George Names Roper Interim, Sets Parameter For Next Buffs Head Coach

BOULDER — When Colorado Athletic Director Rick George announced Sunday that he had decided to bring in new leadership for CU's football program, he made perfectly clear the attributes he would be seeking in his new head coach.

"The most important thing is, I want a coach that cares for the student athletes," George said. "I want a coach that can be on the same level that can talk to the players. I want them to be a great coach. They've got to be a great recruiter. I want somebody that's got the right character, the right integrity, that is going to do things the right way."

And, he added with emphasis, "Most importantly, I want a coach that has the same passion about this place that I do and I want somebody that's going to come in here and guide these young men to great things in the future."

George said he reached his decision to replace former head coach Mike MacIntyre on Saturday night, a few hours after the Buffs dropped a 30-7 loss to Utah, their sixth straight defeat.

"In my gut, it was the right thing," George said.

Sunday, he named quarterbacks coach Kurt Roper as the interim head coach. Roper, who joined the staff just last January, will lead the 5-6 Buffs into next Saturday's regular season finale against Cal. A win would make Colorado bowl eligible, a goal that now becomes even more important.

George said no one loss in CU's six-game skid was the deciding factor. He noted that he talked with MacIntyre after Colorado's overtime loss to Oregon State — a game the Buffs led 31-3 at one point — and gave him a vote of confidence.

But as the losses continued to mount, George said, it became apparent a change was necessary. In his six seasons at CU, MacIntyre had one winning record — a 10-4 finish in 2016 that included a Pac-12 South title and Alamo Bowl bid.

"I want to see more consistent winning seasons," George said. "I know where I want this program to go. I want to win Pac-12 Championships. I want to win national championships. I'm committed to that."

George should have no trouble finding interested candidates. The Buffs return a host of talented young players on both sides of the ball, the Champions Center means CU has to take a backseat to no one when it comes to facilities, and CU's outstanding academic reputation makes it a destination position in one of the more desirable places to live in the nation.

"This is one of the great jobs in all of sports," George said. "To be able to go to school at the University of Colorado, to play in Folsom Field with that backdrop, to be in the conference that we're in, there's not a better job in America than here at Colorado. I'm committed to hiring the very best coach we can and we 're going to begin that search immediately."

George made it clear that expectations will not be tempered for Colorado's 26th full-time head coach. Noting that CU's 5-0 start this year had the Buffs in the national conversation once again, he said, "That's where Colorado should be every season. We should be the talk of the country."

Roper's goal, meanwhile, will be much more immediate — do whatever possible to help the Buffs end their six-game slide, defeat Cal and earn bowl eligibility.

"My job right now is to try to prepare this team to win a football game," Roper said. "When you do that, you really look at each day as its own day. We are focusing on what we do on Sunday. Monday will come and we will get with the players. We'll have a plan to prepare for Monday and then we will go through the week. Right now, it's a pretty singular focus. Let's figure out how to win a football game."

While always a plus, a bowl bid would be an even bigger bonus for Colorado this year if the Buffs can get their new head coach in place in time for the preparation. That would give the new head coach 15 extra practices to see and evaluate his new players, an invaluable head start on next season, and not one afforded most head coaches when programs make a change.

Roper, a longtime friend of MacIntyre, has not been a head coach in the college ranks He served as quarterbacks coach at Ole Miss — where he first crossed paths with MacIntyre — and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Duke, where the two also coached together. He also served as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Florida and South Carolina.

One thing he will concentrate on is making sure CU's players have the right mindset this week.

"I think you learn pretty quickly in football that most of these young men are pretty resilient," Roper said. "I think a lot of these young men are pretty strong willed. They understand what college athletics are all about. Obviously, they respect and love Coach MacIntyre. But they have a responsibility this week and that is to prepare to win a football game. … We have to help them understand that this is a great opportunity for us. They need to go compete and be really mentally focused with this opportunity."

George did not offer a timeline for naming a new head coach. He made it clear it is something he wants to accomplish soon, but it also obviously a job he also doesn't want to rush. He said he will consider candidates from the current staff, but will also make it a national search.

"I want to move quickly, but I also want to be very thorough to ensure that we get this football team back to national prominence," George said.

As for staffing, he said that will be the next head coach's decision.

"I'll leave it up to the head coach," George said. "I'll certainly have some discussions with the head coach as we're going through this process. I think we've got some terrific football coaches on this staff and I'll make sure that whomever I'm talking to knows the quality of the people we have on our coaching staff and in our department."

George also said the location of next Saturday's game is still up in the air. Cal's game with Stanford over the weekend was postponed because of poor air quality as a result of fires in the region. He and Cal officials are in conversation with Pac-12 officials about a possible move of the game, but Sunday, the air quality in Berkeley had improved significantly. A decision is expected in the next day or two.

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu

George Names Roper Interim, Sets Parameter For Next Buffs Head Coach

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