The Denver Post has printed an article claiming to have inside information from a source close to the CU/Barnett contract negotiations that has said CU will dump Barnett at the conclusion of this season. No official announcement has been made nor is there one planned at this time. Barnett claims he has heard nothing about this from anyone at the school but does admit after the ISU loss and the subsequent shellackings the climate had changed in his contract extension negotiations.
And so it would seem that CU will play Santa Claus and deliver a very special present to many of the talking heads, pundits and fans out there in the form of Barnett’s head. It’s hard to argue that a change is needed in the coaching staff. However, it seems important to note that this program has long since passed the “easy fix” situation. A 70-3 loss is not an indication of poor play calling or a lack of locker room motivation, it’s an indication of a team that doesn’t have the talent, skill nor the preparation to compete.
College football boils down to recruiting. Coaches only have 4 years to mold these kids into big time players. It greatly behooves a college football coach to recruit players that already possess a set of useable skills. Players that can make an impact by the time they’re sophomores or juniors. It also behooves a coach to recruit players that can fit into the university’s pre-established system. Barnett failed to do any of those things in his years of recruiting as CU head coach. But more importantly, the University itself has failed Barnett. Our facilities and stadium size cannot compare to any of the top 25 schools. Our program is being suffocated by scandals, restrictions and apathy from the student body to the administration on through to the alumni. We lack money and now we’re going to need to dump another $1.8 million on Barnett and then begin the search process. A new coach, one with half a brain, will cost us money up front no doubt. Money that needs to be spent, but money that has to be taken away from expanding the stadium and practice facilities to attract better recruits.
A step in the right direction? Probably if it’s really true. Especially if the rest of his coaching staff goes with him. But this is not the NFL. In NCAA football, changing coaches in the off season does not instantly fix a problem. In fact, this ship may still need to sink a bit farther before we hit rock bottom and can start looking for the light again. If indeed, CU decides to fire Barnett as the rumors indicate, the fate of the program will rest squarely in the hands of AD Mike Bohn and the University. The decisions they make on a new coach and the level of commitment they’re willing to show the program will determine if this is really the start of a new era or just the continuation of a very dark time for the CU football program.

Related posts:

  1. Goodbye Gary
  2. Barnett Defends Himself
  3. We have to move forward.