All focus on CU coaching search

With the 2010 season now completed, all eyes turn to the football coaching search. Players, students, alumni and everyone who follows the program are interested to hear who the next head coach will be, and justifiably so.

Athletic Director Mike Bohn speculated in a recent press conference that the new coach will be signing a multimillion dollar of approximately 2 million dollars a year, which would be the highest salary for any Colorado state employee. The Daily Camera has reported that former coach Bill Mccartney, former players Eric Bienemy and Jon Embree, and interim coach Brian Cabral have all been interviewed. Air Force Head Coach Troy Calhoun was also rumored, but told CU officials he was not interested. Today the Camera also reported that the search is down to Embree, Bienemy, and Alabama Offensive Coordinator Jim Mcelwain.

Offensive linemen Nate Solder, who is now looking forward to being drafted to the NFL this spring, said at Tuesday’s press conference “I think if they’re looking for a guy that’s going to know this program and put it in the right direction that’s coach Cabral,” said Solder. “But you know, I’m going to support whoever’s hired.”

Wednesday December 1 marked the beginning of a recruiting period where coaches are allowed to make in home visits with graduating high school players. The Colorado recruiting class currently has five commitments coming to CU (the usual class is around 20). Many fans are anxious for the next head coach to be named soon so that aggressive recruiting can begin to bring in some high level athletes for next year.

No one involved in the situation has been discussing any sort of timetable in the making the decision. David Clough is the faculty athletics representative and chair of the coaching search committee. His committee is comprised of seven people, three faculty members and four members of the Boulder community. Their job is to be involved in the coaching search and make a recommendation to Athletic Director Mike Bohn. He ultimately will make the decision, but it is unlikely he will choose a candidate who Clough’s committee and Chancellor Phil Distefano express strong disapproval of.

Clough said that there are certain things that every member of the committee agrees are important qualities for a head coach. “They have to be able to hire excellent people to work for them, they have to be able to manage those people toward a goal, they then have to get into specific duties of such things as recruiting.”

Clough has been fielding hundreds of emails from people wanting to express their input on the coaching search. If you are interested in sharing your opinion, you can contact him at david.clough@colorado.edu .

When asked about outside input though, Clough was weary of being too inviting at this point. “Things are pretty intense and they move very quickly,” said Clough. “So it would be a bit of a concern to me to have an input session from any group that [comes] so late in the process that it would have no impact.”

When asked if this meant that the coaching search was already moving in a certain direction, Clough said, “No… the process is underway, I can’t determine when it’s going to be finished.” He did mention that if an input session were to be set up for late next week this would concern him.