Before beginning his coaching career 35 years ago, Mike Hankwitz learned firsthand as a University of Michigan player the surprises and turmoil that can engulf a college football team.
The night before Michigan played USC in the 1970 Rose Bowl, his coach, Bo Schembechler, suffered a heart attack.
“We had beaten an Ohio State team that was the undefeated national champion to get to the game, and then that happened,” Hankwitz said. “All of the players were totally shocked. Not as much was known about heart attacks then as now. But we did know we would not have our leader. We all felt lost.”
Michigan lost the game, 10-3.
Hankwitz stayed on at Michigan as a graduate assistant and would become a defensive sage at several college coaching stops, including at Arizona, Purdue, Kansas, Texas A&M and twice at Colorado. His latest stint at CU began two seasons ago.
“And a lawsuit against the program broke the day after I got here,” he said.
Things twisted and swirled, and earlier this month Hankwitz found himself the interim CU coach once Gary Barnett was booted.
This CU shift is over for Hankwitz. It ended with a 19-10 loss to Clemson on Tuesday at the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, Fla.
He will not be retained by new coach Dan Hawkins. Only two CU coaches – Brian Cabral and Darian Hagan – may survive.
Hankwitz, 58, will catch up on his rest and enjoy his family throughout the bowl season. After that, he hopes to land with another college team. There were fewer coaching changes in college football this season, he said. The circuit is tough.
CU owes Hankwitz a barrel of gratitude.
By all accounts, he stood tall in a sea of unrest and uncertainty. He unified the Buffaloes – players and coaches alike – when they were fragmented most. He led the Buffs to a solid showing in their bowl game. He exuded dignity and class before and after the game.
As one CU official said: “He did everything textbook on how to take over a team in crisis.”
Hankwitz has been a dutiful CU soldier.
Even in defeat Tuesday, he handled himself like a winner.
“Coach Barnett called us after the game and said he was proud of the way the players fought,” Hankwitz said. “I know it was hard for him to watch it and not be there. I appealed to the seniors, especially, that Coach Barnett fought for them, for their reputation, their pride, and now they had to fight for that themselves. They did that. I take nothing away from Clemson, but I would have loved to have had Joel Klatt at quarterback for that game. With his experience, his accuracy, with the closeness of the game, it could have been different.
“My situation in college did not compare to this. This was a prolonged situation for these kids. Even when we were 7-2, they were worried about Coach Barnett’s status. They have all been unfairly painted with the same brush. They had fought so hard to prove themselves, to prove they had character, and began to wonder if they could ever prove enough. For a while there, there was nothing positive for them to cling to. I tried to unify them every day. I tried to keep the assistant coaches focused on doing what they had been doing so well.”
Imagine that, being a shelter in a mighty storm for players and coaches in equal measure.
Coaches who wondered if they would get a paycheck after Jan. 1. Coaches whose children ask constant questions about moving and losing friends. Coaches’ wives who wonder how mortgages will be paid.
Hankwitz said the university is “going to bat” for them, that they have been assured they will receive payments through February and possibly more compensation to ease burdens.
The future is scary for most.
His team was in Orlando on Christmas Day and senior defensive tackle John Guydon helped boost spirits with his Santa outfit, entering the team dinner and announcing, “I found a bag of presents meant for Boulder!” The coaches’ kids ate it up. The players were awarded their bowl watches.
The team remained one.
Hankwitz should be thanked for that.
“As coaches, we constantly talk to players about how to handle adversity,” Hankwitz said. “You fight through it. These kids are 18 to 22 years old, and we tell them the tough things that happened to them now will make them more prepared for the tough things that happen later in life. You fight your way out of it and good things will happen. That is a lesson our coaches moving on must apply.
“If you think about it logically, a decision was made, the football program is moving forward and, logically, it’s not so bad. But that is when you take the emotion out. But it’s hard to take the emotion out. Especially during the holidays.”
Staff writer Thomas Georgecan be reached at 303-820-1994 or tgeorge@denverpost.com.
