Well, I've been pretty reserved in my opinion on the hire. Mostly because my opinion and a dollar won't even get you brown sugar at a funnel cake stand, but, at the bottom of a very tasty '06 Barolo, I'm feeling bottled up myself.
First, I'm going to bluntly state that Craig Bohl would not have been my first choice.
Second, I'm going to bluntly state that he was easily in my top five.
Third, I'm going to bluntly state that my first choices for anything have panned out less often than nearly (I thought Riddick Bowe would easily overtake Tyson and Holyfield as THE premier heavyweight fighter of the 90's) and my top fives have ultimately included some bottom tens (Houston Texan Football this year, anyone?).
As for Craig Bohl, and his impact on the direction of Cowboy Football, I'm going to complicate it all with Tom Burman. Let me preface this with an admittance to being a Burman cheerleader early on (up, roughly, until "Howdy Doody-gate"), him being a homeboy and someone I'd known in high school. The quality of the hire can be best summed up in his on-the-record, and I may be paraphrasing here- "...need to win the press conference."
I think, for Tom Burman, the working family guy, this meant one thing, and for Tom Burman, the born-and-raised Wyoming Cowboys fan, a bit of another.
In regards to the former- he won it. Early naysayers and doomsday prophets aside, Burman scored someone who passed over interest from former "AQ" (now "Big 5") programs. Early on, there was a great deal of deflation across the fan base when Bohl stated he wasn't interested in coaching Wyoming. His record at NDSU, and his history as an FCS-FBS giant-slayer (say what you will- this guy beat long odds several times) combined with those two factors definitely earn Tom Burman credit for a trophy hire. Looking at recent FBS coaching successes- my preference was for an up-and-coming MAC, C-USA, or Sun Belt coach, or a tried-and-true-but-recently-stumbled one of the same variety- an FBS coach with a proven record.
That being said, it's been over thirty years since Wyoming hired from its own floor. It's surprisingly rare. Would a Petrino, a Clawson, a Lembo, a Solich, or a Campbell have been interested in building a Wyoming program for Wyoming money versus where they finished their seasons? Perhaps. Would any of them have the regional ties and network requisite to doing so successfully? Very arguable. Bohl brings an in-situ regional network we've arguably not seen since Tiller.
In the (so far) final analysis, however, Burman won the press conference with this hire. But... but, that is far more important to Burman than it is to Wyoming Football. Now don't get me wrong, there is benefit in this to Wyo Football, but the value to Burman, as a guy doing his job, as a guy bringing home the wild boar bacon and Starbucks Ethiopian, is far more.
Now, on to the second part. Contrary to what I infer from many on this board, I believe Burman loves Wyoming Athletics. That's not to say passion rules the day and enthusiasm overcomes incompetence or work-ethic. Those who know me know otherwise. The second part of Burman's "win the press conference" goal is both belied and enabled by his choice of words, Belying his realization is that this hire is his job. Short of Larry Shyatt making the Sweet Sixteen, it's hard to see Burman surviving more than two losing seasons in football (depending on who those losses are to...). Enabling his implicit goal of keeping his job is his genuine desire to see Wyoming win.
Much has been made about Wyoming's financial resources in pursuit of conference competitiveness and Burman's culpability for the lack thereof. For me, the true mark of a rainmaker is not someone who does more with less, but someone who nets more than was expected. To this end, thus far, Burman is lacking. He is on record as saying he's directing down to his own image of UW (we are who we are), as well as appearing to be less than aggressive in pursuing every possible revenue source and beating new paths to new wells. The Cowboy Joe Club, while chummy and eager, seems ill-equipped and under-motivated in their mission, as well as woefully behind the curve in terms of year-over year improvement operationally. Make no mistake, this is all on Burman.
Let's all be honest- given Bohl's record and his press (c'mon, no one at ESPN ever said- "Let's take Gameday to Missouri to cover OC Dave Christensen as he calls plays for Chase Daniel!"), Burman accomplished part one- he won the press conference.
In the world of wine, we'd acknowledge he landed either a great wine-maker or a great vineyard, or both. But, the final analysis, the verdict, all lies in what comes out of the bottle three (plus) years later.
Let's give the vintage some time. It's not even in the bottle...
GO 'POKES!!!
First, I'm going to bluntly state that Craig Bohl would not have been my first choice.
Second, I'm going to bluntly state that he was easily in my top five.
Third, I'm going to bluntly state that my first choices for anything have panned out less often than nearly (I thought Riddick Bowe would easily overtake Tyson and Holyfield as THE premier heavyweight fighter of the 90's) and my top fives have ultimately included some bottom tens (Houston Texan Football this year, anyone?).
As for Craig Bohl, and his impact on the direction of Cowboy Football, I'm going to complicate it all with Tom Burman. Let me preface this with an admittance to being a Burman cheerleader early on (up, roughly, until "Howdy Doody-gate"), him being a homeboy and someone I'd known in high school. The quality of the hire can be best summed up in his on-the-record, and I may be paraphrasing here- "...need to win the press conference."
I think, for Tom Burman, the working family guy, this meant one thing, and for Tom Burman, the born-and-raised Wyoming Cowboys fan, a bit of another.
In regards to the former- he won it. Early naysayers and doomsday prophets aside, Burman scored someone who passed over interest from former "AQ" (now "Big 5") programs. Early on, there was a great deal of deflation across the fan base when Bohl stated he wasn't interested in coaching Wyoming. His record at NDSU, and his history as an FCS-FBS giant-slayer (say what you will- this guy beat long odds several times) combined with those two factors definitely earn Tom Burman credit for a trophy hire. Looking at recent FBS coaching successes- my preference was for an up-and-coming MAC, C-USA, or Sun Belt coach, or a tried-and-true-but-recently-stumbled one of the same variety- an FBS coach with a proven record.
That being said, it's been over thirty years since Wyoming hired from its own floor. It's surprisingly rare. Would a Petrino, a Clawson, a Lembo, a Solich, or a Campbell have been interested in building a Wyoming program for Wyoming money versus where they finished their seasons? Perhaps. Would any of them have the regional ties and network requisite to doing so successfully? Very arguable. Bohl brings an in-situ regional network we've arguably not seen since Tiller.
In the (so far) final analysis, however, Burman won the press conference with this hire. But... but, that is far more important to Burman than it is to Wyoming Football. Now don't get me wrong, there is benefit in this to Wyo Football, but the value to Burman, as a guy doing his job, as a guy bringing home the wild boar bacon and Starbucks Ethiopian, is far more.
Now, on to the second part. Contrary to what I infer from many on this board, I believe Burman loves Wyoming Athletics. That's not to say passion rules the day and enthusiasm overcomes incompetence or work-ethic. Those who know me know otherwise. The second part of Burman's "win the press conference" goal is both belied and enabled by his choice of words, Belying his realization is that this hire is his job. Short of Larry Shyatt making the Sweet Sixteen, it's hard to see Burman surviving more than two losing seasons in football (depending on who those losses are to...). Enabling his implicit goal of keeping his job is his genuine desire to see Wyoming win.
Much has been made about Wyoming's financial resources in pursuit of conference competitiveness and Burman's culpability for the lack thereof. For me, the true mark of a rainmaker is not someone who does more with less, but someone who nets more than was expected. To this end, thus far, Burman is lacking. He is on record as saying he's directing down to his own image of UW (we are who we are), as well as appearing to be less than aggressive in pursuing every possible revenue source and beating new paths to new wells. The Cowboy Joe Club, while chummy and eager, seems ill-equipped and under-motivated in their mission, as well as woefully behind the curve in terms of year-over year improvement operationally. Make no mistake, this is all on Burman.
Let's all be honest- given Bohl's record and his press (c'mon, no one at ESPN ever said- "Let's take Gameday to Missouri to cover OC Dave Christensen as he calls plays for Chase Daniel!"), Burman accomplished part one- he won the press conference.
In the world of wine, we'd acknowledge he landed either a great wine-maker or a great vineyard, or both. But, the final analysis, the verdict, all lies in what comes out of the bottle three (plus) years later.
Let's give the vintage some time. It's not even in the bottle...
GO 'POKES!!!
