BOULDER — All due respect to CU’s distinguished search committee, but Brian Cabral is one win away from making its work unnecessary.
Granted, that one win is a tall order — going into Lincoln on Friday and beating a 9-2 Nebraska team that will be playing for a spot in the Big 12 Championship game.
Still, don’t write him off yet. In two games as interim coach, Cabral has already delivered back-to-back wins over Big 12 North opponents, something Colorado hadn’t done since 2005.
“If you don’t look at Coach Cabral as a serious candidate, I don’t know, man,” said defensive end Josh Hartigan, shaking his head.
A national field of candidates may carry more prestige, but Cabral has brought qualities to the program that will be impossible to find among those who have not devoted the better part of their time on the planet to CU football, as he has.
“He’s brought back a ton of tradition, and I think that generates more focus and guys are maybe a little bit more cohesive,” senior wide receiver Scotty McKnight said.
In two games, Cabral’s influence is noticeable in some easily measurable ways — particularly less risk-taking and more emphasis on the running game. But it’s also noticeable in intangible ways that are impossible to measure.
By emphasizing the pride and tradition of the CU football program, by calling out his players and demanding more of them, by wearing his emotions on his sleeve, he has changed the team’s mental makeup, seemingly overnight.
“Coach Cabral, I think he’s a very powerful guy,” said tailback Rodney Stewart, who has carried the ball 70 times in the last two games. “Just to bring the tradition back, I think it’s a good thing. I never had known about it. But we do it before the games and it gets our guys fired up.”
The changes are small, but they’re everywhere.
“We have a drum down there now that we beat on and all types of stuff,” Hartigan said. “He brings a different aspect.”
For Cabral, belief in CU is as important to success as knowing the plays.
“The pride and tradition of this program is big,” he said. “And they’re starting to understand how big it is. They’re starting to understand the responsibility of representing that. And they’ve responded. Every little piece of information that I’ve given to our team about the pride and the tradition, they’re eating it up. They’re taking it all in. And I’ve got more for ’em. I’ve got a lot more for ’em.”
Even as CU prepares to exit the Big 12 and begin a new tradition in the Pac-12, Cabral intends to teach his players the meaning of Nebraska week.
“This is not just another game,” he said. “It’s Big Red. It’s Big Red week. These guys, I’ve given them a little bit of a taste of what that’s all about, but they’re going to hear a lot about what this week, what Nebraska means to this program, what Nebraska means to a lot of dudes that went through this program and battled.
“They’re going to know full-heartedly what this game means. The very core of this program is centered around Nebraska. No question. So I’ve got a little bit of educating to do.”
He is not the most inspirational speaker you will find in coaching. He is far from an offensive innovator. In fact, he keeps insisting he knows nothing about offense, which gets him points for humility but may not be his best sales pitch for the permanent job.
So if CU does the expected and loses in Lincoln, Cabral might well recede into a logjam of unlikely candidates to succeed Dan Hawkins. But before dismissing him, it’s worth noting how much difference he has made already, taking over for Hawkins and coaching the Buffs to two conference wins in the space of 12 days.
“I think everybody who watches, who plays college football, knows how hard a coaching change can be, especially being that (Hawkins) got fired during the season,” Hartigan said. “We’re a lot closer and we became very cohesive after everything and we kind of rallied behind Coach Cabral and the rest of the coaches.”
Without a win in Lincoln, maybe that means nothing. Maybe CU thanks Cabral for stepping into the breach, as he did when Gary Barnett was suspended in the spring six years ago, then returns him to his old role, as it did then. There will certainly be sexier candidates.
But the former linebacker has put the program he loves back on its feet in no time flat. Whatever happens, he has shown a group of young men just what loyalty and dedication mean.
Dave Krieger: 303-954-5297, dkrieger@denverpost.com or
