Hawkins Looks to Capitalize
Dan Mohrmann
When Dan Hawkins was brought into the University of Colorado as its football coach, he made his goals quite clear. He is ready to settle for nothing less than excellence, which includes a national championship.
Hawkins was perhaps one of the most sought after coaches when it came to job openings at top-tier programs. With the firing of former head coach Gary Barnett, the Buffs were able to snatch up The Hawk, and may have the long awaited corner-stone that the football program has been looking for. Under Barnett, the football team was the subject of an alleged sex and money scandal. Although no accusations proved to be true, the school began to look for ways to get rid of Barnett.
Enter Vince Young and the Texas Longhorns. The eventual national champions dominated the Buffs in the Big 12 Championship Game 70-3, putting a stamp on the end of Barnett’s tenure in Boulder. Athletic Director Mike Bohn sought out Hawkins, who appeared to be a perfect fit for the program. His sense of humor and modesty will be the foundation of the new face of CU football.
Since the announcement of Hawkins’ hiring, he been a staple for the CU campus, doing his best to meet and greet the students and looking to get the athletic department involved with other student activities. He has preached academics over athletics, and believes in that philosophy, something that is not common in most college football coaches.
The only downfall in the hiring of Hawkins has been the common “transitional recruiting season.” Hawkins’ 2006 recruiting class, which happens to include his oldest son Cody, was not noted as a strong class. This will have an effect on the football program as a whole. The Buffs will not be favored to win the Big 12 North, like they have the last two years.
That trend will change as Hawkins has shown to be quite the recruiter. If he had one downfall at Boise State, it was that he could not recruit players that wanted to go to a BCS conference. Taking the job at CU has changed that factor and Hawkins is confident that once he is settled into the program, he can bring top level recruits to Boulder.
In the meantime, Hawkins appears to be happy with the team he has. He still has to choose a new starting quarterback to replace Joel Klatt, who graduated last year. The field has been narrowed to junior Brian White, a solid arm quarterback who can scramble when he needs to or Bernard Jackson, the potential first dual-threat quarterback in CU history. He has a solid defensive core returning to the team and he inherits senior kicker Mason Crosby. Hawkins has told his quarterbacks not to get sacked once they cross the 50-yard line because that would take points off the board.
The first season is going to be a test for The Hawk. If he can get through with a decent record and take the Buffs to a bowl game he may prove to be a future threat in the Big 12. After that, it may only take some Hawk Love to bring the next national championship team to Boulder.