Boulder – Undaunted by the challenge of resurrecting a University of Colorado football program mired in controversy, new coach Dan Hawkins has set his sights on nothing less than a national championship.
“That’s the goal,” he said Friday as he was introduced as CU’s 23rd head coach. “I’m like a lot of coaches in that I have a lot of corny sayings. One of them is that you have two kinds of class. There is either first class, or there is none. To me, you are either trying to be the best or you’re not.”
Colorado’s governing Board of Regents voted 9-0 to hire Hawkins, giving him a five-year contract worth $900,000 a year, which includes $50,000 to run the school’s summer football camps.
“This is a very good hire for this university,” chancellor Phil DiStefano said. “It’s another sign that the athletic program is moving in the right direction.”
Added CU president Hank Brown: “Dan Hawkins helps make this a new day at CU. His integrity will strengthen our program.”
In five seasons at Boise State, Hawkins guided the Broncos to a 53-10 record, winning the Western Athletic Conference four times – including a tie for first with Nevada this season. Now he’ll attempt to get the Buffaloes back on path toward their second national title.
CU athletic director Mike Bohn, who introduced Hawkins, said during his coaching search that he was trying to “hit a home run.” Bohn amended that Friday, saying he hit a “grand slam” when he was able to lure Hawkins away from Boise State.
With Folsom Field and the Flatirons serving as a backdrop to his introductory news conference, Hawkins vowed to restore CU’s reputation, on and off the football field.
“I believe in the right fit,” he said. “That fit is the place that has a quality of life, an academic zeal and a passion for a national championship football program.”
Restoring luster to CU’s tarnished image won’t be easy. Hawkins replaces Gary Barnett, who was forced out as CU’s coach Dec. 8 after seven seasons in Boulder. Barnett’s tenure was marred by a recruiting and sex scandal, and by allegations of financial mismanagement that surfaced last week after a state audit. Barnett’s fate was sealed this month when Colorado lost 70-3 to Texas in the Big 12 championship game.
Just last week, the Buffs’ 2006 recruiting class was ranked 74th in the nation and last in the Big 12 by Rivals.com.
Hawkins, 45, heard from many who told him he was foolish to leave a cushy situation at Boise State for Boulder, but he was unconcerned.
“There were a lot of people who tried to use the (CU) situation as a reason for me not to come here,” Hawkins said. “They said, ‘Why would you want to go there to try to deal with those issues? Why would you try to do that? Here you sit in Boise and you are fat and sassy and things are going good, why would you want put yourself in that situation?”‘
Hawkins’ answer is he thrives when he’s told something can’t be done.
“The more they say that, the more I say, ‘Oh, yeah, you think so, I’ll show you something,”‘ he said.
Still, he understands what he’s walking into, adding that he can get the CU players to believe in him.
“There has been a lot of turmoil,” Hawkins said. “These guys have been war-torn. It’s like ‘Saving Private Ryan.’ They have been trying to get up on the beach and have taken a lot of bullets, a lot of bullets. We need to get these guys up and going and get them on the mainland. I’m sure there will be some scars, but we’ll get over that.”
Hawkins has a reputation as a good recruiter, particularly in California, where CU must do a better job if it wants to become a national power. He vowed to recruit student-athletes, not just football players.
“I have always told our football players and our recruits that I want good guys that want to graduate and what to win rings,” he said. “And I want all of that.”
One player Hawkins has his eye on is his son, Cody, a 5-foot-11, 176-pound senior quarterback at Bishop Kelly High School in Boise.
“The one key in recruiting is to recruit the mom. So I’m recruiting the mom real hard right now,” Hawkins said. “He is a very, very good player. He was the player of the year in Idaho. He’s not the tallest guy in the world, but he can sling the ball. He’s very knowledgeable and he’s a great kid, so all those things I would certainly love to have in our football program.”
With Hawkins on board, CU has already made one significant upgrade, receiving a $1.5 million donation for a new indoor practice facility Thursday from boosters Tom and Cindy Marsico. The facility, which CU has been attempting to build for years, is expected to cost about $2.4 million.
“Right now in Boise, Idaho, my guys are getting ready to practice in a new $10 million indoor facility that we have been grinding on for years to get done,” Hawkins said. “Now that they get to practice in it, I’m leaving. But last night we were able to get a great lead gift for a new indoor facility. Right now we are $1.5 million closer to the goal than we were yesterday.”
Even though Hawkins already has his mind on CU’s recruits, he said he would coach Boise State on Dec. 28 against Boston College in the MPC Computers Bowl. The Buffs are playing Dec. 27 in the Champs Sports Bowl and will be led by interim coach Mike Hankwitz.
Hawkins said he is evaluating how he will shape his staff, but did not reveal which, if any, of the current CU assistant coaches will stay on.
Staff writer Patrick Saunders can be reached at 303-820-5459 or psaunders@denverpost.com.
