Gary Barnett’s job these days is as a football analyst, and although Sunday he was paid to break down the Broncos-Kansas City Chiefs game for the USA Radio Network, he has thoughts on his former team, the Colorado Buffaloes, as well.
Mainly, he’s not surprised at the Buffs’ 0-3 start.
“To state the obvious, it’s been a tough start,” Barnett said. “It looks like there’s a transition issue, which there usually is when you change entire staffs the way this one got changed.”
He was surprised that quarterback Brian White quit the team.
“It’s really puzzling,” Barnett said. “There has to be something inside that I don’t know about. I haven’t talked to Brian, but we certainly projected Brian to be the guy, you know, the starter.”
The last time CU started 0-3 was under Barnett in 2000, his second year on the job. He followed that with a 10-2 campaign in 2001 that ended in a Big 12 title and a trip to the Fiesta Bowl.
Barnett feels there is enough talent for another Big 12 title run.
“We felt like, one, we had a really good, strong recruiting class coming in,” he said. “We felt like we were really ready to take the next step, like we’d be right back in the (Big 12) championship game.”
Barnett was never able to take that potential next step because he was fired in December.
Coaching is still in his blood, but he says he’ll take it slow in getting back into the profession.
“I’m really trying to be objective,” he said. “I’m trying to take the fall, which is the hardest time for me, and not make any decisions before I have to make them, and then see what’s best for me.”
Until then, he has a new gig.
“I’m doing three jobs, two of them with Fox, all football,” Barnett said. “I’m doing eight or nine (NFL) games with Sports USA Network. My first one was last week, and I loved it. It was awesome. First time I’ve been in the booth or press box during a game – ever – in 35 years.”
Staff writer Mike Chambers contributed to this report.
