It's easy to understand the excitement on this board when we see :
* Right hand man for Nick Saban
* Top recruiter
* Alabama Defensive Coordinator
* Extensive ties to West Coast via Cal, Wash coaching stops
I understand the excitement and I'm willing to trust in RG's instinct. That said, CU is hiring a Head Coach. A CEO, General Manager, Public Relations Front Man, Short, Intermediate, and Long-Term Planning Expert, A Psychologist, Campus bridge builder with school Admin, Faculty, Student groups, and the Greater Boulder Buff Community at Large ( including boosters, Buffs For Life, Alumni across the nation ), Recruiting closer, practice planner / evaluator, Game Manager, Press Manager. Successful P5 Head Coaches usually come from a wealth of experience via one or more highly successful coaching trees. They are also blessed with qualities like maturity, character, ability to relate to most any personality, high intelligence, ability to conceive, write, articulate, and carry through complex planning that affects everything from conditioning, nutrition, travel, academics, practice rotations, off season programs, specific game plans, etc., etc., etc. Sure, you have a whole staff tasked with making this all come together, but the HC is the man. Good or bad, the buck stops with the HC.
I have seen several comparisons to Lupoi and Bill McCartney. I have been blessed to actually get to know this man. I was in graduate school at CU starting the year CU beat Nebraska at home. I believe it was 88. Anyway, I was an Economics tutor for several off the Buff players for a couple of years. No, I can't say I knew the man well, but we spoke at a handful of gatherings and he came around now and then to express his appreciation to anyone willing to volunteer some time to help his players. As everyone knows, Coach Mac is a man of faith and he never tried to hide it. He believed in, " service to others " with all his heart. While in his presence, you could feel his devotion to his family, coaches, his players, the university, humanity. To me, Bill McCartney was larger than life, and my brief experiences with him were prior to his National Championship. The man was tireless and he set the bar high and demanded the very best from those that even tip-toed into his world.
I don't know Tosh Lupoi. While he and McCartney do share a background in Defense and recruiting expertise, I am curious how many other qualities they share. I do believe there are several ways to skin a cat. Lupoi does not have to be a copy of McCartney to satisfy me. What he would need is the ability to command at the highest level. He would need to be that rare person who can take a thousand pieces of a puzzle, put them in place, get every recruit, player and coach to buy into his methodology, and then hold everyone involved to the highest standard, including himself. Clearly, his current mentor is as successful as they come. As I said in an earlier post, if RG thinks it's time to make Lupoi Colorado's Head Coach, I will be all in.
* Right hand man for Nick Saban
* Top recruiter
* Alabama Defensive Coordinator
* Extensive ties to West Coast via Cal, Wash coaching stops
I understand the excitement and I'm willing to trust in RG's instinct. That said, CU is hiring a Head Coach. A CEO, General Manager, Public Relations Front Man, Short, Intermediate, and Long-Term Planning Expert, A Psychologist, Campus bridge builder with school Admin, Faculty, Student groups, and the Greater Boulder Buff Community at Large ( including boosters, Buffs For Life, Alumni across the nation ), Recruiting closer, practice planner / evaluator, Game Manager, Press Manager. Successful P5 Head Coaches usually come from a wealth of experience via one or more highly successful coaching trees. They are also blessed with qualities like maturity, character, ability to relate to most any personality, high intelligence, ability to conceive, write, articulate, and carry through complex planning that affects everything from conditioning, nutrition, travel, academics, practice rotations, off season programs, specific game plans, etc., etc., etc. Sure, you have a whole staff tasked with making this all come together, but the HC is the man. Good or bad, the buck stops with the HC.
I have seen several comparisons to Lupoi and Bill McCartney. I have been blessed to actually get to know this man. I was in graduate school at CU starting the year CU beat Nebraska at home. I believe it was 88. Anyway, I was an Economics tutor for several off the Buff players for a couple of years. No, I can't say I knew the man well, but we spoke at a handful of gatherings and he came around now and then to express his appreciation to anyone willing to volunteer some time to help his players. As everyone knows, Coach Mac is a man of faith and he never tried to hide it. He believed in, " service to others " with all his heart. While in his presence, you could feel his devotion to his family, coaches, his players, the university, humanity. To me, Bill McCartney was larger than life, and my brief experiences with him were prior to his National Championship. The man was tireless and he set the bar high and demanded the very best from those that even tip-toed into his world.
I don't know Tosh Lupoi. While he and McCartney do share a background in Defense and recruiting expertise, I am curious how many other qualities they share. I do believe there are several ways to skin a cat. Lupoi does not have to be a copy of McCartney to satisfy me. What he would need is the ability to command at the highest level. He would need to be that rare person who can take a thousand pieces of a puzzle, put them in place, get every recruit, player and coach to buy into his methodology, and then hold everyone involved to the highest standard, including himself. Clearly, his current mentor is as successful as they come. As I said in an earlier post, if RG thinks it's time to make Lupoi Colorado's Head Coach, I will be all in.
