Out with Hawkins, In with Embree

// Dec 4 -

Embree & His Coaching Staff

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The 2011 University of Colorado coaching staff

Jon Embree was hired by the University of Colorado to be its 24th head coach on December 6, 2010. Embree took his time – over a month – to put together his 2011 coaching staff. Below is a look at Embree and his coaches, broken down by coach as to “Why this was a good choice”; “Reasons for Concern”; and an “Overall grade” for each coach. There is also an overal grade posted for Embree and his new staff.

See if you agree with my analysis …

Head coach – Jon Embree

Why this was a good choice … I’ve posted two entire articles on this question Jon Embree, Why You’ll (Ultimately) Like this Hire,   and This Time, It’s Different, but to summarize here … Jon Embree brings to Boulder everything the search committee was looking for: 1) a solid coaching background; 2) a good recruiter; 3) ties to the University of Colorado; and 4) leadership.

Embree has not been a head coach at any level, but he has coached in both the BCS ranks and the NFL. What’s more, he has coached offense, defense, and special teams. He brings…

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This Time, It’s Different …

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This Time, It’s Different

For better or worse, I am a veteran of five coaching hires at the University or Colorado. At the time these new coaches were introduced, all five seemed like good moves …

My first new head coaching hire was Bill McCartney, in 1982. McCartney was the defensive coordinator at Michigan before coming to Boulder, and no one knew much about him. Remember, this was long before the “instant information” internet age, where names of coordinators like Chow, Muschamp, Malzahn, and McElwain are familiar to football fans. In 1982, few knew much about their own team’s coordinators, much less about anyone else’s. Not that there was anyone around in Boulder to care – McCartney came to the University of Colorado in June, 1982, when school was out for the summer (Chuck Fairbanks bolted for the USFL after spring practice). Still, the reaction was favorable from those who were paying attention to the team. The legendary columnist for the Boulder Daily Camera, Dan Creedon, wrote at the time of McCartney’s hire: “Not since another Michigan native, Sonny Grandelius, swept CU committees off their feet 24 years ago, has a coaching candidate made as favorable impression here as McCartney did”. (Grandelius coached the Buffs from 1959-61).

Next…

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Jon Embree – Why You’ll (Ultimately) Like This Hire

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Jon Embree – Why you will (ultimately) like this hire

The Jon Embree resume is familiar to most Buff fans …

As a Player … Embree was born in California, but grew up in Colorado, graduating from Cheery Creek high school in Denver. An honorable mention All-American in high school, Embree decided to stay home and play for the Buffs rather than pursue other offers. As a sophomore at Colorado in 1984, Embree was an All-Big Eight selection at tight end, collecting 51 passes for 680 yards, both new school records. Colorado switched to the wishbone in 1985, severely reducing Embree’s stats, but he still caught the eye of NFL scouts. A sixth round selection by the Los Angeles Rams in the 1987 draft, Embree played for two seasons in the NFL before an elbow injury ending his playing career.

As a coach … Jon Embree spent ten years as an assistant coach at the University of Colorado, coaching under Bill McCartney, Rick Neuheisel, and Gary Barnett. While in Boulder, Embree coached tight ends (1993-94; 1999-2000), defensive ends (1995-98), and wide receivers/kickers (2001-2002). Embree moved on to UCLA in 2003, named as assistant head coach/wide receivers (2003), and assistant head coach/tight…

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Coaching Carousel

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Coaching carousel

NOTE: Last season, 23 of the 120 Division 1-A schools changed head coaches, including BCS conference schools such as USC, Cincinnati, Florida State, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Texas Tech, Vanderbilt and Virginia. What will the 2010-11 coaching merry-go-round bring?

Thus far, nineteen schools have seen a change in coaches, including eleven BCS conference schools: Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Miami (Fla.), Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Vanderbilt, Michigan, Stanford, Connecticut, and Maryland.

December 28th

Mangino to Nebraska?

Mark Mangino, last seen patrolling the sidelines for the Kansas Jayhawks, may be landing … in Lincoln?

KUSports.com is speculating that if former Colorado offensive coordinator (and present Nebraska offensive coordinator) is named as the new head coach at Miami (Ohio) after Nebraska plays in the Holiday Bowl, that Mark Mangino may be hired as the next offensive coordinator at Nebraska.

Mangino has never worked with Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini, but they have both worked for Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops. With Pelini noted for his ability to coach defense, bringing in an offensive minded coach makes sense.

And it would make for great theater when Nebraska falls behind a Big Ten opponent next fall … Which coach would suffer a meltdown first – Pelini or Mangino?

December 27th…

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The Next CU head coach …

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The Dan Hawkins Countdown … or … Who will be the next Colorado head coach?

[NOTE: It is normally my policy not to engage in too much speculation here at CU at the Game.  For example, I will not post about a verbal commitment from a recruit until the commitment makes the main board at either Rivals or Scout. That being said, everything currently being written about the new head coach at Colorado is going to be speculation. Until an announcement comes from the University, it is all guesswork. I do know - and trust - some of those who post on the internet, and will try and weed out some of the more outrageous speculation. For now, though, the only thing I can report with 100% certainty about the Buffs' new head coach is this ... Your guess is as good as mine].

Potential candidates previously reviewed are listed below (in reverse order):

Former Colorado head coach Bill McCartney, former Buff and current NFL assistant Jon Embree; former Buff and current NFL assistant Eric Bieniemy, Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn; Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain. Next are two former head coaches, Mike Bellotti (Oregon) and Mike Leach (Texas Tech). There are also…

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