, I
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■port surr
12 coache
nning ten
door of
in the Big 12
took over programs that were already
successes.
But what all three incoming coach
es have to tackle this year is nearly the
exact opposite. Over die last three sea
sons, Colorado, Oklahoma and Baylor
have combined for a record of39-63.
Colorado won a national champi
onship in 1990, and the storied tradition
at Oklahoma speaks for itself.
So how does a first-year coach go
about rebuilding a program? New
Baylor Coach Kevin Steele said the
process begins early.
“We’re not going to sell them on a
false pretense,” Steele said. “But we are
going to tell them the facts in a positive
way.”
Steele, Gary Barnett at Colorado
and Bob Stoops at Oklahoma are
poised to take die challenge. And all
three are familiar names with interest
ing stories.
Gary Barnett returns to Folsom
Field, which has changed to grass since
he left CU to become die head coach at
Northwestern.
Barnett, who was an assistant at
Colorado under Bill McCartney, led the
Wildcats to an unprecedented Rose
Bowl both in 1995.
Amid gambling scandals and
mediocre seasons, Barnett decided to
come bade to die mountains.
“It’s literally coining home again,”
Barnett said. “This is a great chance to
see lifelong friends.”
The first thing Barnett tried to do
when he got to Boulder, Colo., was to
visit the parents of every player.
McCartney is also back at
Colorado, stopping in at practice to talk
to the defense and to get a taste oi
Buffalo football again.
Barnett has also instituted changes
in the offense and defense. Disciplined,
aggressive football is on the table for
Colorado this year.
“I want smash-mouth,” Colorado
senior Rashidi Barnes said. “Gary
Barnett is bringing that to Colorado.”
Disdpline is also the theme at both
Oklahoma and Baylor.
An example of what discipline can
do to a team comes out of Baylor’s
spring practice.
In the Bears’ first scrimmage of the
spring, there were 26 penalties. A few
week$Jater in the final spring scrim
mage, BU was called for only three
infractions.
“You’ve got to eliminate the prob
lems you have control oyer,” Steele
said. “It will help you wingames.”
And Steele has his team convinced
they can turn
seasons.
“(Steele)
tives to the
Jackson said,
ed about
That
program back into the postseason.
Stoops came in from Florida with
that message and wanted to make an
immediate impact in Norman, Okla.
The players got the message.
“From day one, Coach Stoops
came in and brought a good vibe,”
senior Rodney Rideau said. “He said,
^You can jump on the bandwagon, or
With a new coaching staff,
Oklahoma is once again planning
changes to the offense and defense.
Last season, John Blake tried to make
wholesale changes on both sides of the
ball. The result was a 5-6 season.
The players at Oklahoma seem to
think this year’s new system will work.
Even though they said they don’t
want to make comparisons between the
coaches, senior Matt Anderson said
Stoops’ success at Florida gets the play
ers’ attention.
you Know ne Knows now to win,
Anderson said, “and that makes you
Football League to coach with the
Carolina Panthers.
' Jackson said Steele’s experience
and attitude have caused change at
Baylor.
“It is amazing to§ee the difference
from last year,” Jackson said.
“Everyone is fired up about him being
here.”
Players from all three teams seem
to be rallying around their new coaches.
There is a sense of urgency to get
these recently troubled programs back
to a point of national success. All three
coaches are hoping to be as successful
as Solich and Brown last year, who
combined for a record 18-7.
To reach that level, Stoops said he
hopes to be a chip off the old block in
his first season as a head coach.
“I’ve been very lucky to be around
so many fine coaches,” Stoops said.
them,”
«
We are not trying to
remake the team. We
want to start right
now.”
Matt Anderson
OU senior
—v . iz<Jr • - -j
CU Sports Information
GARY BARNETT will take the field for the first time as the Colorado* head
coach Saturday In Denver. Barnett ie one ef three new head coaches in the
Big 12 Conference.
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