The Announcement: Nothing New really

UPDATE: Colorado and Mike MacIntyre received their first verbal commitment of the new regime when 2-3-star DE Markeis Reed of Napa, California visited and committed Friday. (See more at right) 

For the last week or so, it had been reported that Mike MacIntyre would announce his new staff of assistant coaches January 2, and that they would include 6 or 7 of his San Jose State guys.  Then that announcement was pushed back a day, which led many to believe that MacIntyre would indeed have his entire staff ready to go on Thursday. SO, then came the big announcement…during another CU basketball game?  Is that the only time they think they can get anyone to listen or care?  And, the big announcement included…the six coaches everyone had anticipated: DC Baer, OC Lindgren, O-line Bernardi, TEs Adams, DBs Clark, D-line Jeffcoat.  

The only absence from the list was Andy LaRussa, also from SJSU, who had coached corners and special teams and was expected to help with at least the ST in Boulder.  Maybe all the nepotism talk about him having married Bernardi’s daughter either got to him, MacIntyre or the Bohnhead got worried it would be bad press.

Dave Forman will also follow the gang to Colorado to be Strength and Conditioning Coach.  He was at SJSU the last two years after MacIntyre lured him from Stanford, where he had been an assistant. I've got no problem emulating Stanford!

MacIntyre said he was still looking for an RB coach, WR coach (it was reported that Bobby Kennedy was moving on) and someone else on defense, presumably to at least help with special teams. John Henderson reported that he still could retain someone, but I found that highly doubtful.  MacIntyre also said he hoped to have them named by the end of the week, which is today.  I am not holding my breath.

Here’s the university’s official release: http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=3843&SPID=255&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=205873460&DB_OEM_ID=600

MacIntyre’s son Jay, a QB who threw for 979 yards, with 11 touchdowns and four interceptions as his Valley Christian (8-6) won the Central Coast Section Division III championship, will transfer to Monarch High School in Louisville, who just won the Colorado state championship themselves.  Update: Young MacIntyre is already here, practicing with the basketball team and will play in their game Tuesday at Boulder High.  Monarch is the local athletic powerhouse as their girls’ basketball team narrowly lost the state championship last spring, and although they lost three college scholarship athletes, they return a dark horse squad led by senior Ellie Dietz and junior Francesca Cendali. They will open League play hosting Boulder High on Tuesday at 6:30 PM in the main Monarch gym.

Recruiting: All the new coaches hit the recruiting trail last night.  They basically have one month to make a difference in this class, keeping those on board who are committed, and adding a few names and filling a few holes in the roster.

WR prospect Eljiah Dunston likes what he hears from MacIntyre, but has yet to officially re-commit to him (nor has he de-committed).

January 18 looks to be the biggest recruiting weekend with the first week of classes beginning at CU and it will be about two weeks away from signing day.  At least three commits-QB Sefo Liufau, OL teammates Sam Kronshrage and Jonathon Huckins- and numerous others, including LBs Kiel Robinson and Lawrence Montegut, as well as DB Chidobe Awuzie and WR Devon Hardaway, are listed somewhere as taking their official visits that weekend.

Jubilación: Sometimes a word in one language expresses a concept much better than in another, and in Spanish jubilación means “retirement”. The obvious root of the Spanish word is more about celebration than the more negative connotation of the English equivalent. Twitter was full of mahalos, alohas, thank yous and goodbyes yesterday for longtime Buffalo LB and coach Brian Cabral when it was announced he would officially be retiring from the university.  Coach MacIntyre actually told him just before Christmas that he wouldn’t be retained (presumably when he told everyone on the Buffs staff; hmmm, when was Alfred’s “controversial” proclamation that “everybody” was gone, you know the one Bohn and CU tried to play off as ridiculous?).  Since Cabral has so many years as a state employee, he is able to retire and take his pension; however, that also means he can’t work in the state, and he says he still has aspirations of still coaching. 

Cabral embodied everything it meant to be a Colorado Buffalo.  He went 2-1 as interim coach in 2010 and restored the motto “The Pride And Tradition Of The Colorado Buffaloes Will Never Be Entrusted To The Timid Or The Weak”  to the program and the Dal Ward.  He was an incredible linebacker coach, recruiter and influenced the lives of countless young men on the various teams he coached, well beyond those he directly recruited or were in his position group. It is hard to imagine a Buffalo practice or sideline without him on it. 

When John Henderson of the Denver Post wanted to interview Cabral, Cabral declined-not sure if that was because it was emotionally difficult as Henderson insinuated, or that Cabral just doesn’t like him that much since Henderson has bashed the Buffs so much over the years, or maybe even something else. 

BG Brooks from CUBuffs.com did get an interview.  Here is that article from yesterday, followed by a piece from right before the Nebraska game in 2010 when he was interim coach. http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=600&ATCLID=205852851

http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=3843&SPID=255&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=600&ATCLID=205036060

Brian Cabral should be given the “Lifetime” Buffalo Heart Award and it should be renamed after him.

Maybe he will move back to his native Hawaii to coach, or maybe (and I am hoping) he will just ride gracefully off into the sunset.  Good luck to one of the greatest Buffalos to ever play, coach, live.

Go Buffs!