Sonny Lubick, who spent 15 years at Colorado State University combining unprecedented victories with a keen sense of humor and an overriding concern for the welfare of his players, is out as football coach.
The semantics of his removal as head coach will be under scrutiny at 3 p.m. today during a news conference when Lubick appears with athletic director Paul Kowalczyk. Three days of negotiations surrounding Lubick’s departure ended Monday with Kowalczyk releasing a statement outlining an offer for Lubick, 70, to remain with CSU as a senior associate athletic director.
The role would include fundraising and being a “goodwill ambassador for Rams athletics.” There is a clause in Lubick’s contract that stipulates he has the option to work for the university after he retires.
Negotiations on Lubick’s departure started Saturday, six days after sources said Kowalczyk asked Lubick to resign.
When reached by phone Monday afternoon, Lubick declined to comment on what he would do, saying he promised Kowalczyk he would wait for today’s news conference to talk about his plans.
There was no indication whether Lubick, 108-74 in 15 seasons, would accept CSU’s offer. He made it clear in recent days he wanted to coach at least another year.
Former CSU president Al Yates, who hired Lubick in Dec. 1992, said: “In so many ways, Sonny was one of the best, if not the best, ambassadors and role models for the institution.”
In the wake of a backlash by boosters and former players over how Lubick’s departure has been handled, Kowalczyk’s conduct came under fire from CSU president Larry Penley, who sent out his own news release Monday.
“It’s in no one’s interest for Sonny to end his head-coaching career feeling anything less than honored and valued for all he has done for our students and Rams athletics,” Penley said in the statement. “If that is his perception, for whatever reason, then clearly Paul Kowalczyk has some work to do in continuing to outline a successful future for our program and Sonny’s continued involvement with CSU.”
Kowalczyk, hired by Penley in April 2006, was scheduled to meet with the media Monday afternoon but canceled when today’s news conference, which will be broadcast live on The Mountain (Comcast Channel 411), was announced.
Erik Pears, former CSU player and the Broncos’ starting offensive right tackle, said he feels bad about how Lubick’s coaching career is ending.
“I just wish he’d be able to go out on his own terms,” Pears said Monday. “If CSU loses Sonny Lubick, they’ll be losing a great man as well as a great football coach.”
Yates said CSU’s football success gave him a conversation starting point with the legislature and CSU fundraising functions.
“However this plays out, Sonny is a class act. The most significant legacy Sonny leaves is the impact on so many young men,” Yates said. “They felt that closeness to Sonny and because of that gave everything they had. It’s one reason they won.”
One of the negotiations’ sticking points has been how Lubick’s assistants would be treated. Kowalczyk announced they would receive up to three months’ pay, though they have no contract and would be without a job once Lubick is let go.
The school proposed paying Lubick’s base salary for the remaining two years on his contract. The two-year base is estimated at $500,000, less than half the total package if he completed his contract. With incentives, he was making around $530,000 per season as head coach.
Some assistant coaches started to clean out their offices Monday. Football administrative assistant Marcie Johnston said the office e-mail box was jammed with messages of support.
Lubick’s son Matt, now an Arizona State assistant, offered perhaps the most stirring tribute:
“As a coach, the biggest thing my dad taught me was not to get caught in the bottom line pressure mentality of coaching. It’s most important to truly love and care for the players and people you work with. If coach-of-the-year criteria was based on a father figure who could build character and shape young men’s lives, every player he ever had would unanimously nominate him every year.”
By the numbers
3 Times CSU ended the season in the top 25 (15th in 1994, 16th in 1997, 14th in 2000).
4 Seasons with 10 or more wins, including a school-best 11-2 mark in 1997.
6 League titles won or shared.
20 Players under Lubick who have been drafted by NFL teams.
Coaching moves
Comings and goings Monday:
Jeff Bower, Southern Mississippi: Resigned. Terse statement to media makes it seem not entirely voluntary.
Bill Doba, Washington State: Resigned. No bowl game for fourth consecutive season.
Chan Gailey, Georgia Tech: Fired. AD says Gailey had lost fan support despite six straight winning seasons.
Bill Lynch, Indiana: Hired. Hoosiers’ interim coach rewarded for successful season with four-year contract.
Joe Novak, Northern Illinois: Retired. Leaves after 16 seasons at school.
Houston Nutt, Arkansas: Resigned. Chancellor John A. White says Nutt’s decision was “neither forced, or encouraged, or requested.”
Ted Roof, Duke: Fired. 1-11 this season, 6-45 in four-plus seasons.
Mike Sherman, Texas A&M: Hired. Former Packers coach.
Deep pool of potential candidates
A look at some of the coaches who might be considered possible successors to Sonny Lubick at Colorado State:
Tony Alford, Louisville RB coach: Was a star running back at CSU (1987-90) and still holds school record for rushing yards in a game (310 against Utah in 1989). Was assistant head coach at Iowa State before going to Louisville.
John Benton, Houston Texans offensive line coach: Four-year starter on CSU offensive line (1983-86). Started coaching as graduate assistant in 1987 and by time he left for NFL was the Rams’ co-offensive coordinator.
Al Borges, Auburn offensive coordinator: Worked with CSU athletic director Paul Kowalczyk at Portland State in the 1980s. Helped Auburn finish first in the SEC in scoring in 2004 and 2005.
J.D. Brookhart, Akron head coach: Native of Denver and starred as a wide receiver at CSU (1985-87). Was a Broncos assistant (1995-96) for Mike Shanahan.
Rick Dennison, Broncos offensive coordinator: Played tight end at CSU (1977-79) before going on to play linebacker in the NFL with the Broncos. In his 13th season on the Broncos’ coaching staff.
Steve Fairchild, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator: CSU quarterback (1978-80) who became offensive coordinator under Lubick before leaving the Rams for the NFL in 2001.
Bobby Hauck, Montana head coach: The 43-year-old up-and-comer has led the Division I-AA Grizzlies to five consecutive Big Sky Conference titles and is 52-14. Hauck has coached at five colleges, including four seasons with CU (1995-98).
Jerry Kill, Southern Illinois head coach: Hired in 2001 by Kowalczyk, then AD at SIU. Has five straight winning seasons at I-AA school, including 11-1 so far this year.
Brian Schneider, Oakland Raiders special teams coordinator: Schneider played linebacker at CSU (1990-93). Started coaching career as CSU graduate assistant in 1994 and worked as an assistant until leaving in 2003.
Natalie Meisler: 303-954-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com
