To absolutely no one's surprise, Colorado's Mike MacIntyre was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year today. Since Mac is listed as the odds-on favorite for National Coach of the Year, many saw the Pac-12 nod as a formality. Such are the expectations when your team improves from 4-8 (1-8 in conference) the previous season to 10-2 (8-1 in Pac-12 play), and a #9 ranking nationally.
The other coaches in the Top 10 earned a combined total of $39,682,747 between them. That's an average of $4,409,194 apiece.
Mike MacIntyre's salary of $2,011,450 was less than HALF of the average of the top 10, with only Wisconsin's Paul Christ ($2,706,200) joining Mac under the $3 million threshold.
Seven schools pay their head coaches salaries of $5 MILLION or more. Jim Harbaugh at Michigan leads the pack with more than $9 Million. Nick Saban at Alabama earns close to $7 million. And Urban Meyer at Ohio State earns more than $6 million. Others in the $5 million range include Bob Stoops at Oklahoma, Jimbo Fisher at Florida State, Kevin Sumlin at Texas A&M, and Charlie Strong (now fired) at Texas.
In the Pac-12, MacIntyre was the lowest paid coach in the conference this year. David Shaw at Stanford pulled in the highest salary at more than $4 million. Six more coaches in the conference make more than $3 million per year. And four earn between $2.5 and $3 million. And then, way down at the bottom, more than a half million less than his lowest paid conference peer is Mike MacIntyre.
If you compare cost per victory in the Pac-12 this season, the numbers are even more startling. MacIntyre earned just over $201,000 per victory this year. The next lowest (or most efficient) went to Mike Leach at Washington State. He was paid $368,750 per victory. His pay per victory was almost double MacIntyre's.
The least efficient salaries as far as the schools were concerned went to Rich Rodriguez at Arizona ($953K per victory), Jim Mora at UCLA ($863K per victory) and Mark Helfrich at Oregon ($828K per victory).
The average cost per victory in the Pac-12 (not including Colorado) was around $592,000 That means the average cost per victory not earned by Colorado was almost THREE times higher than what Mike MacIntyre earned.
Mac has done his job, and now it's time for AD Rick George and the University of Colorado to pay the piper and compensate their head football coach and the assistant coaches as well.
Top of the line Defensive Coordinators are now making $1-1.5 MILLION per year. No one can doubt that Jim Leavitt is one of the top DC's in all of college football. In fact, Leavitt is a finalist for the Broyles Award, which goes to the top assistant in college football.
Three of the finalists for the Broyles Award are defensive coordinators at Michigan, Alabama and Clemson. The head coaches of those schools collectively earn in excess of $21 Million. Needless to say, their DC's earn significantly more than Leavitt's $500K.
Unless the Buffs want to find themselves facing a defense that Leavitt is coaching, they need to do whatever is necessary to keep him in Boulder. Pay him commensurate with his top notch peers and there will be a much better chance that he doesn't bolt for a better paying job.
Leavitt loves Boulder. His wife Jody loves Boulder. His kids love Boulder. Buffs fans in Boulder love Leavitt. The University of Colorado needs to commit the dollars to keep this love affair going.
Showing posts with label Rick George. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rick George. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Wednesday, September 7, 2016
Open Letter to Colorado AD Rick George: Both Mike MacIntyre and Sefo Liufau Should Sit Out the First Half Against Idaho State
Dear Rick George, Colorado Athletic Director:
First, I want to congratulate you for the stellar performance you have put in since coming home to Boulder to take the reins as Athletic Director. Colorado Athletics have not been in such good hands since Bill Marolt. The facilities improvements are nothing short of phenomenal and are truly world class.
While most every CU fan has been reveling in the big blowout of Colorado State in the Rocky Mountain Showdown, I want to point out that there are serious issues simmering below the euphoria.
Head Coach Mike MacIntyre has done a good job of rebuilding a moribund program. Although the number of wins, especially in conference play, have not met expectations, the Buffs have been getting better since Mac took over.
The problem I see, is that Mac is supposed to be looking out for the long term health and growth of the program. That means that every position on the team needs to have competent and well trained backups. It also means that the coaches need to protect the health of their players.
For the most part, the Buffs have done that. The glaring exception is the most important player on the team -- the quarterback. Since senior captain Sefo Liufau became the starter his freshman year, the Buffs and Liufau have steadfastly REFUSED to give any meaningful reps to the backup quarterbacks.
What has been the result? When Sefo has gone down to injury, whoever was thrown into the games was in reality being thrown to the wolves.
In 2014, Jordan Gehrke got to start at #3 Oregon in the penultimate game of the season. As Sefo's primary backup in 2014, he attempted a grand total of 44 passes on the season. In 2015, he attempted 24 passes.
The 2015 main backup, Cade Apsay, attempted 92 passes for the season. All but 9 of those passes were attempted AFTER Liufau went down with a Lisfranc injury against USC. That means the primary backup was thrown to the wolves (Trojans, Cougars and Utes) with only 9 passes under his belt as quarterback. Needless to say, the Buffs lost all three games to end the season.
Early in the season, Liufau went the ENTIRE game against Massachusetts even though the Buffs won handily 48-14. The game was a PERFECT opportunity to play the backup (coming off a redshirt year) to get him some reps so that he would be more comfortable with the speed of the college game.
Mac and Liufau preferred to pad Liufau's stats instead of preparing the Buffs for playing with another quarterback. Against Nicholls State, Apsay got to throw 6 passes in the Buffs 48-0 victory.
Is it any wonder that neither the Gehrke nor Apsay were prepared when their numbers were called?
This year, the Buffs had their biggest winning margin over CSU in 60 years, 44-7. How many passes did backup Steven Montez get? ZERO. Even though Liufau got knocked goofy at the end of the third quarter running and diving (instead of the protected QB slide), Montez only came in with a couple minutes left, where he proceeded to hand-off to true freshman Beau Bisharat four times before time expired.
EVERYBODY knew that Sefo Liufau should have been out of the game (the announcers, the sportswriters, every fan commenting on web sites) but Mac kowtowed once again when Sefo had a tizzy fit on the sideline and threw his helmet when the medical staff wanted to keep him out of the game whose victory had long been determined.
After the game against Idaho State, the Buffs head into a brutal schedule that includes games on the road against Michigan, Oregon, USC and Stanford. These are not the teams you want to play against with a backup QB with NO MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCE.
If the Buffs and MacIntyre (and Liufau) hold form against Idaho State, Montez will get a handful of plays in a big win, playing only with the 2nd and 3rd string. They will head into the meat of their schedule with Sefo and no experience behind him.
Does Mac even realize that Sefo graduates this year? Does Sefo care about the Buffs nearly as much as his own stats and insistence on playing every down? If the Buffs make it to a bowl game this year, chances are that a backup QB will be called upon to save their butts if and when Sefo gets dinged up.
If the Buffs don't make it to a bowl game, chances are that MacIntyre will be looking for new employment, and Liufau will go down as the most losing quarterback in Colorado and Pac-12 history. Yes, football is a team sport and the quarterback is just a small part... but it is the most important part.
BUT... with the glory comes the blame when you fail to win when you are a QB or a head coach. Rewriting the record books doesn't mean anything if you can't win enough games.
It seems kind of fitting that many of the records that Liufau (under MacIntyre) has broken were set by Cody Hawkins, the son of former CU coach Dan Hawkins. Cody and Sefo are all over the record books, but no one with any knowledge of CU football history would have either of them anywhere near the top half dozen quarterback since the first Coach Mac (Bill McCartney) roamed the sidelines. And it hasn't been that long (34 years).
Mr. George, it is time that you let MacIntyre know that the best thing for Colorado is to prepare a backup QB so that he is ready when called upon. Even if Sefo stays healthy this year, he is gone after this season.
The Colorado Buffaloes need to prepare for a team without Sefo, and possibly, without Mike MacIntyre. The Buffs will go on without them, but next year (and maybe this year) will look a whole lot more promising with a well-prepared backup.
That is why I would suggest that both MacIntyre and Sefo Liufau sit out the first half against Idaho State. The Pac-12 has a history of eating up QB's who are thrown to the wolves.
As head coach, MacIntyre gets paid a lot of money to watch out for the entire team. As QB and a multi-year captain, Sefo Liufau needs to think about the entire team first instead of his own stats. A good message to both of them would be to have them sit out the first half against Idaho State.
The Buffs are in NO DANGER of losing no matter who plays QB. Therefore, let Montez play with the first string, and get a chance to work on his timing with the fast guys. He'll also be playing against the first string (An FCS first string, for sure, but better than FCS 3rd stringers). And no matter how well Montez plays against Idaho State, the speed at which the Trojans, Duck, Wolverines, and the Palo Alto Trees play will be eye opening if he is forced to play. Sort of like being fed to the wolves
Not much chance Mac and Sefo sitting out will happen, I realize, but I am waiting with bated breath for the other shoe to drop when the Buffs actually need a backup QB to win a game. I am quite sure there are coaches on the CU staff (other than Mac and Lindgren) who think the backup QB's should be prepared.
As always, GO BUFFS!
Mark Rubi
Boulderdevil
First, I want to congratulate you for the stellar performance you have put in since coming home to Boulder to take the reins as Athletic Director. Colorado Athletics have not been in such good hands since Bill Marolt. The facilities improvements are nothing short of phenomenal and are truly world class.
While most every CU fan has been reveling in the big blowout of Colorado State in the Rocky Mountain Showdown, I want to point out that there are serious issues simmering below the euphoria.
Head Coach Mike MacIntyre has done a good job of rebuilding a moribund program. Although the number of wins, especially in conference play, have not met expectations, the Buffs have been getting better since Mac took over.
The problem I see, is that Mac is supposed to be looking out for the long term health and growth of the program. That means that every position on the team needs to have competent and well trained backups. It also means that the coaches need to protect the health of their players.
For the most part, the Buffs have done that. The glaring exception is the most important player on the team -- the quarterback. Since senior captain Sefo Liufau became the starter his freshman year, the Buffs and Liufau have steadfastly REFUSED to give any meaningful reps to the backup quarterbacks.
What has been the result? When Sefo has gone down to injury, whoever was thrown into the games was in reality being thrown to the wolves.
In 2014, Jordan Gehrke got to start at #3 Oregon in the penultimate game of the season. As Sefo's primary backup in 2014, he attempted a grand total of 44 passes on the season. In 2015, he attempted 24 passes.
The 2015 main backup, Cade Apsay, attempted 92 passes for the season. All but 9 of those passes were attempted AFTER Liufau went down with a Lisfranc injury against USC. That means the primary backup was thrown to the wolves (Trojans, Cougars and Utes) with only 9 passes under his belt as quarterback. Needless to say, the Buffs lost all three games to end the season.
Early in the season, Liufau went the ENTIRE game against Massachusetts even though the Buffs won handily 48-14. The game was a PERFECT opportunity to play the backup (coming off a redshirt year) to get him some reps so that he would be more comfortable with the speed of the college game.
Mac and Liufau preferred to pad Liufau's stats instead of preparing the Buffs for playing with another quarterback. Against Nicholls State, Apsay got to throw 6 passes in the Buffs 48-0 victory.
Is it any wonder that neither the Gehrke nor Apsay were prepared when their numbers were called?
This year, the Buffs had their biggest winning margin over CSU in 60 years, 44-7. How many passes did backup Steven Montez get? ZERO. Even though Liufau got knocked goofy at the end of the third quarter running and diving (instead of the protected QB slide), Montez only came in with a couple minutes left, where he proceeded to hand-off to true freshman Beau Bisharat four times before time expired.
EVERYBODY knew that Sefo Liufau should have been out of the game (the announcers, the sportswriters, every fan commenting on web sites) but Mac kowtowed once again when Sefo had a tizzy fit on the sideline and threw his helmet when the medical staff wanted to keep him out of the game whose victory had long been determined.
After the game against Idaho State, the Buffs head into a brutal schedule that includes games on the road against Michigan, Oregon, USC and Stanford. These are not the teams you want to play against with a backup QB with NO MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCE.
If the Buffs and MacIntyre (and Liufau) hold form against Idaho State, Montez will get a handful of plays in a big win, playing only with the 2nd and 3rd string. They will head into the meat of their schedule with Sefo and no experience behind him.
Does Mac even realize that Sefo graduates this year? Does Sefo care about the Buffs nearly as much as his own stats and insistence on playing every down? If the Buffs make it to a bowl game this year, chances are that a backup QB will be called upon to save their butts if and when Sefo gets dinged up.
If the Buffs don't make it to a bowl game, chances are that MacIntyre will be looking for new employment, and Liufau will go down as the most losing quarterback in Colorado and Pac-12 history. Yes, football is a team sport and the quarterback is just a small part... but it is the most important part.
BUT... with the glory comes the blame when you fail to win when you are a QB or a head coach. Rewriting the record books doesn't mean anything if you can't win enough games.
It seems kind of fitting that many of the records that Liufau (under MacIntyre) has broken were set by Cody Hawkins, the son of former CU coach Dan Hawkins. Cody and Sefo are all over the record books, but no one with any knowledge of CU football history would have either of them anywhere near the top half dozen quarterback since the first Coach Mac (Bill McCartney) roamed the sidelines. And it hasn't been that long (34 years).
Mr. George, it is time that you let MacIntyre know that the best thing for Colorado is to prepare a backup QB so that he is ready when called upon. Even if Sefo stays healthy this year, he is gone after this season.
The Colorado Buffaloes need to prepare for a team without Sefo, and possibly, without Mike MacIntyre. The Buffs will go on without them, but next year (and maybe this year) will look a whole lot more promising with a well-prepared backup.
That is why I would suggest that both MacIntyre and Sefo Liufau sit out the first half against Idaho State. The Pac-12 has a history of eating up QB's who are thrown to the wolves.
As head coach, MacIntyre gets paid a lot of money to watch out for the entire team. As QB and a multi-year captain, Sefo Liufau needs to think about the entire team first instead of his own stats. A good message to both of them would be to have them sit out the first half against Idaho State.
The Buffs are in NO DANGER of losing no matter who plays QB. Therefore, let Montez play with the first string, and get a chance to work on his timing with the fast guys. He'll also be playing against the first string (An FCS first string, for sure, but better than FCS 3rd stringers). And no matter how well Montez plays against Idaho State, the speed at which the Trojans, Duck, Wolverines, and the Palo Alto Trees play will be eye opening if he is forced to play. Sort of like being fed to the wolves
Not much chance Mac and Sefo sitting out will happen, I realize, but I am waiting with bated breath for the other shoe to drop when the Buffs actually need a backup QB to win a game. I am quite sure there are coaches on the CU staff (other than Mac and Lindgren) who think the backup QB's should be prepared.
As always, GO BUFFS!
Mark Rubi
Boulderdevil
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
National Letter of Intent Day and Spring Practices are Just Around the Corner: Hope Springs Eternal for CU Buffs
Counting down to National Letter of Intent Day (February 3rd) and the upcoming Spring football practices, college football fans from Boulder and around the country are starting to get excited. Every team is undefeated, and hope springs eternal.
For the top 25 level teams from last season, there is hope that 2016 will be the season that their team will be one of the final four playing for a National Championship. For those playing in a lower tier bowl, there is hope for a better bowl this year. For those sitting on the outside looking in when the bowl season rolled around, there is hope that their team might make one of the 41 bowl games which now follow the regular season. In fact, there are so many bowl games these days that some teams that were not even officially "bowl eligible" (6 wins) were able to go to bowl games last season despite only winning five games.
Of all the teams in the Power Five Conferences (Pac-12, Big 10, Big 12, SEC, and the ACC), no team has gone longer without going to a bowl than Colorado. The Buffs last went to a bowl way back in 2007. Only Kansas and Kentucky join Colorado as Big Five teams that have not been to a bowl game in more than five years.
Buff fans who have suffered through nearly a decade of futility are aching to get off the list of teams going through a bowl drought. The same goes for Buff players and coaches. Bowl games are a reward for the hard work of the season. It also allows a team to have a more practice time on the field.
Contrary to what many fans think, bowl practices are NOT limited to 15 days, like Spring practices are. That means having a trip to a bowl game allows a team to have TWO springs for coaches to work directly with the players. That's a reward for teams getting bowl berths, for sure, but it also widens the gap between teams that are bowl eligible and those who are not.
Coaching in Division 1 is always a tough business, and every coach not named Saban knows that a bad year or two could lead to a loss of their job. In some places, even coaches who have won national championships have hot seats (see Les Miles) because their fans and schools expect top 10 finishes every year.
Coaches like Colorado's Mike MacIntyre who have never been to a bowl game as a head coach face harsh and sometimes creepy criticism as fans demand that heads roll. Many fans seem to forget that Colorado was by far the worst Power 5 team in the country when MacIntyre was hired. In fact, some say the Buffs were the very worst team in Division 1.
The cupboard was bare when Mac got to Boulder and the Colorado was still paying off a sizable number of ex coaches who were fired. That put them in no mood to spend money on quality coaches. Jon Embree was the lowest paid coach in the Big 12, and then the Pac-12, before he was let go. Good coaches are a rare commodity, and they earned, on average, more than $2 Million a year. Embree was paid significantly less than half of what his fellow conference coaches earned. It showed. Colorado also has state laws which severely limit the number of staffers which can have multi-year contracts. It makes it hard to attract top coaching talent when you can only offer a one year contract.
Despite the obstacles, Colorado went out and got a home-run hire for Athletic Director in Rick George. He has been a fundraising machine and finally got the money together so Colorado could build facilities that are among the very best in the entire country, college or pro. MacIntyre has taken a team that used to give up 60+ points a game (and was usually playing against the 3rd string by the 3rd quarter) to a team that has put overtime scares into some very good opponents.
The players have gotten bigger, faster and stronger, but they were so far behind that they are only now getting to the point that they are not pushed around every time they step on the field. They are competing, but they have not yet started to win consistently. Fans hope that 2016 is the year that the bowl drought ends and the joy of playing in the postseason brings smiles to the faces of fans and players alike.
It's January now, though, and hope springs eternal. New players will be signing on to play for the Buffs, and spring practice is just around the corner. And right now, the Buffs and every other team are undefeated.
For the top 25 level teams from last season, there is hope that 2016 will be the season that their team will be one of the final four playing for a National Championship. For those playing in a lower tier bowl, there is hope for a better bowl this year. For those sitting on the outside looking in when the bowl season rolled around, there is hope that their team might make one of the 41 bowl games which now follow the regular season. In fact, there are so many bowl games these days that some teams that were not even officially "bowl eligible" (6 wins) were able to go to bowl games last season despite only winning five games.
Of all the teams in the Power Five Conferences (Pac-12, Big 10, Big 12, SEC, and the ACC), no team has gone longer without going to a bowl than Colorado. The Buffs last went to a bowl way back in 2007. Only Kansas and Kentucky join Colorado as Big Five teams that have not been to a bowl game in more than five years.
Buff fans who have suffered through nearly a decade of futility are aching to get off the list of teams going through a bowl drought. The same goes for Buff players and coaches. Bowl games are a reward for the hard work of the season. It also allows a team to have a more practice time on the field.
Contrary to what many fans think, bowl practices are NOT limited to 15 days, like Spring practices are. That means having a trip to a bowl game allows a team to have TWO springs for coaches to work directly with the players. That's a reward for teams getting bowl berths, for sure, but it also widens the gap between teams that are bowl eligible and those who are not.
Coaching in Division 1 is always a tough business, and every coach not named Saban knows that a bad year or two could lead to a loss of their job. In some places, even coaches who have won national championships have hot seats (see Les Miles) because their fans and schools expect top 10 finishes every year.
Coaches like Colorado's Mike MacIntyre who have never been to a bowl game as a head coach face harsh and sometimes creepy criticism as fans demand that heads roll. Many fans seem to forget that Colorado was by far the worst Power 5 team in the country when MacIntyre was hired. In fact, some say the Buffs were the very worst team in Division 1.
The cupboard was bare when Mac got to Boulder and the Colorado was still paying off a sizable number of ex coaches who were fired. That put them in no mood to spend money on quality coaches. Jon Embree was the lowest paid coach in the Big 12, and then the Pac-12, before he was let go. Good coaches are a rare commodity, and they earned, on average, more than $2 Million a year. Embree was paid significantly less than half of what his fellow conference coaches earned. It showed. Colorado also has state laws which severely limit the number of staffers which can have multi-year contracts. It makes it hard to attract top coaching talent when you can only offer a one year contract.
Despite the obstacles, Colorado went out and got a home-run hire for Athletic Director in Rick George. He has been a fundraising machine and finally got the money together so Colorado could build facilities that are among the very best in the entire country, college or pro. MacIntyre has taken a team that used to give up 60+ points a game (and was usually playing against the 3rd string by the 3rd quarter) to a team that has put overtime scares into some very good opponents.
The players have gotten bigger, faster and stronger, but they were so far behind that they are only now getting to the point that they are not pushed around every time they step on the field. They are competing, but they have not yet started to win consistently. Fans hope that 2016 is the year that the bowl drought ends and the joy of playing in the postseason brings smiles to the faces of fans and players alike.
It's January now, though, and hope springs eternal. New players will be signing on to play for the Buffs, and spring practice is just around the corner. And right now, the Buffs and every other team are undefeated.
Friday, September 4, 2015
Colorado Head Coach Mike MacIntyre Has Some Tough Decicisions to Make
Mike MacIntyre has been raving about the new facilities at Folsom Field. His office has the most beautiful view of any football coach's office in the country, college or pro. I hope he is enjoying it while he can, because it is likely that he will no longer be the occupant of that office when New Years Day rolls around.
There are things he can do to avoid that fate, but they will be difficult. He needs to hold himself and his entire staff accountable. That responsibility comes with the title and $2 Million (plus incentives) salary.
Some folks on the staff are NOT doing their jobs. The game against Hawaii was lost for many reasons and there is lots of blame to go around, so let's look at some of the most egregious examples.
Special Teams Coordinator--
Special Teams play against Hawaii was horrendous. Not every coaching staff has a coach whose SOLE RESPONSIBILITY is to coach Special Teams. But the BUFFS have had the same one now entering his third year. If Toby Neinas doesn't resign out of sheer embarrassment following the debacle against Hawaii, MacIntyre should do the right thing and show him the door. Or reassign him... or maybe put him in charge of the Gatorade. Anything except let him continue to coach the special teams unit.
Much time has been spent talking about replacing the punter and place kickers from last year. The good news is Diego Gonzalez looks to be solid and Alex Kinney will only get better. It's hard to be a true freshman starting his first game. Chris Graham also did well on the kickoffs. What those young men can't control is blocking, and it's up to the coordinator to have good blocking schemes. They didn't on either side of the ball.
MacIntyre needs to take over from Neinas or reassign another coach to this position. The Buffs are not good enough yet to overcome special teams blunders that give other teams easy points.
Offensive Coordinator / Play Calling
Brian Lindgren REALLY needs to work on his play calling. The Buffs never seem to get a rhythm going against Hawaii, and that happened in many games last year as well. At one point, the Buffs had started dominating running the ball. Even the announcers pointed out how tired the Hawaii line was getting. Then, the next three times the Buffs got the ball they did nothing but throw the ball (very poorly) to go three and out each time. That provide Hawaii some rest and they got stronger again.
Time management also needs to be worked on. The Buffs have no one to blame but themselves for not having time at the end of the game. Yes, the refs were horrible in not allowing the Buffs to have a final snap. But the only reason it was an issue is because of two wasted timeouts in the third quarter. Also, with 10 seconds to play and needing a touchdown, what you are supposed to do is throw passes into the end zone. If the ball is caught, you score. If not, the clock stops. If you throw to the five yard line and the guy doesn't score, the game is over. That's what Lindgren called. HORRIBLE PLAY CALLING in crunch time.
It's time for MacIntyre to take over the play calling duties.
Offensive Line Coach
Gary Bernardi needs to let his guys know that it okay to block on passing plays. Sefo had no time in the pocket all night. Last year the Buffs gave up the fewest sacks in the Pac-12. This year looks like they will give up the most. And Sefo is going to be pretty damned banged up as well.
Also, you need to forget the "great story" aspect of some of your players and put the best football players on the field. The RIGHT TACKLE is horrible. He's smart, a wonderful being, and speaks many languages. That's nice. But he's has no football intelligence and gets hung out to dry over and over again on passing plays. Just wait until he starts playing against Pac-12 talent. I could say it's going to get ugly, but it's been ugly for 28 games now. Just because a guy LOOKS like he should be a great player does not make it so. The funny thing is, the guy looks so good that he will probably be drafted into the NFL. He'll ace the Wonderlic test, blow them away at the combine with his size and strength, and when he puts pads on in camp he will look formidable. But when it's time to pass block they will find out the flaw. Liken him to a baseball player who rips it up in the minors and then finds out he can't hit a major league curve.
The Good News
Jim Leavitt and Joe Tumpkin are awesome. It's going to be fun watching the Buffs play defense this year, and they will get better and better as they learn from these two great coaches.
Conclusions for MacIntyre
The Buffs should win handily next week. They should have won handily against Hawaii. Three guys on the coaching staff owe the team an apology (and one a resignation).
When Mac gets back into his office, he needs to take a good look around and decide what he's willing to do to keep his job. If he is not willing to make some changes, and quickly, he will be forcing Athletic Director Rick George to start making changes of his own.
There are things he can do to avoid that fate, but they will be difficult. He needs to hold himself and his entire staff accountable. That responsibility comes with the title and $2 Million (plus incentives) salary.
Some folks on the staff are NOT doing their jobs. The game against Hawaii was lost for many reasons and there is lots of blame to go around, so let's look at some of the most egregious examples.
Special Teams Coordinator--
Special Teams play against Hawaii was horrendous. Not every coaching staff has a coach whose SOLE RESPONSIBILITY is to coach Special Teams. But the BUFFS have had the same one now entering his third year. If Toby Neinas doesn't resign out of sheer embarrassment following the debacle against Hawaii, MacIntyre should do the right thing and show him the door. Or reassign him... or maybe put him in charge of the Gatorade. Anything except let him continue to coach the special teams unit.
Much time has been spent talking about replacing the punter and place kickers from last year. The good news is Diego Gonzalez looks to be solid and Alex Kinney will only get better. It's hard to be a true freshman starting his first game. Chris Graham also did well on the kickoffs. What those young men can't control is blocking, and it's up to the coordinator to have good blocking schemes. They didn't on either side of the ball.
MacIntyre needs to take over from Neinas or reassign another coach to this position. The Buffs are not good enough yet to overcome special teams blunders that give other teams easy points.
Offensive Coordinator / Play Calling
Brian Lindgren REALLY needs to work on his play calling. The Buffs never seem to get a rhythm going against Hawaii, and that happened in many games last year as well. At one point, the Buffs had started dominating running the ball. Even the announcers pointed out how tired the Hawaii line was getting. Then, the next three times the Buffs got the ball they did nothing but throw the ball (very poorly) to go three and out each time. That provide Hawaii some rest and they got stronger again.
Time management also needs to be worked on. The Buffs have no one to blame but themselves for not having time at the end of the game. Yes, the refs were horrible in not allowing the Buffs to have a final snap. But the only reason it was an issue is because of two wasted timeouts in the third quarter. Also, with 10 seconds to play and needing a touchdown, what you are supposed to do is throw passes into the end zone. If the ball is caught, you score. If not, the clock stops. If you throw to the five yard line and the guy doesn't score, the game is over. That's what Lindgren called. HORRIBLE PLAY CALLING in crunch time.
It's time for MacIntyre to take over the play calling duties.
Offensive Line Coach
Gary Bernardi needs to let his guys know that it okay to block on passing plays. Sefo had no time in the pocket all night. Last year the Buffs gave up the fewest sacks in the Pac-12. This year looks like they will give up the most. And Sefo is going to be pretty damned banged up as well.
Also, you need to forget the "great story" aspect of some of your players and put the best football players on the field. The RIGHT TACKLE is horrible. He's smart, a wonderful being, and speaks many languages. That's nice. But he's has no football intelligence and gets hung out to dry over and over again on passing plays. Just wait until he starts playing against Pac-12 talent. I could say it's going to get ugly, but it's been ugly for 28 games now. Just because a guy LOOKS like he should be a great player does not make it so. The funny thing is, the guy looks so good that he will probably be drafted into the NFL. He'll ace the Wonderlic test, blow them away at the combine with his size and strength, and when he puts pads on in camp he will look formidable. But when it's time to pass block they will find out the flaw. Liken him to a baseball player who rips it up in the minors and then finds out he can't hit a major league curve.
The Good News
Jim Leavitt and Joe Tumpkin are awesome. It's going to be fun watching the Buffs play defense this year, and they will get better and better as they learn from these two great coaches.
Conclusions for MacIntyre
The Buffs should win handily next week. They should have won handily against Hawaii. Three guys on the coaching staff owe the team an apology (and one a resignation).
When Mac gets back into his office, he needs to take a good look around and decide what he's willing to do to keep his job. If he is not willing to make some changes, and quickly, he will be forcing Athletic Director Rick George to start making changes of his own.
Friday, April 3, 2015
Dear Rick George: One Big Reason Why Folsom Field Attendance is SO LOW for Colorado Buffaloes Football
Mr. Rick George
University of Colorado Athletic Director
rick.george@colorado.edu
Dear Mr. George,
Imagine, if you will, that you decided after years away from seeing University of Colorado football games at Folsom Field that it was once again time to see the games live from the stands of one of the most beautiful stadiums and locations in the entire college football world.
What would you do?
Well, considering that the year is 2015 and that vast majority of ticket buying (and commerce in general) is done online, you would Google "University of Colorado Football Tickets".
That search would lead you to cubuffs.com (after the obligatory ads for Stubhub and ticketnetwork, of course).
One click and you are at the entrance page for buying tickets.
Excitedly, you click on the "season tickets" link. And you jump to this page for determining what kind of tickets you want. It is a little annoying to click on a link for "season tickets" only to be brought to another page listing types of tickets.
So you waste a little more time and click on "season tickets" AGAIN. How many times do we have to see the list of ticket types?
Okay, finally, we hit the green link that says "Buy Tickets" only to be sent to...
THIS PAGE asking for a promotional access code.
It tells you it is Norton Secured. It tells you it is powered by Paciolan. It gives you a link to the Privacy Policy.
IT DOES NOT GIVE YOU A PROMOTIONAL ACCESS CODE!
And without the code, your search is done. You can hit the "back" button on your browser and find a phone number to call.
Yeah, right... a phone number!
Being a member of the 21st Century, we want online access to see what season tickets are available, with a map of the stadium, and how much they cost. What we don't want is a phone number.
The competition for entertainment dollars is fierce in this country. And since Boulder is one of the most beautiful places in the country with plenty to do besides spending hard-earned money to support University of Colorado athletics, it seems to many of us that CU should be doing all it can to streamline the process for those who would like to support our Buffs by purchasing something that is freely available on television.
I am sure that head coach Mike MacIntyre would like a rocking full Folsom Field to have his team play their home games. I am sure his players would love to play in front a loud, sellout, crowd.
Maybe they don't know how difficult it is for fans to support the Buffs by purchasing season tickets. But they should.
I had season tickets for 15 years and I am appalled by how odious the process is to once again become a season ticket holder. I do remember that there were a great deal more people in the Folsom Field stands back then compared to the ever dwindling crowds that we have seen over the last decade. You know that as well, Mr. George, because you were here then too.
Now is the time to get this problem fixed. All those construction projects cost a lot of money. The University of Colorado should help itself and all of us taxpayers by doing what is necessary to help fans support the university, the program, and the players. That means fixing this mess.
I appreciate your time.
Sincerely,
Mark Rubi
CU Class of '89
University of Colorado Athletic Director
rick.george@colorado.edu
Dear Mr. George,
Imagine, if you will, that you decided after years away from seeing University of Colorado football games at Folsom Field that it was once again time to see the games live from the stands of one of the most beautiful stadiums and locations in the entire college football world.
What would you do?
Well, considering that the year is 2015 and that vast majority of ticket buying (and commerce in general) is done online, you would Google "University of Colorado Football Tickets".
That search would lead you to cubuffs.com (after the obligatory ads for Stubhub and ticketnetwork, of course).
One click and you are at the entrance page for buying tickets.
Excitedly, you click on the "season tickets" link. And you jump to this page for determining what kind of tickets you want. It is a little annoying to click on a link for "season tickets" only to be brought to another page listing types of tickets.
So you waste a little more time and click on "season tickets" AGAIN. How many times do we have to see the list of ticket types?
Okay, finally, we hit the green link that says "Buy Tickets" only to be sent to...
THIS PAGE asking for a promotional access code.
It tells you it is Norton Secured. It tells you it is powered by Paciolan. It gives you a link to the Privacy Policy.
IT DOES NOT GIVE YOU A PROMOTIONAL ACCESS CODE!
And without the code, your search is done. You can hit the "back" button on your browser and find a phone number to call.
Yeah, right... a phone number!
Being a member of the 21st Century, we want online access to see what season tickets are available, with a map of the stadium, and how much they cost. What we don't want is a phone number.
The competition for entertainment dollars is fierce in this country. And since Boulder is one of the most beautiful places in the country with plenty to do besides spending hard-earned money to support University of Colorado athletics, it seems to many of us that CU should be doing all it can to streamline the process for those who would like to support our Buffs by purchasing something that is freely available on television.
I am sure that head coach Mike MacIntyre would like a rocking full Folsom Field to have his team play their home games. I am sure his players would love to play in front a loud, sellout, crowd.
Maybe they don't know how difficult it is for fans to support the Buffs by purchasing season tickets. But they should.
I had season tickets for 15 years and I am appalled by how odious the process is to once again become a season ticket holder. I do remember that there were a great deal more people in the Folsom Field stands back then compared to the ever dwindling crowds that we have seen over the last decade. You know that as well, Mr. George, because you were here then too.
Now is the time to get this problem fixed. All those construction projects cost a lot of money. The University of Colorado should help itself and all of us taxpayers by doing what is necessary to help fans support the university, the program, and the players. That means fixing this mess.
I appreciate your time.
Sincerely,
Mark Rubi
CU Class of '89
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Colorado Should Look to the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors to Make Up Lost Fresno State Game
Colorado athletic director Rick George has his hands full trying to get someone, ANYONE, to come to Boulder on October 19th to fill in for the Fresno State game, which was lost to unprecedented flooding in Boulder and much of Eastern Colorado. Perhaps he should do what mankind has done for millennia by looking for the Rainbows following the rain. The Honolulu Star Advertiser reports that CU and Hawaii are still in negotiations for this possibility.
The Hawaii Rainbows are one of 29 teams which are available to play on the Buffs' last remaining bye week in October. What makes UH such an intriguing option is that CU is already scheduled to play the Rainbows next year here in Boulder. CU should offer to switch the locations for the games. Let the Rainbow Warriors come to Boulder this year, and switch the game next year to Aloha Stadium.
The Hawaii Rainbows are one of 29 teams which are available to play on the Buffs' last remaining bye week in October. What makes UH such an intriguing option is that CU is already scheduled to play the Rainbows next year here in Boulder. CU should offer to switch the locations for the games. Let the Rainbow Warriors come to Boulder this year, and switch the game next year to Aloha Stadium.
Making this move does several wonderful things.
- It allows the Buffaloes a chance to play a 6th home game this year.
- It brings needed revenue to the program and the city of Boulder following the 100-year flood.
- It will serve as a reward for most of the team and Mike MacIntyre's staff for their hard work in getting through the disaster and starting the rebuilding process for a team that went 1-11 the year before. To put that in perspective, no matter what the Buffs do the rest of the year, it will be an improvement on last year. Better yet, these Buffs are aiming high and looking to make a bowl game THIS year. A trip to Hawaii next season would be a great reward.
- Adding a road game to Hawaii next season would allow the Buffs to add another home game, since the NCAA generally allows teams that play at Hawaii to schedule a 13th game.
- Adding a 13th game next year gives the Buffs yet another chance to have enough wins to play in a bowl game.
- Adding a 13th game will also allow Fresno State the chance to come back next year and finish their series with CU instead of stretching the process out several more years.
Git-R-Done!
Monday, September 16, 2013
29 Teams Colorado COULD Play October 19th to Make Up For Lost Fresno State Game
Massive floodwaters are still raging high in Colorado. Those 100-year floodwaters forced the postponement of the CU game vs. Fresno State this past weekend. Today, new athletic director Rick George looks to find a way to re-schedule Fresno State or find another opponent to come to Boulder on the Buffs' bye week of October 19th.
Colorado faced a very large financial shortfall last year and desperately needs the revenue which would have been brought in had the Fresno State game not been postponed by the natural disaster.
Colorado faced a very large financial shortfall last year and desperately needs the revenue which would have been brought in had the Fresno State game not been postponed by the natural disaster.
Schools which are scheduled for a bye week on October 19th.
Air Force
Alabama-Birmingham
Arkansas State
Boston College
Bowling Green
Florida Atlantic
Florida International
Hawaii
Idaho
Kansas State
Kentucky
Louisiana-Monroe
Marshall
Middle Tennessee
Mississippi State
Nebraska
North Carolina State
Penn State
Rutgers
San Diego State
San Jose State
South Carolina
Texas
Texas-El Paso (UTEP)
Texas-San Antonio
Troy
Tulane
Tulsa
Virginia Tech
Since the NCAA generally limits the number of games played to 12 (not counting conference championship games), any team willing to come in would have to get the extra game approved by them.
Historically, however, the NCAA has allowed teams which have played an away game at Hawaii to add an additional game. Both San Jose State and San Diego State play away games at Hawaii this year. That being the case, they would certainly seem to face the least amount of red tape from the NCAA if they would be willing to travel to Boulder.
Both teams already play a Pac-12 team this year. SJS played Stanford in week 2, and SDS plays Oregon State this week. Oregon State is Colorado's next scheduled opponent. Another connection for San Jose State is that Colorado head coach Mike MacIntyre is the former head coach for SJS, and the man who rebuilt the program into a top 25 team in 2012.
Historically speaking, the teams from Texas, Nebraska and Kansas State offer the chance to play someone with a conference history with Colorado. The Buffs are scheduled to play Nebraska four times from 2018-24. Each team will have two home games.
Closest at hand would be a game with Air Force. No costly air travel would be required, and it would give the federal government a chance to help out the University of Colorado without writing a check.
Rick George faces an arduous task in getting something done to help Colorado secure another game this year. Here's to hoping the NCAA does its part to smooth the process.
Friday, September 13, 2013
PAC-12 UPDATE: Colorado Football Game Against Fresno State Postponed
University of Colorado officials finally came to their senses today by postponing Saturday's scheduled football game against the Fresno State Bulldogs. Even though Boulder and 150 miles of Colorado's front range were fighting through a storm categorized as somewhere between a 100-500 year storm, campus officials had steadfastly maintained that the game would go on because Folsom Field was in "great shape."
Fortunately, the rain stopped for a bit and sun came out. This allowed helicopters that had been grounded throughout the storm to get up and finally reveal the horrible devastation wrought by the disaster which dropped as much moisture in a few short days as Boulder and surrounding areas typically see over an entire year. Faced with the grim reality of the Colorado catastrophe, Chancellor Philip DiStefano opted to postpone the game and not put added stress on a city and area literally struggling to keep their heads above water.
Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced that President Barack Obama had signed the designation of the Colorado flooding as a national disaster.
Colorado Athletic Director Rick George and Head Coach Mike MacIntyre fully supported the decision by DiStefano. According to MacIntyre, although the team expressed a strong desire to compete, they were "all 100 percent in agreement” with the decision.
Colorado and Fresno State officials will meet soon to discuss when the game could be made up. Colorado has two bye weeks scheduled this year, while Fresno State has one. Unfortunately, none of the bye weeks coincide.
The teams could possibly play a game on December 7th, but that is the date the Pac-12 and the Mountain West Conference each play their championship game. It would be considered shocking for the Buffaloes to make the Pac-12 championship game as the South representative, the Bulldogs are favorites to represent their division of the Mountain West. If that date does not work out, the schools may have to put off the game for a year or two.
Fortunately, the rain stopped for a bit and sun came out. This allowed helicopters that had been grounded throughout the storm to get up and finally reveal the horrible devastation wrought by the disaster which dropped as much moisture in a few short days as Boulder and surrounding areas typically see over an entire year. Faced with the grim reality of the Colorado catastrophe, Chancellor Philip DiStefano opted to postpone the game and not put added stress on a city and area literally struggling to keep their heads above water.
Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced that President Barack Obama had signed the designation of the Colorado flooding as a national disaster.
Colorado Athletic Director Rick George and Head Coach Mike MacIntyre fully supported the decision by DiStefano. According to MacIntyre, although the team expressed a strong desire to compete, they were "all 100 percent in agreement” with the decision.
Colorado and Fresno State officials will meet soon to discuss when the game could be made up. Colorado has two bye weeks scheduled this year, while Fresno State has one. Unfortunately, none of the bye weeks coincide.
The teams could possibly play a game on December 7th, but that is the date the Pac-12 and the Mountain West Conference each play their championship game. It would be considered shocking for the Buffaloes to make the Pac-12 championship game as the South representative, the Bulldogs are favorites to represent their division of the Mountain West. If that date does not work out, the schools may have to put off the game for a year or two.
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