This may be the essence of the decision. Not from a recruiting standpoint but from an overall standpoint as a HC. Strictly from a coaching aspect I favored EB as HC, he is a dynamic individual who is a motivator. EB is the kind of guy who can light up a room just with the energy he puts off.
The job of HC at a major college involves a lot more than just motivation and recruiting. The HC is the face of the program to the media, to the university community, to the community at large and perhaps most importantly to the boosters and supporters of the school. He is also to one who is called on to manage 100+ kids plus their parents, a staff including widely divergent individuals who are highly motivated but can have widely varying motivations and make sure that all are able to work together and work within the environment around them.
JE from all reports has a certain ease about him in dealing with a wide range of people and situations. From a fans standpoint we tend to get tunnel vision into what happens on the field, ignoring or dismissing all of the rest of the stuff that goes on around the program that has a direct impact on the long-term success on the field. If JE can be successful in these areas as well as drawing on the strengths of his staff to make things work on the field we will be in good shape.
I am not saying the EB could not have been or will not be in the future a success at these areas of the job but as a total package for the situation as it currently stands MB must have been convinced that JE was the better choice. I am willing to support that decision.
Considering the hesitancy that major college football has shown to hire black coaches, even if CU quickly becomes a major power I am not overly worried about losing EB or JE to another school. My bigger concern would be if the NFL came calling with an offer that either one of them couldn't refuse, more likely EB. Coordinators in the NFL generally don't have to deal with the media or much else that is not football related and some of them are making more money than college HCs. With his motivating, dynamic personality added to a couple of years of coordinator experience at CU and his history as a position coach in the NFL, EB may become a target for someone in the future for a job he can't ignore, especially since it seems like he has a better shot at eventually getting a HC job in the NFL than in college.
