Congrats to Shannon Sharpe for his Hall of Fame induction notice over the weekend. One key head coach in Sharpe's NFL career may come as a surprise: Wade Phillips.
Wade had an uneventful two years as Bronco head coach in 1993 and 1994, and he didn't do well as the Cowboys head coach either (fired midseason in 2010). The one thing Wade did do as Broncos head coach was recognize the unique talent he had in Sharpe. Phillips featured Sharpe prominently in the Denver offense; Shannon's 81 receptions in 1993 and 87 receptions in 1994 on Wade's Bronco teams were the highest single season totals of his whole career. Compare that to Sharpe's 7 catches in his rookie season and 22 catches in his second season under Dan Reeves. In Sharpe's 3rd year under Reeves he did better (53 receptions and 2 td's) but hardly the Hall of Fame type of numbers he put up under Phillips and later in his career.
Sharpe was a 7th round draft choice by Reeves and I think for a couple of seasons Dan didn't know what to do with him. Too slow to be a wide receiver and too small to be a tight end. Wade Phillips recognized Sharpe as a unique hybrid type of player, and featured Sharpe prominently in 1993 and 1994. John Elway, when commented about Sharpe over the weekend, said Shannon gave defenses matchup problems. Sharpe was too big to be covered by the typical cornerback, and too fast to be covered by a linebacker.
I wonder what current Bronco player can blossom under new coach John Fox's direction, just like Sharpe did under Wade Phillips. My early vote goes to Robert Ayers. Ayers had a good start to his 2nd season before breaking a foot. Entering his third season, I think Ayers will be more at home in Fox's planned 4-3 defense as a defensive end, rather than the linebacker Josh McDaniels tried to make him to be.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
CU Football Recruiting lunch
Today I attended the annual University of Colorado recruiting luncheon at the Hyatt in downtown Denver. I've been to this lunch 3 times in the past (all under the Dan Hawkins regime). As you might guess today's lunch was a more upbeat positive event compared to those past lunches.
Pac 10 commissioner Larry Scott opened the lunch saying he was impressed with the enthusiasm of the CU fan base and that in visiting the other schools in the conference those schools are telling him CU is a great fit for the Pac 10. In the spirit of recruiting, he brought new CU head coach Jon Embree on the stage and gave him a Pac 10 hat to welcome Jon to the conference.
Next Eric Bieniemy, former great CU running back and current offensive coordinator, said a few words. EB said it was great to be back. He described his recruiting trip as a high school senior, where he came over the hill on US 36 to see all the snow and the city of Boulder with the Flatirons in the background. He knew then that this was the place for him, and over the years it became a special place. He said buffs "always run in packs" and "I was coming all along" if anyone doubted he would return to Boulder after missing out on the head coaching job. He then introduced Rashaan Salaam, CU's only Heisman trophy winner.
Salaam was soft spoken, saying he was not much a public speaker, but then he went on to give a moving account of his growing up years and recruitment to CU. He told of playing 8 man football in San Diego when coach Mac and Brian Cabral recruited him to CU. He read a letter that he wrote when he was a kid playing Pop Warner football. In that letter he said he wanted to win the heisman trophy and play for the LA Raiders for 16 years. He said in that letter he wanted to buy his mom's elementary school, turn it into a college, and put a statue of his Mom outside. Fast forward to the present day, Rashaan told how he can't wait for the alumni like himself to be more active in the program again. As part of the day's fund raising, people could buy a picture taken with Salaam and the heisman trophy. I thought bringing Salaam back was a nice touch to the luncheon, and keeping with the theme of the day of emphasizing the football tradition at CU.
No CU football luncheon would be complete without a speech by former coach Bill McCartney. Coach Mac was in fine form once again, saying that it was hard to contain the joy he was feeling, that the Buffs are on the verge of something great. Two things make him optimistic: joining the Pac 10 is a perfect fit for the program, and Embree and his staff are a great choice to lead the Buffs.
Coach Mac told a story that he liked to tell recruits in his day. He said a survey was done of all the universities in the country grading them on a 1 to 5 scale in 3 areas: social, academic, and quality of life. No school scored a 15. Four schools scored a 14, and CU was one of those. CU was the only school of those four that played Division I football. The message: this program has alot to offer recruits.
He then went on to say how Embree is the right man to lead the program. He told the story of how Embree was the leading high school player in Colorado, yet Embree turned down USC, UCLA, and Ohio State to sign with a then downtrodden Buff program. In his sophomore year Embree set a record for receptions by a tight end (51) including 8 in a game against UCLA. The next year, though, Coach Mac switched to the wishbone, an offense that does not feature the tight end. "Whatever is best for the team," was Embree's reply when Jon was told of his new role as a blocking tight end. Mac said that set the stage for Jon being a great coach, as a coach often has to emphasize the team over the individual in his players. Mac said the staff Embree has assembled "matches up" to any staff he had at CU (and as you know Coach Mac had some great staffs in the CU glory days)
Coach Mac finished comparing the state of the program to limestone, that with heat, pressure, and time limestone will be transformed to marble. He said the program is not ready to dominate the pac 10, not by a longshot. He encouraged those in the crowd to give the new staff time, to fill Folsom on Saturdays, and to help financially with the program.
Coach Embree was next, and he spent most of his time talking about his new staff:
Greg Brown - in the nfl 15 years, coached both of CU's Thorpe winners. The current DB's are excited to work with Brown as defensive coordinator
Tuiasosopo dline - coached with Meyer at utah, coached at utah state when they had great lines. Can teach, good at establishing relationships with kids
Kanavis McGhee dline - embree had his eye on kanavis as a coach for a long time, and had told Kanavis wherever he was a head coach, Kanavis would be joining him no matter what "even if it was at UTEP"
Brian Cabral linebackers run game coordinator - the only assistant to get a standing ovation, Embree complemented Cabral for "righting the ship" (his interim coaching stint) and told a story of Cabral's recruiting prowess in Hawaii.
JD Brookhart special teams, tight ends - grew up with Jon. JD was a successful businessman when he contacted Embree asking how he could get into coaching. Brookhart worked for Shanahan for 2 years, and at Pitt.
Steve Marshall - great at working with different personalities to get them to gel as a unit, like the 2001 CU offensive line that destroyed Nebraska 62-36. Worked in the NFL for 6 years and then at Cal.
Bobby Kennedy - Boulder native returning home, successful at Texas with Biletnikoff award finalists. Good recruiter.
Rip Scherer, qb coach - Embree said in looking for a qb coach he asked 5 of his contacts in the NFL for recommendations. Scherer was the only name on all 5 of the lists. It took awhile to get him to CU but he'll pay dividends - a great teacher of technique
Eric Bieniemy - Embree told how he got EB into coaching initially. He prepped EB for his interview with Barnett for the job as CU running back coach. Barnett was so impressed he stopped the interview after 10 minutes and told Embree "you set me up - you knew EB would be good". EB and Embree coached together at CU and UCLA. At UCLA they were coming off a 10-2 season when they both left for the NFL within 2 weeks. "Our goal was always to come back to Boulder together," said Embree
Jayshon Sykes - a great help in the transition between staffs
Darian Hagan - an example of a team player, Darian took the role of recruiting coordinator and played a big part in the successful recruiting of the current crop. Embree eventually wants to get Hagan back on the field coaching.
Embree then talked about his philosophy. He wants to change the standard of how "we do things. Instead of hoping to win, expect to win. Even next year." He wants to bring traditions back, such as putting a gold brick in the wall at Dal Ward when the Buffs beat a top 25 team (the brick is gold, the score is in black). He wants the first brick to be the win over Hawaii to open the 2011 season.
On the recruiting process, Embree said he spent the first 2 weeks meeting with every player to find out what the team had, emphasizing the weight training and academics for each player. He then spent alot of time putting the staff together and watching film of every game. He thought the current team was not balanced (with only 2 quarterbacks for example) and the goal of recruiting was to fix that. He told the staff on recruiting "we have 13 days to get this done and we can't miss." While there were 6 or 7 he wanted that the Buffs didn't get, "we flipped 7 commitments from other schools."
The class as a whole brings athleticism, speed, and toughness - three characteristics he wants to build in the Buffs. "Even the offensive guys will hit you" He didn't talk about the individual recruits much but singled out the 2 Colorado signees (Mustow and Daigh) and emphasized how he wants to do well recruiting Colorado in the future.
A highlight film, narrated by Buff announcer Mark Johnson, was then shown of each of the recruits. I was especially impressed with running back Malcolm Greer's balance on one run, and his stiff arm on another run. The sheer size of Stephan Nembot was also impressive.
To conclude the luncheon the new staff took the stage to sing the CU fight song with the crowd.
It was a fun and inspiring day for Buff football fans and an indication that better days are ahead. I attended Dan Hawkins first luncheon and I must admit I was fooled by Hawkins at first (thinking he'd be successful at CU). In comparing that lunch to Embree's today I would say Hawkins talked alot about himself. Hawk said during that lunch "you know who the division 1 coach with the best winning percentage is? You are looking at him!" Embree by contrast today talked about putting the team above the individual (also emphasized by McCartney). Bringing back successful coaches and players from Colorado's past to lead the Buffs into the Pac 10 is a good move. I expect next season will have its struggles, but as Coach Mac said I think the Buffs have the right leadership in place now and fans just have to give them time.
Pac 10 commissioner Larry Scott opened the lunch saying he was impressed with the enthusiasm of the CU fan base and that in visiting the other schools in the conference those schools are telling him CU is a great fit for the Pac 10. In the spirit of recruiting, he brought new CU head coach Jon Embree on the stage and gave him a Pac 10 hat to welcome Jon to the conference.
Next Eric Bieniemy, former great CU running back and current offensive coordinator, said a few words. EB said it was great to be back. He described his recruiting trip as a high school senior, where he came over the hill on US 36 to see all the snow and the city of Boulder with the Flatirons in the background. He knew then that this was the place for him, and over the years it became a special place. He said buffs "always run in packs" and "I was coming all along" if anyone doubted he would return to Boulder after missing out on the head coaching job. He then introduced Rashaan Salaam, CU's only Heisman trophy winner.
Salaam was soft spoken, saying he was not much a public speaker, but then he went on to give a moving account of his growing up years and recruitment to CU. He told of playing 8 man football in San Diego when coach Mac and Brian Cabral recruited him to CU. He read a letter that he wrote when he was a kid playing Pop Warner football. In that letter he said he wanted to win the heisman trophy and play for the LA Raiders for 16 years. He said in that letter he wanted to buy his mom's elementary school, turn it into a college, and put a statue of his Mom outside. Fast forward to the present day, Rashaan told how he can't wait for the alumni like himself to be more active in the program again. As part of the day's fund raising, people could buy a picture taken with Salaam and the heisman trophy. I thought bringing Salaam back was a nice touch to the luncheon, and keeping with the theme of the day of emphasizing the football tradition at CU.
No CU football luncheon would be complete without a speech by former coach Bill McCartney. Coach Mac was in fine form once again, saying that it was hard to contain the joy he was feeling, that the Buffs are on the verge of something great. Two things make him optimistic: joining the Pac 10 is a perfect fit for the program, and Embree and his staff are a great choice to lead the Buffs.
Coach Mac told a story that he liked to tell recruits in his day. He said a survey was done of all the universities in the country grading them on a 1 to 5 scale in 3 areas: social, academic, and quality of life. No school scored a 15. Four schools scored a 14, and CU was one of those. CU was the only school of those four that played Division I football. The message: this program has alot to offer recruits.
He then went on to say how Embree is the right man to lead the program. He told the story of how Embree was the leading high school player in Colorado, yet Embree turned down USC, UCLA, and Ohio State to sign with a then downtrodden Buff program. In his sophomore year Embree set a record for receptions by a tight end (51) including 8 in a game against UCLA. The next year, though, Coach Mac switched to the wishbone, an offense that does not feature the tight end. "Whatever is best for the team," was Embree's reply when Jon was told of his new role as a blocking tight end. Mac said that set the stage for Jon being a great coach, as a coach often has to emphasize the team over the individual in his players. Mac said the staff Embree has assembled "matches up" to any staff he had at CU (and as you know Coach Mac had some great staffs in the CU glory days)
Coach Mac finished comparing the state of the program to limestone, that with heat, pressure, and time limestone will be transformed to marble. He said the program is not ready to dominate the pac 10, not by a longshot. He encouraged those in the crowd to give the new staff time, to fill Folsom on Saturdays, and to help financially with the program.
Coach Embree was next, and he spent most of his time talking about his new staff:
Greg Brown - in the nfl 15 years, coached both of CU's Thorpe winners. The current DB's are excited to work with Brown as defensive coordinator
Tuiasosopo dline - coached with Meyer at utah, coached at utah state when they had great lines. Can teach, good at establishing relationships with kids
Kanavis McGhee dline - embree had his eye on kanavis as a coach for a long time, and had told Kanavis wherever he was a head coach, Kanavis would be joining him no matter what "even if it was at UTEP"
Brian Cabral linebackers run game coordinator - the only assistant to get a standing ovation, Embree complemented Cabral for "righting the ship" (his interim coaching stint) and told a story of Cabral's recruiting prowess in Hawaii.
JD Brookhart special teams, tight ends - grew up with Jon. JD was a successful businessman when he contacted Embree asking how he could get into coaching. Brookhart worked for Shanahan for 2 years, and at Pitt.
Steve Marshall - great at working with different personalities to get them to gel as a unit, like the 2001 CU offensive line that destroyed Nebraska 62-36. Worked in the NFL for 6 years and then at Cal.
Bobby Kennedy - Boulder native returning home, successful at Texas with Biletnikoff award finalists. Good recruiter.
Rip Scherer, qb coach - Embree said in looking for a qb coach he asked 5 of his contacts in the NFL for recommendations. Scherer was the only name on all 5 of the lists. It took awhile to get him to CU but he'll pay dividends - a great teacher of technique
Eric Bieniemy - Embree told how he got EB into coaching initially. He prepped EB for his interview with Barnett for the job as CU running back coach. Barnett was so impressed he stopped the interview after 10 minutes and told Embree "you set me up - you knew EB would be good". EB and Embree coached together at CU and UCLA. At UCLA they were coming off a 10-2 season when they both left for the NFL within 2 weeks. "Our goal was always to come back to Boulder together," said Embree
Jayshon Sykes - a great help in the transition between staffs
Darian Hagan - an example of a team player, Darian took the role of recruiting coordinator and played a big part in the successful recruiting of the current crop. Embree eventually wants to get Hagan back on the field coaching.
Embree then talked about his philosophy. He wants to change the standard of how "we do things. Instead of hoping to win, expect to win. Even next year." He wants to bring traditions back, such as putting a gold brick in the wall at Dal Ward when the Buffs beat a top 25 team (the brick is gold, the score is in black). He wants the first brick to be the win over Hawaii to open the 2011 season.
On the recruiting process, Embree said he spent the first 2 weeks meeting with every player to find out what the team had, emphasizing the weight training and academics for each player. He then spent alot of time putting the staff together and watching film of every game. He thought the current team was not balanced (with only 2 quarterbacks for example) and the goal of recruiting was to fix that. He told the staff on recruiting "we have 13 days to get this done and we can't miss." While there were 6 or 7 he wanted that the Buffs didn't get, "we flipped 7 commitments from other schools."
The class as a whole brings athleticism, speed, and toughness - three characteristics he wants to build in the Buffs. "Even the offensive guys will hit you" He didn't talk about the individual recruits much but singled out the 2 Colorado signees (Mustow and Daigh) and emphasized how he wants to do well recruiting Colorado in the future.
A highlight film, narrated by Buff announcer Mark Johnson, was then shown of each of the recruits. I was especially impressed with running back Malcolm Greer's balance on one run, and his stiff arm on another run. The sheer size of Stephan Nembot was also impressive.
To conclude the luncheon the new staff took the stage to sing the CU fight song with the crowd.
It was a fun and inspiring day for Buff football fans and an indication that better days are ahead. I attended Dan Hawkins first luncheon and I must admit I was fooled by Hawkins at first (thinking he'd be successful at CU). In comparing that lunch to Embree's today I would say Hawkins talked alot about himself. Hawk said during that lunch "you know who the division 1 coach with the best winning percentage is? You are looking at him!" Embree by contrast today talked about putting the team above the individual (also emphasized by McCartney). Bringing back successful coaches and players from Colorado's past to lead the Buffs into the Pac 10 is a good move. I expect next season will have its struggles, but as Coach Mac said I think the Buffs have the right leadership in place now and fans just have to give them time.
Friday, December 24, 2010
12 days of McDaniels (2nd & last edition)
In the 2010 football season Josh McDaniels gave to me ...
12 Brady benchings (Quinn never saw the field)
11 rush td's from Hillis (for the Browns)
10 touchdowns from Lloyd
9 yards from Richard (as in Quinn on 1 reception)
8 Raider touchdowns (at Invesco)
7 losses past September
6 td's from Tebow
5 picks from Phonz (for the Lions)
4 games from Maroney (good trade there Josh)
3 Demaryius fumbles
2 coaches quitting (Dennison and Turner)
and 1 tape of a Niner walk through
Merry Christmas to Bronco fans everywhere, the two year McDaniels nightmare is over!
12 Brady benchings (Quinn never saw the field)
11 rush td's from Hillis (for the Browns)
10 touchdowns from Lloyd
9 yards from Richard (as in Quinn on 1 reception)
8 Raider touchdowns (at Invesco)
7 losses past September
6 td's from Tebow
5 picks from Phonz (for the Lions)
4 games from Maroney (good trade there Josh)
3 Demaryius fumbles
2 coaches quitting (Dennison and Turner)
and 1 tape of a Niner walk through
Merry Christmas to Bronco fans everywhere, the two year McDaniels nightmare is over!
Monday, December 13, 2010
Bronco qb club: the two 87's
Tonight I attended an interesting Bronco Quarterback Club meeting featuring two well known #87's - Ed McCaffery of the past and current rookie Eric Decker. Many have compared Decker to McCaffrey in playing style - tonight was the first time the two had met in person. Host David Treadwell, the retired Bronco kicker, made the observation that Decker was four years old when McCaffrey was drafted!McCaffrey was first to give his impressions of the current Broncos and answer questions from the crowd. Ed said that even though the season is not going well, he looks for players with good "attitude and effort". He said Decker was one player that displayed those traits. Ed said he wants to see Tebow play like the rest of the fans, and hopes Tim gets some game action in the season's remaining 3 games.
McCaffrey talked about his family life. He has two sons playing for Valor Christian High School and he says he gets more nervous watching them in action than when he was an active player. He never pushed his sons into football, "they wanted to play". He also has two elementary schools sons who also play the game.
McCaffrey took some questions about his playing days. One person said the two iconic plays of Super Bowl 32 was Elway's Helicopter run and Ed's block on the game's decisive drive in the 4th quarter. Ed joked "I was wide open on the helicopter play - I don't know why John ran". He declined to reveal what he said to the Green Bay player after his devastating block.
Someone asked why Ed wore small pads in his playing days. McCaffrey said when he was with the 49'ers he thought he needed to be faster to make the team, and that shedding 10 pounds of pads would help. He did make the team and kept wearing those pads, even when the bronco equipment manager tried to replace them after Super Bowl 32.
Ed said when he was with the 49'ers offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan barely said a word to him, but he must have made an impression since later Shanahan wanted Ed on the Broncos.
Ed was asked about his broken leg on Sept 10, 2001 - a Monday night game against the Giants. Ed said he was having a great game that night, he had scored a touchdown and had 94 yards in receiving when the injury happened. He said that was an example of how fast things can change in the NFL. He was beating his former team on the national stage and then suddenly his season was over. He said he never really recovered from that injury. Even though he came back for the opener the next year his leg didn't feel right, his stride was off, and he suffered other injuries (like a strained quad) trying to compensate for the injury.
Eric Decker then addressed the crowd. Eric was thrilled to meet Eddie Mac. He said he picked #87 as his number for three reasons: 1. he was born in 1987 2. He was the 87th player selected in the draft and 3. he patterned his game after #87 Ed McCaffrey ("that's the way I want to play"). Though he was successful playing baseball (a center fielder), he said football was always his first love so that's why he chose the NFL.
Decker suffered a serious injury in his senior year at Minnesota. He wondered if his football career was over but players like ex-Bronco Brandon Stokely (who had suffered a similar injury) encouraged him. Decker said he is still rehabing from the injury and "it still hurts".
Decker said he had never returned a kickoff until the Arizona game. His focus on kickoffs is #1 catch the ball and #2 run fast. He compares it to backyard football, and credits the blockers in front of him with his two good returns in yesterday's game.
Decker was asked how the three bronco quarterbacks compare in throwing a catchable ball. He said Orton and Quinn have better touch and throw a ball easier to catch. Tebow throws hard and being a lefty his ball has a reverse spin. Decker said he saw no problems with Tebow's throwing motion - baseball pitchers have different motions and it is no different for quarterbacks. He caught alot of balls from Tebow in practice. He gets requests from family and friends for Tebow autographs.
Decker said the biggest difference between the college and pro game was the amount of time he spends in the film room with the Broncos. He spends about 4 hours watching film each week in addition to practice. He said the coaches give film of each defensive back he will go against in the coming week for study. Decker also keeps a DVD showing McCaffrey's practice workouts - he doesn't study Ed's previous games so much as his practice routine.
The players spent alot of time taking pictures with fans and signing autographs. David Treadwell asked a trivia question "who are the two #87's in the Bronco Ring of Fame" My hand shot up and I gave the answer (Rich Jackson and Lionel Taylor) - I won a free pie for that. I didn't say I was old enough to have watched all the #87's play in person!
It was a fun evening of Bronco football, current and past, and a nice break from the disappointing season so far. Decker was the first active player to appear at the quarterback club in several years, and he said he's going to work to get other players to make appearances in the future.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Eric Bieniemy best choice to be the next CU Football Coach
Now that I am over my "John Elway to coach the CU Buffaloes" fantasy (that was never going to happen) I have a more realistic selection as the next Buff coach: Eric Bieniemy.
I'm in favor of the Buffs going with Bieniemy because:
1. The name of the game in college football is recruiting, and Bieniemy was one of the best recruiters on the staff when he served as a CU assistant under Gary Barnett and later with UCLA. The late Eddie Crowder, successful former CU head coach and past athletic director, was once asked what was the most important attribute of a head coach at Colorado. "recruiting, recruiting, recruiting," was the reply.
2. Bieniemy brings back the much needed tradition of the great CU teams of the 90's. When CU had a 1990 team reunion earlier this season, the atmosphere was electric, and motivated an undermanned Buff team to upset Georgia that weekend. Bieniemy gave a pep talk to the team on game day, and he did various radio interviews proclaiming what a great university Colorado was. CU has an advantage over other down trodden programs in that it DID win a national championship in the not too distant past (1990). Eric Bieniemy was the emotional leader of that championship team.
3. Bieniemy is African American. Regardless of race, Bienamy is a fine football coach. Nation wide, however, there are far too few African American head coaches in big time college football. It would be good to see CU take the lead in this area with a progressive hire for its next head football coach.
4. Bieniemy could bring back Coach McCartney in some capacity. Coach Mac is wanting the head coaching job, too, but at age 70 he is not the best long term option for the program. With Bieniemy at the controls coach Mac could still be intimately involved in the program, and help mentor Eric in dealing with the CU Administration.
5. Other great former Buffs could be brought back as assistants. Jon Embree, the current tight end coach for the Washington Redskins, is a close friend of Bieniemy and has wanted to return to Boulder for years (he applied for the head coaching job before Dan Hawkins was hired)
6. Some say Bieniemy does not have enough experience to be a head coach at the college level. He hasn't even been a coordinator. I say see #1 on my list. His recruiting abilities will more than make up for his lack of game day coaching experience, and he can surround himself with experienced coordinators. Bieniemy's coaching resume is better than Dan Hawkin's when Hawk was hired. Hawkins had no experience at the top BCS levels, while Bieniemy has been an assistant at two top programs (Colorado and UCLA) in addition to serving as running backs coach for the NFL Minnesota Vikings in recent years.
Do the right thing, CU - hire E.B. to be your next coach!
I'm in favor of the Buffs going with Bieniemy because:
1. The name of the game in college football is recruiting, and Bieniemy was one of the best recruiters on the staff when he served as a CU assistant under Gary Barnett and later with UCLA. The late Eddie Crowder, successful former CU head coach and past athletic director, was once asked what was the most important attribute of a head coach at Colorado. "recruiting, recruiting, recruiting," was the reply.
2. Bieniemy brings back the much needed tradition of the great CU teams of the 90's. When CU had a 1990 team reunion earlier this season, the atmosphere was electric, and motivated an undermanned Buff team to upset Georgia that weekend. Bieniemy gave a pep talk to the team on game day, and he did various radio interviews proclaiming what a great university Colorado was. CU has an advantage over other down trodden programs in that it DID win a national championship in the not too distant past (1990). Eric Bieniemy was the emotional leader of that championship team.
3. Bieniemy is African American. Regardless of race, Bienamy is a fine football coach. Nation wide, however, there are far too few African American head coaches in big time college football. It would be good to see CU take the lead in this area with a progressive hire for its next head football coach.
4. Bieniemy could bring back Coach McCartney in some capacity. Coach Mac is wanting the head coaching job, too, but at age 70 he is not the best long term option for the program. With Bieniemy at the controls coach Mac could still be intimately involved in the program, and help mentor Eric in dealing with the CU Administration.
5. Other great former Buffs could be brought back as assistants. Jon Embree, the current tight end coach for the Washington Redskins, is a close friend of Bieniemy and has wanted to return to Boulder for years (he applied for the head coaching job before Dan Hawkins was hired)
6. Some say Bieniemy does not have enough experience to be a head coach at the college level. He hasn't even been a coordinator. I say see #1 on my list. His recruiting abilities will more than make up for his lack of game day coaching experience, and he can surround himself with experienced coordinators. Bieniemy's coaching resume is better than Dan Hawkin's when Hawk was hired. Hawkins had no experience at the top BCS levels, while Bieniemy has been an assistant at two top programs (Colorado and UCLA) in addition to serving as running backs coach for the NFL Minnesota Vikings in recent years.
Do the right thing, CU - hire E.B. to be your next coach!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Why not Elway for the Buffs?
With the Dan Hawkins firing today there's one name I have not heard as a possibility for Colorado's next coach.
Why not John Elway??
1. Elway is itching to get back into the game. He's been a frequent visitor to Bronco practices this year and has been more involved with the franchise than anytime since his retirement. Ideally Elway wants to get into NFL ownership, but with an NFL player lockout looming the prospects of a pro franchise becoming available are slim.
2. Elway's late father Jack was a lifetime college coach (including his stint at John's alma mater Stanford). When his Dad was alive Elway once said he would like to coach college football with his Dad. Elway certainly knows the life of a college coach and what it takes to succeed.
3. Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh has made a transition from NFL quarterback to successful college football coach and so could Elway. Harbaugh had no BCS experience before his Stanford gig (just 3 years at the University of San Diego). Harbaugh's Dad was also a college coach (at Western Kentucky University).
4. Would Elway consider ncaa football a step down? Elway had success as a co-owner of the Arena Football League champion Colorado Crush and enjoyed that gig - big time college football is a step up from the Arena league.
5. Despite recent investment losses, Elway has plenty of money and wouldn't necessarily demand a top salary. He also loves the state of Colorado - living here, opening a restaurant here, long after his retirement.
6. An Elway hire would finally allow the cash strapped University of Colorado to tap into the rabid and lucrative Denver Broncos fan base (who have sold out all their home games since 1970)
7. Elway would love to return to his old Pac 10 stomping grounds and compete against the schools he battled while he was an all american college quarterback at Stanford.
8. Elway has been waiting 28 years to avenge this play:
With Cal in Boulder next year, he'd get a chance!
Yes I know this is an extreme longshot, but I think Colorado athletic director Mike Bohn should at least have a sit down with Elway, one of the area's greatest football minds, to get his thoughts on the next Buff coach. It was rumored last year Bohn had an informal meeting with Mike Shanahan about the Buff coaching vacancy when it appeared Hawkins would be fired.
Coaching with his father is no longer a possibility for Elway. How about John brings in CU Legend Bill McCartney as defensive coordinator to help him with the Buffs, keeping ties to the Colorado glory days?
This long time CU and Denver Broncos fan can dream, can't he?
Why not John Elway??
1. Elway is itching to get back into the game. He's been a frequent visitor to Bronco practices this year and has been more involved with the franchise than anytime since his retirement. Ideally Elway wants to get into NFL ownership, but with an NFL player lockout looming the prospects of a pro franchise becoming available are slim.
2. Elway's late father Jack was a lifetime college coach (including his stint at John's alma mater Stanford). When his Dad was alive Elway once said he would like to coach college football with his Dad. Elway certainly knows the life of a college coach and what it takes to succeed.
3. Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh has made a transition from NFL quarterback to successful college football coach and so could Elway. Harbaugh had no BCS experience before his Stanford gig (just 3 years at the University of San Diego). Harbaugh's Dad was also a college coach (at Western Kentucky University).
4. Would Elway consider ncaa football a step down? Elway had success as a co-owner of the Arena Football League champion Colorado Crush and enjoyed that gig - big time college football is a step up from the Arena league.
5. Despite recent investment losses, Elway has plenty of money and wouldn't necessarily demand a top salary. He also loves the state of Colorado - living here, opening a restaurant here, long after his retirement.
6. An Elway hire would finally allow the cash strapped University of Colorado to tap into the rabid and lucrative Denver Broncos fan base (who have sold out all their home games since 1970)
7. Elway would love to return to his old Pac 10 stomping grounds and compete against the schools he battled while he was an all american college quarterback at Stanford.
8. Elway has been waiting 28 years to avenge this play:
With Cal in Boulder next year, he'd get a chance!
Yes I know this is an extreme longshot, but I think Colorado athletic director Mike Bohn should at least have a sit down with Elway, one of the area's greatest football minds, to get his thoughts on the next Buff coach. It was rumored last year Bohn had an informal meeting with Mike Shanahan about the Buff coaching vacancy when it appeared Hawkins would be fired.
Coaching with his father is no longer a possibility for Elway. How about John brings in CU Legend Bill McCartney as defensive coordinator to help him with the Buffs, keeping ties to the Colorado glory days?
This long time CU and Denver Broncos fan can dream, can't he?
Monday, October 25, 2010
Josh McDaniels: the 2010 version of Lou Saban
In watching the Denver Broncos this year in my 42nd year of owning season tickets I've had a strange sense of deja vu. Today it hit me - Josh McDaniels was the 2010 version of Lou Saban!
Saban was the Broncos head coach from 1967 to 1971. Both were known for:
Poor drafting
Saban drafted infamous players like cornerback Grady Cavness, a 2nd rounder who never panned out. Josh McDaniels, despite a boatload of early round picks, made a number of questionable draft selections (Richard Quinn, Knowshon Moreno with pick #12, Alphonso Smith, and more).
Draft pick giveaway
Both Saban and McDaniels didn't seem to value draft picks and didn't hesitate to trade them away. Saban's worst trade was two number ones for quarterback Steve Tensi. McDaniels worst move was a future #1 for a 2nd rounder so he could draft cornerback Alphonso Smith. McDaniels also had a habit of trading picks away to move up in the draft to make questionable selections.
Sideline demeanor
Saban and McDaniels were known for their sideline blowups. Saban "fired" star Floyd Little in one game. McDaniels famous "just win the ***** game" comment on national TV last Thanksgiving was the talk of the NFL, and this season he chewed out Richard Quinn in the opener in front of teammates.
Unrecognized talent
Both Saban and McDaniels didn't use the talent already on the roster. Saban tried to convert Curly Culp to the offensive line, gave up on Culp, and dealt him to Kansas City where Culp became an all pro. Saban also gave up on Marlin Briscoe, his best quarterback. Briscoe later switched positions to wide receiver and made the pro bowl with Miami. McDaniels worst blunder was dealing running back Peyton Hillis, who is now starring with the Cleveland Browns. I won't even mention the Cutler trade.
Trading draft picks for old vets
Both Saban and McDaniels wasted draft picks, trading them for short term veteran nfl help. Saban once traded a #2 pick for San Diego running back Dickie Post. McDaniels made trades with New England for questionable veteran talent, like LeKevin Smith (later waived) and Lawrence Maroney.
Saban was not all bad, and there were also positives to the McDaniels regime. The Broncos were a minor league operation before Saban arrived. I remember going to games as a kid in the mid 60's and seeing the Broncos practice field in the parking lot of the old Bears Stadium. Saban changed all that. He established Bronco offices and a practice field on north I-25, separate from the stadium. These facilities pale in comparison to present day Dove Valley, but they were a big upgrade from the shoestring budget Bronco operation before that. Saban did draft "the franchise" Floyd Little #1, and had some big wins in his Denver tenure (including home wins in back to back years of the defending Super Bowl Champion). Josh McDaniels brought his quarterback coaching skills to the Broncos, and he has worked wonders with previous journeyman Kyle Orton. McDaniels also got the most out of wide receiver Brandon Lloyd.
When the Broncos fired Lou Saban they eventually replaced him with John Ralston (after interim coach Jerry Smith). Ralston was a terrific judge of talent and drafter, who stocked the team with players that eventually contributed to the 1977 Super Bowl team. The 2010 Broncos need the same thing - a solid GM who can make better draft picks and trades than McDaniels. Here's hoping that Broncos owner Pat Bowlen hires a strong GM first, and then let the GM pick the coach.
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