Has basketball saved Mike Bohn's job?

[Buffnik]

We all know what's happened with the football program.

Basketball has given Bohn the cover to say that when he's given the resources to improve facilities and handle the coaching situation without meddling (except for the Patton lame duck year that set the program back so much), that success follows. Not just in the win column but also in terms of the other things like profitability of the program and team APR that Bohn's superiors care so much about.

If not for basketball, would Bohn have been fired?

 

[JWP303]

I don't know what to think or who to believe.

On one hand, the basketball resurgence is unprecedented for this school. It truly is a noteworthy and impressive accomplishment.

On the other hand, the rate at which this football team has been decimated - from a competitive and reputation standpoint - is equally unprecedented. Bringing in Dan Hawkins was nothing short of a monumental failure, and in my opinion his nepotism set the program back by at least a decade.

Finally, you've got whispers of a meddlesome administration. If Bohn really was forced to bring back Hawk for year 5, then Bohn may have job security for life. How could Benson and Co. possibly hold him accountable when his biggest failure might not even be all his fault? On the other hand, do you think Benson ever wondered how that narrative was adopted by fans? If he truly did handcuff Bohn, and Bohn leaked that to the media, I can't imagine either guy fully trusts the other. In which case maybe Bohn isn't as safe as we all assume.

Sometimes it feels like we are the only ones worrying about this stuff, while the gang on the hill is completely oblivious and operating business as usual.

 

[Lt.Col.FrankSlade]

I don't know what to think or who to believe.

On one hand, the basketball resurgence is unprecedented for this school. It truly is a noteworthy and impressive accomplishment.

On the other hand, the rate at which this football team has been decimated - from a competitive and reputation standpoint - is equally unprecedented. Bringing in Dan Hawkins was nothing short of a monumental failure, and in my opinion his nepotism set the program back by at least a decade.

Finally, you've got whispers of a meddlesome administration. If Bohn really was forced to bring back Hawk for year 5, then Bohn may have job security for life. How could Benson and Co. possibly hold him accountable when his biggest failure might not even be all his fault? On the other hand, do you think Benson ever wondered how that narrative was adopted by fans? If he truly did handcuff Bohn, and Bohn leaked that to the media, I can't imagine either guy fully trusts the other. In which case maybe Bohn isn't as safe as we all assume.

Sometimes it feels like we are the only ones worrying about this stuff, while the gang on the hill is completely oblivious and operating business as usual.

The bolded statement is plain and simply incorrect.

There was never anything wrong with hiring Dan Hawkins. As others have said, it is somewhat surprising that CU was able to land him in the first place. His record and reputation at Boise State were impeccable. Excellent on-the-field results and excellent off-the-field results, as well. Exactly what CU needed.

The fact that Hawkins failed could not have been determined at the time of his hiring. There was absolutely no reason to think that Hawkins would be anything but successful when he was hired. Unfortunately, it just didn't turn out that way.

If there was an error by the University of Colorado when it came to Dan Hawkins, it was an error to extend his contract and it was an error to not fire him after the 2009 season. Bohn has culpability for the decision to extend Hawkins in 2008. I place the blame for the decision not to fire​ Hawkins after 2009 squarely on Benson/Distephano.

 

[BuffUp]

I think the Pac12 move has helped, now they need to spend the $ wisely on the football program

 

[fatbuff]

I don't know what to think or who to believe.

On one hand, the basketball resurgence is unprecedented for this school. It truly is a noteworthy and impressive accomplishment.

On the other hand, the rate at which this football team has been decimated - from a competitive and reputation standpoint - is equally unprecedented. Bringing in Dan Hawkins was nothing short of a monumental failure, and in my opinion his nepotism set the program back by at least a decade.

Finally, you've got whispers of a meddlesome administration. If Bohn really was forced to bring back Hawk for year 5, then Bohn may have job security for life. How could Benson and Co. possibly hold him accountable when his biggest failure might not even be all his fault? On the other hand, do you think Benson ever wondered how that narrative was adopted by fans? If he truly did handcuff Bohn, and Bohn leaked that to the media, I can't imagine either guy fully trusts the other. In which case maybe Bohn isn't as safe as we all assume.

Sometimes it feels like we are the only ones worrying about this stuff, while the gang on the hill is completely oblivious and operating business as usual.

The reason Bohn is in jeopardy is the reason you listed that he is not. Benson and DiSteffano made the decision to keep DH, but left Bohn out front to take the heat. They have never publicly stated that the decision was not made by Bohn.

 

[sackman]

If you take football out of the equation, the athletic department is stronger than it ever has been. The problem is that you can't take football out of the equation.

 

[Buffalo Brad]

I think that Bohn is safe because of the involvement of BB and PD. If he had made the 5th season and Embree hiring on his own, he would be in trouble but he did not. Unless BB and PD feel they need a scape goat, he will not be fired. While extending D2 was not smart, the work he has done in getting CU to the PAC, hiring Boyle and Lappe make a pretty good case for his being retained. I do not think we would be in the mess with football if BB and PD had stayed out of the process. Just my $0.02.

 

[JWP303]

The bolded statement is plain and simply incorrect.

There was never anything wrong with hiring Dan Hawkins. As others have said, it is somewhat surprising that CU was able to land him in the first place. His record and reputation at Boise State were impeccable. Excellent on-the-field results and excellent off-the-field results, as well. Exactly what CU needed.

The fact that Hawkins failed could not have been determined at the time of his hiring. There was absolutely no reason to think that Hawkins would be anything but successful when he was hired. Unfortunately, it just didn't turn out that way.

If there was an error by the University of Colorado when it came to Dan Hawkins, it was an error to extend his contract and it was an error to not fire him after the 2009 season. Bohn has culpability for the decision to extend Hawkins in 2008. I place the blame for the decision not to fire​ Hawkins after 2009 squarely on Benson/Distephano.

I worded that poorly. I just meant that the Hawkins era was a failure. The act of bringing him in we now know was a failure, but we couldn't have known at the time... However, I think Bohn should bear some culpability in not having a better BS detector. Granted Hawkins would have gotten a job elsewhere if not here, but he doesn't get a total pass for hiring a complete nutcase imo.

 

[Lt.Col.FrankSlade]

I think that Bohn is safe because of the involvement of BB and PD. If he had made the 5th season and Embree hiring on his own, he would be in trouble but he did not. Unless BB and PD feel they need a scape goat, he will not be fired. While extending D2 was not smart, the work he has done in getting CU to the PAC, hiring Boyle and Lappe make a pretty good case for his being retained. I do not think we would be in the mess with football if BB and PD had stayed out of the process. Just my $0.02.

Bohn is under contract through June 30, 2016.

He is the lowest paid of all the Pac-12 athletic directors.

I think he is pretty safe.

 

[Buffnik]

I worded that poorly. I just meant that the Hawkins era was a failure. The act of bringing him in we now know was a failure, but we couldn't have known at the time... However, I think Bohn should bear some culpability in not having a better BS detector. Granted Hawkins would have gotten a job elsewhere if not here, but he doesn't get a total pass for hiring a complete nutcase imo.

Wasn't Bohn enamored with Chuck Neinas back then? Neinas's consulting firm had a hot hand for a while, but I believe he pushed Bohn to Chuck Long at SDSU and then Hawkins here.

 

[JWP303]

The reason Bohn is in jeopardy is the reason you listed that he is not. Benson and DiSteffano made the decision to keep DH, but left Bohn out front to take the heat. They have never publicly stated that the decision was not made by Bohn.

Of course they have not publicly admitted that they kept a known failure to play politics at the state legislature.

My point is that they kept Bohn out front to take the heat, and rather than be a good soldier and take the heat, he let it be known what the real story was via back channels. So I'm just wondering aloud if that was ever a source of tension in their relationship. You could make an argument that it helps Bohn's chances because his bosses have to know that they haven't given him full autonomy, and as such it wouldn't be fair to fire him. Or you could make a case that it hurts his chances because they don't trust him.

 

[slider]

If you take football out of the equation, the athletic department is stronger than it ever has been. The problem is that you can't take football out of the equation.

Meh. We may look like we have a good future in some sports but most of our teams are below average. Volleyball, mens/women's golf, women's bball (NIT is still average imo), soccer. The only great teams we have are skiing, mbb, and men's xc

 

[Lt.Col.FrankSlade]

Wasn't Bohn enamored with Chuck Neinas back then? Neinas's consulting firm had a hot hand for a while, but I believe he pushed Bohn to Chuck Long at SDSU and then Hawkins here.

That is funny you bring that up. Neinas' consulting firm DID push Chuck Long to Bohn at SDSU, and Neinas' group did broker the deal that brought Hawkins to CU.

Did you know - when Chuck Long was hired at SDSU, one of his first hires as an assistant coach was Tony Neinas, Chuck Neinas' son. Chuck Neinas' group was also instrumental in hiring Bohn's replacement at SDSU, Jeff Schemmel.

 

[buff4bcs1985]

Meh. We may look like we have a good future in some sports but most of our teams are below average. Volleyball, mens/women's golf, women's bball (NIT is still average imo), soccer. The only great teams we have are skiing, mbb, and men's xc

thats incorrect slider womens bball is on the rise in a very tough conference and above average... soccer is the same. Volleyball is also rising and golf had a good year last year

 

[leftybuff]

You have to remember a few facts where Mike Bohn is concerned.

First, he was in the marketing dept. at CFA when Chuck Neinas was Exec. Dir. So their history together reaches back almost twenty years. So, he is very much inside the connected good old boys club of coaches and administrators. He is not going to rock the good old boy boat.

Second, while I think MB deserves some (not all) credit for the P12 move, he has shown a propensity to playing the political game. You can see that from a little payback to Neinas in the "search fee" to get DH, to being the face of the FB trainwreck for Dr. Phil and BB.

Third, MB is not a leader or risk taker. He is a manager. A very competent manager. As others have pointed out, he has excelled in the general management of the AD. Budgets are managed well, things are generally in the black.

Fourth, his acumen at picking a winner for HC's is severly hampered by his need/desire to politic. Lappe and Boyle were great hires. As was Bzdelik. I do credit him for those, even though I think he got a little lucky. DH was a coup, but MB managed to screw that up by extending and keeping DH. The handling of Patton and the hire of -Kathy-McConnell-Miller- were big screw ups. Keeping DH and now the failure of Embo, IMO, demonstrate MB is not the guy you want hiring your next FB HC. In seven years of captaining the flagship program of the AD, MB fired the guy who won the B12, was fielding competitive teams (remember CU was a BOWL team the year GB was fired) and replaced him with a guy who was the hot commodity but never showed a commitment to anything beyond playing his son at QB, now hiring a CU crony who is setting new lows and now CU FB sits at .280 winning percentage since GB's firing.

MB has failed. He has done some good things, but you simply cannot sink the aircraft carrier and then point to a birght shiny sailboat as proof of your ability to run a navy.

 

[CVilleBuff]

He would be gone if we were still going 7-21 with 1-3 wins in conference play in basketball.

Of course, the reality is that he should still be fired. I don't care whether he was "duped" by B4L or has hands tied by admin (toss them aside too). ExCUses. His job is to establish winners and he has completely and utterly failed at the big money maker.

 

[slider]

thats incorrect slider womens bball is on the rise in a very tough conference and above average... soccer is the same. Volleyball is also rising and golf had a good year last year

Women's bball finished 10th in conference last year and volleyball has had like 2 conf wins in the last 2 years. That sounds like the definition of below average to me. The only reason these sports look any good right now is because we were absolutely terrible in years past

 

[DBT]

Shucks. I read it wrong and voted "No." My bad.