May 6, 2008

Courtesy of daileycamera.com

It's been three years since Mike Bohn took the job as the University of Colorado athletic director.

The list of lessons Bohn has learned over that period is longer than he'd probably like to admit, but most of them can be included in a few main categories:

You don't change a decade of bad decisions and mismanagement overnight. Steady, marked progress has been made, but the process of reversing the epic tailspin created by the previous regime has been -- and will continue to be -- a sometimes painful and almost always difficult task.

Growing pains are simply part of the process. When you switch coaches in your three highest-profile sports, the immediate result will be a step back, particularly if the programs weren't on solid footing to begin with. If you have the right people in place, progress will then be made, but there will always -- always -- be those unexpected blips on the radar that produce headlines no coach or administrator likes to read.

The business of Division I sports has become an arms race, plain and simple. Schools that have long lists of deep-pocket donors are immediately ahead of the game -- and if you aren't oneof those schools, creative and innovative thinking is an absolute necessity if you plan on remaining competitive.

Bohn and his staff have done a solid job in their first three years. Facilities have been improved across the board, academic support services for the student-athletes have improved dramatically and funding continues to increase.

But the road ahead is still a long and bumpy one, particularly if you believe Colorado should be competitive in the upper echelon of the Big 12 on a regular basis.

A quick look at where CU stands:

Football -- As he prepares to enter his third season at the helm, Dan Hawkins has made solid strides. He has dramatically improved recruiting, the foundation of any program, and his team was much more competitive in its second year. Meanwhile, he continues to show that he is serious about such things as accountability and responsibility from his players.

The guess here is that while the Buffs will be improved again next season, a brutal schedule might not show that improvement in the win-loss record.

If you're looking for a breakout season, the kind that puts the Buffs back in the national picture, try 2009. That's when Hawk's recruits will be seasoned and the schedule will work in CU's favor.

Bottom line: If you use Bill McCartney's rebuilding process as a measuring stick, Hawkins is ahead of the curve. Give him an A-.

Men's basketball -- With just one year under his belt, Jeff Bzdelik has a long way to go. If you're looking for a correlation, look at Hawkins after his 2-10 season.

Bzdelik's fall recruiting class was solid, not spectacular. If he can add more capable players this spring, it will be a good first class.

To be honest, the recent raft of defections hasn't been worrisome -- until the news came that Jeremy Williams is considering leaving. That would create a big hole that would be very difficult to fill next season.

The philosophy from this corner has been that a coach can't be fully evaluated until his fourth year. Next year, we expect to see some improvement from Bzdelik's bunch, and we still like the chances of him making a run at the NCAA Tournament in his third year.

Bottom line: The only fair grade after one season would be an incomplete. But, Bzdelik has won wherever he's been. Our bet is that he'll be remembered here as the man who finally put CU hoops on solid footing for the long run.

Women's basketball -- Remember the fourth-year philosophy?

Next season will be Kathy McConnell-Miller's fourth at CU. After an aborted attempt at pursuing the UCLA job, McConnell-Miller recently reaffirmed her commitment to CU -- and now the onus is on her to prove it.

Last season, the Buffs were far too inconsistent. Basketball coaches are judged on their conference records, and McConnell-Miller simply hasn't produced in the Big 12.

And finally, we would be remiss if we didn't give two great coaches their full due.

Soccer coach Bill Hempen and cross country boss Mark Wetmore are two of the best in the biz in ultra-competitive sports. They recruit well, they win and they produce good students and good citizens. Fans of CU can consider themselves fortunate to have Hempen and Wetmore in charge of programs that yield positive results and positive publicity for the school. An A+ for both.

Bottom line: Overall, CU's athletic department is moving forward. But in this day and age, there are no miracles.

Give Bohn and the Buffs an overall A for a good job thus far, but still plenty of work to be done.