Buffs proving not to be too ugly to call

Like they say, "there is someone out there for everyone."

Colorado may not be a basketball school, may not be much to look at, but that doesn't mean no one is checking out the Buffs' head coaching position for the end of this season when Ricardo Patton leaves the program.

Four new people contacted the school recently and the overall count is close to 40, according to a Tom Kensler story in the Denver Post.

Athletic director Mike Bohn has the job of sorting through all that interest to determine who, if anyone, can get CU from point A to point Z.

"We're trying to decipher who is serious and who is viable," Bohn told the Post.

Bohn was quoted in the story as saying he has not yet decided whether a candidate has to have experience as a head coach. The more I ruminate on that question, the more I speak to others, the more convinced I become that, for this program, you must eliminate as many risk factors as possible. The margin for error in Boulder is extremely slim. Someone who has the "W's," as in many more "W's" than losses by his name is a much safer choice who has never been the the lead dog.

Look who Bohn chose for the football opening: magnetic personality (ask the media, players, and recruits), high-wattage energy, and with a serious track record of winning.

I wouldn't look for Bohn to deviate from that type of candidate. This is a decision that could either go a long ways towards defining him as one astute hiring manager or relegate him to name calling from frustrated and angry fans and boosters and sentence him to doubt from many on his future moves.

The guess here?

Some very interesting and qualified names will be speaking with Bohn and the man with the power to be kingmaker will have some desirable choices on the menu. Bohn comes across already as a man of patience, no directed by public opinion but instead by personal conviction.

The unknown is difficult, the wait is maddening but good things come to those who wait sometimes.

That goes for AD's, fans, and even players.

Richard Roby, Jermyl Jackson-Wilson (pictured), Jeremy Williams, Xavier Silas and Kal Bay all could return next year for a potentially solid nucleus. If some of the big bodies develop, the Buffs could be highly competitive with the right leader. That person could also put people in seats (a Scott Wilke requirement), sell the program and have recruits listening to CU when other coaches have fallen short.

Such a decision isn't made rashly. It comes after careful deliberation.