Strike 1: In this football-obsessed sports market, the playoff starved, bottom-dwelling Denver Broncos still have a dedicated year ‘round radio show on the biggest station in town. Meanwhile, the world champion Denver Nuggets have to share air time (rightfully) with the other sports teams in the market, including the sub-mediocre pro football team. Shortly after their championship parade last June, the Nuggets had to relinquish their airtime – including on the station owned by their owner – so everyone could get minute-to-minute updates on what was and wasn’t happening at Broncos training camp.
This horribly skewed (obsessive?) coverage of football also permeates in Boulder, where the head coach of the sub-mediocre football program at CU successfully self-promoted his way to Sportsman of the Year honors, despite going 4-8 and missing the postseason. Meanwhile, the best men’s program at the University of Colorado (with apologies to the skiing and cross country teams) lead by the best basketball coach the school has ever employed, flies under the radar most of the year, right up until they set a new school record for wins in a season and proceed to make a statement during March Madness.
While the Buffs football coach was being ridiculed for his admission that he’s too high profile to be bothered to travel off campus to recruit high school players, the leader of the Buffs basketball program was coaching his “home grown” senior point guard, and watching NBA-bound K.J. Simpson step up on the sports’ biggest stage, and win in the postseason.
Simply put, Tad Boyle is the anti-Deion Sanders. And CU is fortunate to have him.
Boyle isn’t a self-promoter. He hasn’t given himself a nickname. He doesn’t hawk sunglasses, almonds or fast food on TV. He doesn’t make outlandish claims about being disrespected, nor does he manufacture conflicts with opposing coaches. He doesn’t make it about him or his “brand” ever. He doesn’t require that the school’s biggest athletic sponsor pay him – instead of the school – to promote health care. More importantly, he doesn’t kick players off the team when things don’t go well. Boyle builds relationships and his basketball program the old fashioned way.
And yes, he ventures off campus to recruit.
The Colorado native came to Boulder more than a decade ago, telling everyone who would listen that CU was his “dream job” and that he wasn’t planning on using the Buffs as a stepping stone to his alma-mater, Kansas, or anywhere else. And he hasn’t. Boyle has planted roots and built a foundation that doesn’t skirt the rules and doesn’t depend on hype videos or the promise of NIL riches to build a winner.
Assuming his job is safe – and for whatever ridiculous reason, there are Buff supporters out there who continue to want him on the proverbial “hot seat” – Boyle will have to do an old-fashioned roster rebuild this offseason. Not because of failures and the misguided impulse to kick everyone he deems not worthy of his coaching off the team, but because he’s likely sending his best three players to the professional ranks, including one, freshman Cody Williams, who could be the first American-born player to be drafted this summer.
And then he’ll go about his business in his very professional manner. No over the top social media blitz or hype videos. Just the same hard work he’s always done. Yes, he’ll have to include some NIL dollars, just because that’s the era we are in now. But he’ll do that by the book too, and without the help of rap stars and a promotions team.
There’s no doubt the “old-school” approach is collectively struggling right now. Fandom wants the flash and sizzle of social media and constant hype. But most importantly, fans want to win. And winning, not self-promotion, is what Tad Boyle does best.
