GuySmiley
Don't Drink the Kool-Aid
Yesterday, I had this article pop up. https://www.trend-chaser.com/sports...e-worst-college-football-coaches-of-all-time/
This list opens with Hawklove and next on the list is John Embree. Hawklove's listing was well earned. Anyone, remember the walk-on kicker that won the West Virginia game on a 30 yard fg, was given a scholarship then showed up the next week in gold shoes?? Somehow he could not put the ball through the uprights for the rest of his career. He did beat Oklahoma once, but he burned the program down to its ashes, even taking away the traditions of the program. He left the program in a complete mess with few division I players, burned recruiting bridges, burned coaching bridges (by the end he had to round the assistant coaches out with his old UC-Davis mentor, as no coaches would come here), and then the debacle in Kansas. I am not even sure that Hawkins ever had a recruiting strategy, other than "awe shucks...it's division I football..." Any good recruits left the program within 2 years of the boobs coaching. For the other highly rated recruits one 5* showed up out-of-shape and many others logged more time in the Boulder County Jail than on the field. I cannot think of a recruit that really developed over his tenure into an NFL star. Last years Oregon State was a bad loss, but the Kansas loss was a disaster. Same with losing to Montana State.
I think Embree gets a bad rap being placed on these lists. No question he only won 4 games, but one of them was at Utah, a good Pac-12 win; others were close--losing to Sac State at home was poor. This was an interesting hire to say the least, but he inherited a total mess. Bohn should have known what he was getting experience wise. Only given 2 years (1 1/2 recruiting cycles) is not enough time to be placed on this list. He was forced to play younger players, and even held some back. PRich showed enough during his tenure to be drafted in the 2nd round. Then his 2nd recruiting class was #39 overall. When you go to CU breakthrough season look at how many guys that he recruited who stayed: Crawley, Powell, Kafovalu, Sean Irwin, Solis, Topou, McCartney and Krough-- the #39 class that season. It could be argued Marquis Mosely and Yuri Wright could have been contributors if they were red-shirted, and did not get severely dinged up playing as True Freshman. At least left MAC II a fighting chance with a some talent on the roster. Obviously, Embree is a good man and decent coach, he has a great NFL coaching resume. Even his inexperienced OC, EB is now an NFL head coaching candidate.
Then there is the last one. I cannot understand why Slick Rick Neuheisal is never listed on these lists. They put Willingham on the list, but at least he had a great coaching stint at Stanford. Perhaps it is because Rick is a media darling. At CU, he inherited arguably one of the best teams in the nation and had one good season. Then it all began unraveling ending with a losing season, and forfeit of games for using an ineligible player. Gary Barnett came in and had the team turned around in 2 years. Then he goes onto Washington where he inherits Marcus Tuiasosopo for a season and does well, but he then burns the most storied program to its ashes, leaving a serious crime blotter, forcing the school to fight sanctions, and then a wrongful termination lawsuit. His final unsuccessful stint was at UCLA, where he had only one winning season. His teams got waxed 59-0 v. BYU, and 31-10 at home against an unranked Arizona powerhouse! How can't this guy be on the list??
This list opens with Hawklove and next on the list is John Embree. Hawklove's listing was well earned. Anyone, remember the walk-on kicker that won the West Virginia game on a 30 yard fg, was given a scholarship then showed up the next week in gold shoes?? Somehow he could not put the ball through the uprights for the rest of his career. He did beat Oklahoma once, but he burned the program down to its ashes, even taking away the traditions of the program. He left the program in a complete mess with few division I players, burned recruiting bridges, burned coaching bridges (by the end he had to round the assistant coaches out with his old UC-Davis mentor, as no coaches would come here), and then the debacle in Kansas. I am not even sure that Hawkins ever had a recruiting strategy, other than "awe shucks...it's division I football..." Any good recruits left the program within 2 years of the boobs coaching. For the other highly rated recruits one 5* showed up out-of-shape and many others logged more time in the Boulder County Jail than on the field. I cannot think of a recruit that really developed over his tenure into an NFL star. Last years Oregon State was a bad loss, but the Kansas loss was a disaster. Same with losing to Montana State.
I think Embree gets a bad rap being placed on these lists. No question he only won 4 games, but one of them was at Utah, a good Pac-12 win; others were close--losing to Sac State at home was poor. This was an interesting hire to say the least, but he inherited a total mess. Bohn should have known what he was getting experience wise. Only given 2 years (1 1/2 recruiting cycles) is not enough time to be placed on this list. He was forced to play younger players, and even held some back. PRich showed enough during his tenure to be drafted in the 2nd round. Then his 2nd recruiting class was #39 overall. When you go to CU breakthrough season look at how many guys that he recruited who stayed: Crawley, Powell, Kafovalu, Sean Irwin, Solis, Topou, McCartney and Krough-- the #39 class that season. It could be argued Marquis Mosely and Yuri Wright could have been contributors if they were red-shirted, and did not get severely dinged up playing as True Freshman. At least left MAC II a fighting chance with a some talent on the roster. Obviously, Embree is a good man and decent coach, he has a great NFL coaching resume. Even his inexperienced OC, EB is now an NFL head coaching candidate.
Then there is the last one. I cannot understand why Slick Rick Neuheisal is never listed on these lists. They put Willingham on the list, but at least he had a great coaching stint at Stanford. Perhaps it is because Rick is a media darling. At CU, he inherited arguably one of the best teams in the nation and had one good season. Then it all began unraveling ending with a losing season, and forfeit of games for using an ineligible player. Gary Barnett came in and had the team turned around in 2 years. Then he goes onto Washington where he inherits Marcus Tuiasosopo for a season and does well, but he then burns the most storied program to its ashes, leaving a serious crime blotter, forcing the school to fight sanctions, and then a wrongful termination lawsuit. His final unsuccessful stint was at UCLA, where he had only one winning season. His teams got waxed 59-0 v. BYU, and 31-10 at home against an unranked Arizona powerhouse! How can't this guy be on the list??
