What's new
AllBuffs | Unofficial fan site for the University of Colorado at Boulder Athletics programs

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

  • Prime Time. Prime Time. Its a new era for Colorado football. Consider signing up for a club membership! For $20/year, you can get access to all the special features at Allbuffs, including club member only forums, dark mode, avatars and best of all no ads ! But seriously, please sign up so that we can pay the bills. No one earns money here, and we can use your $20 to keep this hellhole running. You can sign up for a club membership by navigating to your account in the upper right and clicking on "Account Upgrades". Make it happen!

Your final thoughts on 2018 recruiting class?

We have lots of data now on MM after half a decade. When you discount the JL years, it looks like we are playing high level G5 football and that is the likely trend moving forward.

I think MM runs a cleaner program than anyone in P5 football. Recruiting is the knee-jerk answer for folks here, but I don't think that is the major problem and if anything a symptom. Decent Xs and Os guy. MM is a great secondary coach, but probably at the cost of being a better head coach (thus the extra coaching pos this year). I worry that his leadership may be under-powered. Promoting a family atmosphere is cool, but it is also pretty easy. Seems much harder to push people to the edge of what they can do and walk that thin line, but I'd bet anyone that's needed for players to kill it in the off-season, for assistants to make that extra phone call, etc...

Hopefully the experience, new coaches and the ability to focus as a head coach pay off for him in 18. If it doesn't I don't think you can fix what's broke.
The way MM actually interacts with his coaches and players is much more Parcells/Belichick/Coughlin than anyone would think by how he presents his public image. I think this has a lot to do with why he opts to close practices. He doesn't want the outside to see him being the guy who pushed Tumpkin on the sideline or the guy who cussed out the official on a daily basis.
 
I think Mac is an extremely bright X's and O's coach and I think he's really good at "coaching the coaches", specifically on the defensive side, but what about his game day coaching? Just as we blame two dropped passes by Shay and Winfree in the ASU and UCLA games on the difference between 5-7 and 7-5, what about his questionable coaching decisions (fake FG to end the half against UCLA to name one) during games?
Yes, MikMac has screwed the pooch on occasion with his game day decisions, but it isn't anything I can't live with. We'd all think he was a genius if the fake FG worked against fUCLA. Every coach makes bonehead calls from time to time. LSU fan used to wail and howl about LM, but I would have taken their record over the last ten in a heartbeat.
 
Yes, MikMac has screwed the pooch on occasion with his game day decisions, but it isn't anything I can't live with. We'd all think he was a genius if the fake FG worked against fUCLA. Every coach makes bonehead calls from time to time. LSU fan used to wail and howl about LM, but I would have taken their record over the last ten in a heartbeat.
As I mentioned above, I also believe there is a responsibility for a Head Coach to basically overrule an OC/playcaller when he knows something should be done a certain way. How many times throughout the season did we watch Lindsay and the running game just gash a defense all the way down the field and then as soon as they get the ball back, they go 3 incomplete passes and a punt with 20 seconds being taken off the clock? That sort of thing is going to happen from time to time, but it happened all too often in 2017, and if he's going to be a CEO-type coach, Mac needs to do a better job at reining that type of thing in.
 
As I mentioned above, I also believe there is a responsibility for a Head Coach to basically overrule an OC/playcaller when he knows something should be done a certain way. How many times throughout the season did we watch Lindsay and the running game just gash a defense all the way down the field and then as soon as they get the ball back, they go 3 incomplete passes and a punt with 20 seconds being taken off the clock? That sort of thing is going to happen from time to time, but it happened all too often in 2017, and if he's going to be a CEO-type coach, Mac needs to do a better job at reining that type of thing in.
I would not argue any of that with you. MikMac's forte, IMO, is defense. BL did a reasonably good job, but your post describes one of the reasons I like the Roper hire.
 
I would not argue any of that with you. MikMac's forte, IMO, is defense. BL did a reasonably good job, but your post describes one of the reasons I like the Roper hire.

His reputation is as some defensive guru. Reality has been a bit different at CU.
 
As I mentioned above, I also believe there is a responsibility for a Head Coach to basically overrule an OC/playcaller when he knows something should be done a certain way. How many times throughout the season did we watch Lindsay and the running game just gash a defense all the way down the field and then as soon as they get the ball back, they go 3 incomplete passes and a punt with 20 seconds being taken off the clock? That sort of thing is going to happen from time to time, but it happened all too often in 2017, and if he's going to be a CEO-type coach, Mac needs to do a better job at reining that type of thing in.
He’s not an offense guy. So he put his trust in BL.
 
I think some overrate his time as a DC too and bring up his gameplanning, it is why the Eliot hire was somewhat accepted.
I looked at it more like MM needs someone to take care of the front 6 or 7 to stop run and generate pass rush, because he's got the rest covered. Eliot seems pretty respected as a guy who knows how to generate pass rush and recruits well for it. I'm very concerned about his ability as a DC on run fits, unlike JL who had about the best training possible from working under Stoops at KSU to working within that nasty 49ers 3-4.
 
The way MM actually interacts with his coaches and players is much more Parcells/Belichick/Coughlin than anyone would think by how he presents his public image. I think this has a lot to do with why he opts to close practices. He doesn't want the outside to see him being the guy who pushed Tumpkin on the sideline or the guy who cussed out the official on a daily basis.

I am super curious how practices are run and if he has a strategy for his interpersonal relationships. Since this is all closed off we don't really know, and we have to discount the perspective from players who don't know any different.

Could be what you say is true. The external evidence just leads me to think leadership issues. To me, we should look for leadership in the outcome of those who are being led...especially when those being led aren't required to do something. I see evidence of subpar off-season preparation and intensity every year except 2016. Remember Hawaii? The level and intensity of off-season prep apparent in 2016 really stands and becomes another line of evidence...because that was the first full year JL was coaching and that D was super prepared and just radiated intensity. The fact the intensity and focus dropped off again in 2017, even among experienced players, seems pretty damning. I've been told that you learn tons from watching games after bye weeks and bowl performances - times when you have to fight hard to keep a group focused. Our bye week performance is awful (e.g. Utah this year) and we only have one bowl prep to examine. I look at the record in close games (we mostly lose). Etc...

The crying stuff in the locker room also worried me.

I have to speculate some. I think MM is a good dude. Hopefully I am wrong, but I have to point out that leadership is the biggest and most challenging part of running any program.
 
He’s not an offense guy. So he put his trust in BL.
He's the Head Coach who stuck with Brian Lindgren as his OC for 5 years. It's his job to dictate how he wants the game being called, even if he's not an offensive guy. This is especially true if he's not going to be calling the defensive plays as a defensive guy.
 
Yes, MikMac has screwed the pooch on occasion with his game day decisions, but it isn't anything I can't live with. We'd all think he was a genius if the fake FG worked against fUCLA. Every coach makes bonehead calls from time to time. LSU fan used to wail and howl about LM, but I would have taken their record over the last ten in a heartbeat.
Yup. Remember how Flores saved Barnett's ass in the Big12 champ game vs. Texas?
 
The way MM actually interacts with his coaches and players is much more Parcells/Belichick/Coughlin than anyone would think by how he presents his public image. I think this has a lot to do with why he opts to close practices. He doesn't want the outside to see him being the guy who pushed Tumpkin on the sideline or the guy who cussed out the official on a daily basis.

Also...not trying to say that MM needs to be angry or rough. Many ways to motivate and push. He could of learned alot of skills from Parcells. My question is: Is MM good at motivation (that is, leadership)?
 
If the defense is still struggling at the midway point next season, could/should MM take over play calling duties? If not... why not?
Neither you nor I have that level of information. But he's had more success as a DC than most DCs, including Eliot
 
Also...not trying to say that MM needs to be angry or rough. Many ways to motivate and push. He could of learned alot of skills from Parcells. My question is: Is MM good at motivation (that is, leadership)?
I think he is very inspiring to his team. He’s genuine, sincere and wears his heart on his sleeve with how much he cares. I don’t know that he is cool or funny or naturally charismatic. But I think that players and coaches respond to him. I know I prefer working for people like that over guys who are at least a little bit shining me on. MM’s a solid guy and a professional. Not a great fit for everyone because he leaves no doubt who is in charge and will play favorites with players & coaches who do things the right way (in context, his way) over talent. Really big on people knowing their role, starring in their role, and him being the decider on if their role should expand.
 
Last edited:
Neither you nor I have that level of information. But he's had more success as a DC than most DCs, including Eliot

Which is all well and good... but who cares if the defense at CU struggles? He loves to be hands-on with the DBs (and is clearly pretty good at it), so why so much deference in play calling when there have been clear issues?
 
Which is all well and good... but who cares if the defense at CU struggles? He loves to be hands-on with the DBs (and is clearly pretty good at it), so why so much deference in play calling when there have been clear issues?
Fire Neinas!
 
Which is all well and good... but who cares if the defense at CU struggles? He loves to be hands-on with the DBs (and is clearly pretty good at it), so why so much deference in play calling when there have been clear issues?
There were clear defensive issues. The Defensive problems were more talent based (up front) and poor tackling than play calling. Poor offensive performances also hurt the defense. Next year will be a better year to judge Eliot as a DC and play caller.
 
There were clear defensive issues. The Defensive problems were more talent based (up front) and poor tackling than play calling. Poor offensive performances also hurt the defense. Next year will be a better year to judge Eliot as a DC and play caller.

The defensively effort was noticeably lower. Especially in that Arizona game. Ole tackling!
 
Back
Top