Colorado Buffaloes Head Coach Jon Embree Officially Announced

Jon Embree was officially announced as the next head coach of the University of Colorado this afternoon at a press conference at Folsom Field. Athletic Director Mike Bohn welcomed Embree and new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy back to the university where they both played college ball and Embree didn't fail to impress.

I'm honored and I'm humbled to be chosen to lead this great program. As we embark new venture of going to the Pac-12, one of the things I told the search committee was I want this university to be the flagship university for the new conference in everything that we do. When I met with the players this morning, I told them there is going to be a new standard in how we do things. There are no excuses, either you do or you don't. We're going to change the way we see ourselves. We're going to get swagger back in this program. Their job is to help return the luster of this great program.

Check out The Ralphie Report for a full transcript of the press conference or watch a replay here.

Colorado To Announce Jon Embree As Next Head Coach On Monday, Dec. 6; Contract Details Emerge

The University of Colorado has announced that it will name current Washington Redskins tight ends coach and former CU Buffs tight end stand out Jon Embree as the next coach of the Buffaloes on Monday. A press conference is scheduled for 10 a.m MT, which will also be streamed on CUBuffs.com.

The Denver Post reports that Embree’s contract will be for five years and be less expensive than what the university paid the recently-fired Dan Hawkins. According to Embree’s agent, Jack Mills:

“He didn’t get as much base,” Mills said of Embree. “He wasn’t quite in that position. Maybe if he wins the Pac-12 he’ll get more money.”

Eric Bieniemy, recently hired as the team’s offensive coordinator may also be at the press conference tomorrow; however, no details on his contract have emerged.

Embree will be the 24th head coach in CU’s history and will lead the team during their initial transition to the Pac-12 conference this upcoming fall.

Jon Embree To Accept Colorado Head Coaching Job

While earlier in the week Colorado athletic director Mike Bohn denied offering the head coaching position to anyone, Redskins tight ends coach Jon Embree appeared to be the front runner for it. It is now likely that Colorado and Embree will announce his hiring.

Redskins report Grant Paulsen of 106.7 The Fan reports that a source close to the Colorado head coaching situation believes Jon Embree has accepted the Buffaloes job and that it will be official later today:

With the earlier news that Eric Bieniemy has accepted Colorado's offensive coordinator job, this all but assured Embree would take over the reins at CU. Hiring an offensive coordinator without having a head coach on place or at least ready to accept the position would have been an unwise move.

Embree was in his first year with the Washington Redskins and had previously worked for Colorado as a assistant. The Washington Post reports that Embree will be allowed to leave the Redskins before the end of the season to start building his staff as well as to recruit.

Embree was a standout tight end for the Buffs in the mid-1980s, amassing 80 receptions for 1,166 yards and five touchdowns. As a new head coach, Embree will be able to set records for a Buffs head coach in the Pac-12.

h/t to SB Nation DC

Report: Eric Bieniemy To Be Named Colorado Buffaloes Offensive Coordinator

According to John Henderson of the Denver Post, current Minnesota Vikings running backs coach and former Colorado Buffalo running back Eric Bieniemy has accepted the offensive coordinator’s position with the Colorado Buffaloes. Bieniemy was a candidate for the head coaching position, but that appears to be Jon Embree’s, pending a contract.

Bieniemy was in his fifth season with the Minnesota Vikings and became an assistant head coach before the start of the current season. Before he joined the Vikings, Bieniemy had been the running backs coach for both UCLA and CU.

As a star running back for the Buffs, Bienemy holds numerous records, including career attempts (699), career net yards (3,940 yards), career 100-yard games (21), career touchdowns (41) and two 1,000-yard rushing seasons. He was also a part of the 1990 National Championship team.

Report: No Candidate Has Been Offered CU Head Coaching Job

It appears that the earlier reports of Jon Embree being offered the head coaching job at the University of Colorado were untrue.

According to Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post, Colorado Athletic Director Mike Born is disclaiming any reports that a decision has been made, claiming that no offers have been made.

Here is Bohn's statement:

University of Colorado athletic director Mike Bohn issued the following statement midday Thursday regarding the school's search for its vacant head football coaching position:

"The rumors that the University of Colorado has  hired our next head football coach are untrue. In the interests of the young men in our program, and our fans and supporters, I want to make clear that the search committee has not yet completed its work, and we have not yet offered the job to any candidate. We are hopeful of making a head coach announcement in the coming days and beginning a new and exciting era of CU football."

Embree is one of the finalists for the position, along with fellow CU alum Eric Bienemy.

Read Ralphie Report for community reaction.

Report: CU Head Coaching Job Has Been Offered to Jon Embree

The Denver Post is reporting that former Colorado coach Bill McCartney has confirmed that former Buffalo and current Washington Redskins tight ends coach Jon Embree has been offered the position as the next head football coach at the University of Colorado. Apparently, Embree has informed associates with the Redskins that he has been offered the job and is contemplating whether or not to accept:

McCartney said that Embree, currently the Washington Redskins tight ends coach, has been given a formal offer, and CU is hoping he accepts and then hires former Buff great Eric Bieniemy as his offensive coordinator.

McCartney was a candidate to replace Dan Hawkins but said his plan all along, had he been named coach, was to hire Embree and Bieniemy on his staff and groom one of them to take over as head coach in two or three years. When it became clear he would not get the head coaching position, McCartney said he pushed for Embree or Bieniemy to get the job.

Colorado Coaching Search Down To Three, Likely To Be Named By Next Week

The search for the next head football coach at the University of Colorado is reportedly now down to three candidates, with a successor likely to be named by next Monday or Tuesday. Both the Boulder Daily Camera and the Denver Post are reporting that the coaching search has been narrowed to former CU running back Eric Bieniemy, former CU tight end Jon Embree and Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain. Rumors persist that both Beiniemy and Embree have suggested that they would like the other to be a coordinator on their staffs if they are in fact given the head coaching position. 

A source also told the Post that Bieniemy has already laid out a suggested staff should he be hired:

Offensive coordinator: Embree.
Running backs (or another position): current CU running backs coach Darian Hagan and/or former Colorado State tailback and current Notre Dame assistant Tony Alford.
Offensive line: California O-line coach Steve Marshall, a former CU assistant (2000-01).
Defensive coordinator: University of Arizona co-defensive coordinator Greg Brown, a CU assistant for two stints.
Linebackers: Oakland Raiders defensive assistant Greg Biekert, a former Buffs standout.
Defensive line: Kanavis McGhee, a former Buffs second-team All-American.
Defensive secondary: current CU assistant Ashley Ambrose.

Candidates Starting To Emerge In The Hunt For Dan Hawkins' Replacement

We are now 24 hours past a frantic night that saw news of Dan Hawkins' dismissal as head coach of the University of Colorado. Media and fans alike have written their obituaries on the Hawkins regime and they are ready to move on and start speculating on how might emerge as the next head coach of the University of Colorado. 

Current interim head coach Brian Cabral made it known today that he is "interested" in taking over the position permanently, but his focus is going to be on winning Colorado's last three games.

Before taking questions, Cabral said he did not want to talk about the past.

Cabral was very emotional when talking about the players and the assistant coaches.

"I'm looking forward. I'm not looking back," he said.

When asked if he would like to be the CU coach full-time, his answer was just "Yes, sir."

Most of the talk around possible candidates has centered around those with connections to the Buffaloes program, mainly centered around former coach Bill McCartney and current Vikings position coach and former Buff Eric Bienemy. Many have speculated the McCartney could be brought on to shepherd a coordinator (possibly Bienemy) who would be designated a "coach-in-waiting" and would take over the program in a season or two. However, athletic director Mike Bohn made it clear that they are looking for candidates for the long term.

Former CU coach Bill McCartney, 70, will be a candidate to succeed Hawkins. But, Bohn told The Denver Post today that he's not interested in hiring a coach who would groom his heir apparent.

"I wouldn't say we wouldn't do it, but it doesn't appear to make a lot of sense for us at this point," Bohn said. "We want to establish one person in charge. It's important that the person is set up in a leadership role."

Other candidates have rumored to include former Oregon coach Mike Belotti, Air Force head coach Troy Calhoun, Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables, Houston coach Kevin Sumlin, and a lovely group of coaches from the SEC, including the Mad Hatter himself:

Other names floating around include Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain, Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn and LSU coach Les Miles although it looks unlikely that LSU would part with Miles after last weekend's win over Alabama. 

Mike Bohn: Bill McCartney 'Viable Candidate' For Colorado Buffaloes Job

During today’s press conference on Dan Hawkins’ dismissal as Colorado Buffaloes head coach, athletic director Mike Bohn mentioned that former Buffaloes coach Bill McCartney is a possible candidate to take over:

“Bill McCartney is a viable candidate for us to consider, no question,” Bohn said.

However, Bohn is not looking to hire a caretaker for a season or two before the school settles on a long-term coach. So if McCartney is a serious candidate then he would need to stick around for a few more years into his mid 70s. McCartney supposedly has an interest in coaching again.

McCartney led the Buffaloes to a share of the 1990 NCAA championship with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Coaching between 1982 and 1994, he picked up several school coaching records: most games (153), most wins (93) and most conference wins (58).

Has the game evolved too much for the 70-year-old McCartney to make a successful transition back to the coaching ranks? Time will tell as we see who else Colorado will look at for the position.

Blog Reaction: Hawkins' Time At Colorado Was A Dismal Affair

Buffaloes fans suffered through five ugly years under former head coach Dan Hawkins, and his firing is being met with relief from the beleaguered fan base. Hawkins' hiring was seen as a positive one by fans and media alike, but it didn't take long for opinions to change sharply. The Ralphie Report has been there for it all and they are ready to start anew:

Looking back over it all, you just have to shake your head. The easy way to describe it is nothing got better, nothing ever seemed to improve and the same things we were talking about three years ago, we are still talking about today.

The easy part is done, getting rid of a coaching staff that has underperformed greatly over the past five years. The hard part is still ahead. Finding a head coach and just as important, a group of effective assistant coaches and recruiters is now priority number one. If the Buffs want to return to relevance, the athletic department and donors will have to make an investment beyond what was made when they brought Dan Hawkins in.

Reports Indicating That Hawkins Is Out Immediately, Brian Cabral Named Interim Head Coach

Earlier this evening CBS 4 in Denver reported that Dan Hawkins was told that he was no longer going to be the head coach at the University of Colorado, but the report did not know if the change would be immediate or if Hawkins would finish out the season. 

Now ABC 7 is reporting that Hawkins will be fired from his position immediately and current linebackers and associate head coach Brian Cabral will take over interim coaching duties. 

Dan Hawkins won't be retained as Buffs head football coach. The official announcement will come on Tuesday during Hawkins' regularly scheduled press conference. Brian Cabral, associate head coach, will be the interim head coach and finish out the season. Cabral has been at CU for 22 years.

Cabral is a longtime veteran of the staff who has consistently churned out strong linebacker units. He has worked for four Colorado head coaches during his tenure: Bill McCartney, Rick Neuheisel, Gary Barnett and now Dan Hawkins. For all seven seasons under Barnett, Cabral also was the assistant head coach, which included a three-month period in 2004 as interim head coach when Barnett was on paid administrative leave.

Dan Hawkins Out As Colorado Buffaloes Coach

Yesterday it appeared that Dan Hawkins would be safe as the Colorado head coach for the rest of the season, but now it is confirmed that Dan Hawkins is out as Colorado's head coach. CBS4's Vic Lombardi has learned that Dan Hawkins will be out as the Colorado Buffaloes' head coach, there will be a team meeting tomorrow when Hawkins to make the announcement

BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4) — CBS4 Sports has learned a decision on the fate of CU's Dan Hawkins has been made. He is out as head football coach after five tumultuous seasons in Boulder. All that remains to be announced, when exactly Hawkins will leave.

Hawkins' record at Colorado was 19-38 in five seasons. In the end, coaching the Colorado Buffaloes was nothing like presiding over over the Boise State Broncos. Buffaloes fans have had little to be excited the last half decade. A new era and a new coach await their move to the Pac-12.