The Byrne Theory

One last post before bedtime, brothers.

Texas A & M coach Dennis Franchione is undeniably accomplished and respected, having left programs at New Mexico, Texas Christian and Alabama better than when he first stepped through the door.

However, at College Station, he's been a disappointment, solely due to the immediate gratification Aggies fans expected upon Franchione's hiring.

Word is big-money and high-powered boosters were so unhappy that Franchione could be out at the end of the season if A & M didn't get the ball rolling downhill fast, to the tune of a nine or 10-win season. Some may have even been pining for the days of former coach, R.C. Slocum, who won a cattle trailer full of games but got pushed out at the school.

Then, in a column by Gil LeBreton in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, LeBreton writes "(Texas A & M) athletic director Bill Byrne has said that he thinks six years are needed to evaluate a head coach."

Point?

Simple, really. Some are so disappointed, hot, disillusioned at Colorado's poor start, 0-6 out of the gate until a convincing 30-6 whipping of Texas Tech, that they were mocking Buffs' athletic director Mike Bohn and his selection of Dan Hawkins to replace Gary Barnett.

After six games.

Now that a win is in the books, those naysayers are likely not satiated.

What did Byrne say again? How long?

Six years.

Years, not games.

So, let's a take a deeper look, Colorado style, shall we?

Dallas Ward's record was 30-26-3, hardly impressive until you look closer and see him leading the Buffs to a 19-9-2 mark in the second half of those six years.

Eddie Crowder was similar, posting an average-looking 30-29-2 over his first six schedules, but his last three seasons were his best, going 22-7-2.

Bill McCartney continued the pattern, being slow out of the gate, trying to rebuild from a short but terrible stretch under former coach Chuck Fairbanks, Mac recording a 27-40-1 mark, including a 1-10 season in his third year. He had but one winning season in that time. One. CU decided to ride it out and remain patient and we know, don't we, how that story turned out.

Barnett's first six?

Some definite highlights with four north-division titles and a Big 12 championship, a 42-33 record but the program was sliding on the field, stumbling home to a 20-18 record over his final three seasons (years five, six and seven) and having off-the-field and public relation's embarrassments to boot.

So what does it all mean?

History proves that Byrne's theory plays out at CU, as Ward, Crowder and McCartney, three outstanding coaches, proved themselves, not out of the chute, but over time, when given the opportunity to slowly build. Barnett is the only exception. Despite his early success, he was the exception to the pattern.

So what about Hawkins?

Needs maybe just a few more games before being judged one way or the other.

Or so the theory goes.