Woelk: Along With Success, Boyle Era Legacy Is Integrity, Commitment

BOULDER — At the end of a week that saw the University of Colorado Athletic Department take a rather nasty hit — through no fault of its own — Tad Boyle's men's basketball team once again provided a bright spot.

Saturday night's dominating 69-47 win at Oregon State was just what Buffaloes fans needed.

We say "once again" because in the 10 years Boyle has been at the helm, his Buffs have consistently provided winning seasons and postseason appearances. They have been a reliable cornerstone for Colorado supporters, a steady boat in some turbulent times.

When Boyle took the job in time for the 2010-11 season, CU's football team was hitting a rough patch. All Boyle did was deliver an NIT Final Four appearance and three straight NCAA Tournament bids in his first four seasons.

Now, in the wake of the sudden and rather unseemly departure of CU's football coach after just one year, Boyle's team is again poised to deliver a dose of good news:

— The Buffs are currently ranked No. 16/15 in the national polls and will almost certainly maintain a spot in the top 20 when the new polls are released Monday.

— They will head into next week's final homestand of the year with no worse than a tie for the Pac-12 lead.

— They are No. 11 in the NCAA Evaluation Tool rankings (NET), No. 16 in the KenPom and No. 21 in the Sagarin and ESPN Power Index ratings. All are used by the NCAA Selection Committee for seeding, and right now, those numbers point very favorably in the direction of a top five or six seed.

But while this year's Buffs — led by an outstanding 2017 recruiting class that includes McKinley Wright IV, Tyler Bey, D'Shawn Schwartz and Evan Battey — are no doubt poised to do something special, the story is bigger than one season.

What Boyle has done in his tenure in Boulder is provide a decade of stability, dependability and quality. He has done so rather quietly and without fanfare, but the truth is he has produced without question the most successful decade of men's basketball at CU in more than a half century.

Some numbers:

— Saturday night's win over Oregon State improved Colorado to 20-6 overall and 9-4 in Pac-12 play. There have been 11 teams in CU history to win 20 games. Boyle has coached seven of those teams.

— He is the first men's coach in CU history to take his team to three straight NCAA Tournaments.

— In the last 50 years, 10 Colorado teams have finished above .500 in conference play. Boyle has coached five of those teams. With one more Pac-12 win, those numbers will be six of 11.

— In his 10 years in Boulder (counting this season), Boyle has produced nine winning seasons. If the Buffs advance to the postseason this year, it will be his ninth appearance. Put that into football terms and that's nine bowl games in 10 years (then ask yourself if Buffs football fans would be happy with that kind of production).

— Colorado has advanced to the conference tournament semifinals five times in its history and the tournament final twice. Boyle owns four of those semifinal appearances and one of the finals appearances (which he won).

— He has produced five NBA Draft picks, including three first rounders, and his former players in the NBA include Derrick White, Spencer Dinwiddie, Andre Roberson and Alec Burks.

Then remember that Colorado men's basketball was seldom more than an afterthought in the 40 years prior to Boyle's arrival. In that time, the Buffs experienced just two NCAA Tournament appearances and finished in the top half of the conference only five times.

Boyle has been to four NCAA Tournaments and produced six teams in the top half of the standings; those numbers will quite likely improve to five and seven this year.

And, he has led Colorado to the fourth-most wins in the Pac-12 since the conference expanded.

But "just" the numbers don't do the Boyle Era true justice.

Boyle has accomplished these things while operating with class and integrity. In an era when FBI and NCAA investigations hover over some of the top programs in America — including some from the Pac-12 — there has never been a sniff of impropriety with Boyle's program.

He has done it the right way. He has refused to compromise his ethics or those of the university.

Just last week, Boyle talked with reporters about the importance of recruiting high-quality young men to the program.

"Character is the number one criteria we have in recruiting," Boyle said. "You can't win without high-character guys, in my opinion. There's coaches that would disagree with me. There's coaches that would say talent is infinitely more important than character. I'm not one of them."

Boyle has recognized that such an approach is necessary in Boulder. While many fan bases and communities operate with a blind eye toward violations and unscrupulous behavior, the CU administration and the Colorado fan base expect high standards in every regard.

"I think we all have to have our own philosophies," Boyle said. "I'm not saying mine are right. I'm saying they're right for me, they're right for our staff. I think they gel well with the University of Colorado. I think it's important as a coach that you understand where you work and the climate in which you work. You'd better understand what the community of Boulder is like and what it offers and what maybe it doesn't offer. You'd better sell your recruits accordingly."

It is a commitment that has remained unwavering in his decade in Boulder. While other coaches chase dollars, Boyle pursues success while traveling the right path. He is not among the upper half of Pac-12 coaches in terms of salary, but he is among the best in terms of overall results.

That — especially in light of last week's events — is a key element of Boyle's legacy in Boulder.

He has been successful, and he has achieved that success with loyalty, class and integrity. He has shown a commitment to the community, the state and the university, and all he has asked is that the commitment go both ways.

That — never mind the success — is reason enough to celebrate and enjoy the Tad Boyle era.

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu