Brooks: Hagan Embraces Return To Coaching Role With Buffs

BOULDER – Since his arrival at the University of Colorado nearly three decades ago, Darian Hagan's high-wattage grin has been a trademark. But on Wednesday morning, it had an uncommon radiance.

In fact, had the state-of-the-art lighting in the University of Colorado's gleaming new indoor practice facility (IPF) been dimmed by a power outage – and given the wind gusts it seemed possible – Hagan's smile might have illuminated the building.

He was back on the field, back in the coaching role he has so desperately missed and sought again. He had been away from it for five years, but his complaints were few. After all, he had a job, working the last three years as Mike MacIntyre's director of player development.

But early this year, when MacIntyre began a shakeup of his staff, he approached Hagan about coaching the Buffaloes' running backs – a position Hagan had held for five seasons under Dan Hawkins and for four under Gary Barnett.

Hagan had approached MacIntyre a couple of times about returning to the field, but always in a low-key way. “It was like, 'If you're going to make some changes, I'd like to be considered; if you need a guy to help out, so some things, I can do it,'” Hagan recalled Wednesday morning after the first of CU's 15 spring practices. “I had been taught by coach Barnett and coach (Bill) McCartney to be in the here and now, the present.

“I had a job. I was retained to do a job and I didn't want to make him (MacIntyre) think I was ungrateful. So I just did my job and waited for the opportunity. If the opportunity presented itself I was going to jump at it and take it. If the opportunity didn't happen, I was going to be happy doing what I was doing.”

When the opportunity came, it was sudden and unexpected – and true to his word, Hagan jumped at it as quickly as a stray would a pork chop.

Remembered Hagan: “When he said he was going to hire me, I wanted to give him a big old kiss on the cheek. But I was shocked.”

By Wednesday, the shock had subsided – most of it anyway. Hagan laughed when I asked him if there was a break-in period in his new role. When pre-spring meetings began last week, he confided that he was a “little apprehensive” because CU is installing a tweaked offense and there are “new things to learn and retain . . .

“But after the second meeting and being out here, it was like getting back on a bike, getting back into the lingo and being able to motivate the guys and coach them up, get them to learn from their mistakes and actually learn from your mistakes – some stuff you may have missed in the meetings. And you're coaching yourself up and getting those things right. But it's been a blast.”

Hagan, one of the Buffs' most celebrated players ever as a quarterback in the late '80/early '90s, also conceded that five years in a support staff role – he was Jon Embree's director of player personnel for two years – was “a downer.”

“Five years is a long time when you're used to doing something,” he said. “I did this for nine years straight, then I take a five-year hiatus unexpectedly. It was a downer. But to get back at it and have this opportunity again . . . I'm studying my butt off, I'm making sure these guys are doing things to better themselves.”

Hagan has a personal goal that might surprise you. Oh, he wants his running back corps to be productive enough in CU's offense to get the win total up and push the Buffs into the postseason. But remember the name Donald “Dino” Gordon.

“I have a goal in mind, and that's to make sure that Donald Gordon becomes a prolific running back at the University of Colorado,” Hagan said. “That's the goal for myself and for him.”

Gordon is a 2015 CU signee from Compton, Calif. His first college season was spent in a redshirt; his second will be spent in a battle for playing time behind RB returnees Michael Adkins II, Phillip Lindsay, Patrick Carr, Donovan Lee and Kyle Evans. But if Gordon has the will to work, Hagan has an extraordinary desire to push him.

The Buffs' returnees, said Hagan, “all know what they're doing. They're playing fast, they're not thinking . . . I'm happy with those guys, they're making very few mistakes. And I can't even say they were mistakes because we didn't have pads on. The defense is going to play faster without pads on, do some things they wouldn't normally do.

“So I can't really say those were mistakes. We get the pads on I'll know a lot more. I think those five guys I mentioned are going to be really good for us.”

Hagan's first day in a coaching role in five years was nearly seamless, according to Adkins, an oft-injured junior who had been second (2013) and third (2014) on the team in rushing in his first two seasons but played in only three games last season.

Adkins said Hagan “brings a different perspective . . . he basically played running back in college – a running quarterback, so he can fix our footwork, tell us we should have cut here or there. He has the eyes of a running back and I think it showed the first day.”

Plus, Hagan is no stranger to any of his backs. “He already knows us, I mean we've been around him but he's been in a different role,” Adkins said. “We developed a different relationship with him and now we've got to develop more of a football coach's relationship. You can tell he cares about us and will push us. He's going to get the most out of us.”

That's what Hagan has in mind. Of course, the most noticeable measuring sticks at his position are rushing yards per game, the occasional 100-yard games by his backs, the critical third-down runs, and obviously, an increase in wins.

But for Hagan, there's more.

“Like I said, I'm going to coach Donald Gordon up and get him ready. That's my goal.”

LET'S GO INSIDE: The Buffs were scheduled to spend their first spring practice outdoors but high winds forced them inside the IPF. MacIntyre said there was “a lot of energy and a lot was accomplished. Practice went really smooth from drill to drill and team period to team period . . . to me it means the kids were in shape and they'd been doing stuff in the off-season. I think it was our best first day that we've had ever.”

The move indoors was as much for the safety of the videographers who tape practice as much as anything else. Had the Buffs worked outdoors, practice would have been taped from scissors lifts – and that would have been treacherous in high winds. “I'm not going to ever lift them up in those towers in that situation,” MacIntyre said.

The lifts aren't needed inside the IPF; cameras focused on the field are strategically mounted and controlled from a “command center” on another floor inside the Champions Center. “It's like a joy stick,” MacIntyre said. When the Buffs are able to practice on their outdoor field adjacent to the IPF, remotely operated cameras mounted outdoors will negate the need for lifts.

LOOK OUT ABOVE: MacIntyre said the spacious IPF offers a “tremendous amount of room, we could kick, punt – it was awesome.” Asked if any punts reached the building's ceiling, he said, “Well, you know, they (punters) came in the very first day and tried to hit the ceiling.”

When MacIntyre asked the group if they could reach the roof, he said they answered, “Oh, yeah, oh, yeah.”

But on Wednesday, he noted, “They didn't hit the ceiling once when they were punting regularly. But they kicked it high and there was plenty of room to catch them. So it went well.”

KEEP AN EYE ON THIS GUY: Senior defensive back Chidobe Awuzie is one of the most versatile players in the Pac-12, and the Buffs aren't going to waste his abilities.

He'll play some corner, some nickel, lining up wherever is best to make a big play. And that's MacIntyre's 2016 goal for “Chido.”

He wants Awuzie to create more havoc – “interceptions, sacks that cause fumbles . . . more turnovers, game-changing plays. He had a couple last year – if could have just two or three more, those are game-changing plays. I look for him to be a guy that the other team is worried about being kind of a turnover magnet.”

Awuzie was second on the team last season in tackles (90, 78 unassisted); first in tackles for loss (9); second in sacks (4), pass breakups (10) and third-down stops (10) and tied for second in interceptions (2).

He was second-team all-conference in 2015.

NOTEWORTHY: Adkins is up to 206 pounds – as heavy as he's been at CU – but says he's retained his speed and shiftiness and is healthy. “I just want to get out there and stay out there,” he said. “I haven't played in so long, I'm excited to get back out here and keep rolling.” . . . . Three Buffs – cornerback Isaiah Oliver, linebacker Christian Shaver and Carr – have worked with the track team but will give that up for spring football. “In spring, football comes first,” MacIntyre said. “When we finish the spring game (April 9) they'll be turned back over to track completely.” He added that might change next year depending on how much each of the trio plays in the fall: “If they're playing a lot and are starters then I'll kind of relieve them and have them not do as much spring practice. But right now they need to earn their starting jobs . . . they can help the track team and the track team is excited about having them.” . . . . In about two months as CU's strength and conditioning coordinator, Drew Wilson “has gotten quite a bit done,” MacIntyre said, adding that his players were stronger appeared in “really good shape” on day one of spring drills. The Buffs are doing Olympic lifts and will continue that regimen three days a week (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday) during spring practice . . . . Last year, CU was done with spring drills by this time. This year, staff changes – including the hiring of Wilson – and other factors pushed the spring start back. MacIntyre didn't discount returning the spring start to February next year, depending on injuries that occur during the season.

Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU