wish lists and the thoughts about getting the next guy in Boulder. If the Buffs go 1 - 11 or 2 - 10 this year and a buyout was necessary, buying out a contract that ended in 2010 compared to 2013 would obviously be easier to discuss. But I struggle to find a logical thought for the administration approving $2.9 million of additional debt plus whatever a new coach costs on top. I don't blame them either considering the financial times we are in. I do blame the parties involved for allowing an extension after two years that would have the potential to cost the University an extra $1.8 million especially considering they were judging success on a "facade", as Mike Bohn puts it. ... [Ending in a touch of class, we get:] So where do we go from here? We support the players of this team. Coming from a guy who played a little ball in his day and lost the opportunity in college because of injury, the ability to play collegiate sports is very short. You have only so much eligibility and time to play before it is over. The kids deserve the support of the fans even if you don't support how the operation is being run. They chose Colorado to use their four years of eligibility here when they could have gone a multitude of other places.
What I would do I think it is time for Colorado to fire Mike Bohn. Miss representing the state of his department has lead to a serious problem for the Universities image. The decision to remove Hawkins is complicated financially. I would expect a new AD to demand an action plan from him for what steps he will take to improve his team and hold him accountable for them. If Hawkins does not perform according to these plans and goals, likely to focus on winning a game or two this year and getting to a bowl game next year, he should be fired then for being derelict. If he is fired with cause then the buyout does not come into play. This assumes Hawkins does not take the initiative to resign after this season.