Mike Bobo: I'm committed to Colorado State

CSU football coach Mike Bobo stood up in front of his team after practice Friday and made one thing clear: He's not going anywhere.

It wasn't a hard sell. With the relationship he's built with his players, the idea of him leaving after one year never truly crossed their minds.

"He told us he's out recruiting and that he's building this team for next year," Colorado State University quarterback Nick Stevens said. "There's no reason not to believe that. I'm not sure where the sources came from. We all know he's here, he's here to stay and we know he loves us.

"I think the article that was passed around said "sources" which is not really a definite thing. We all knew he was here for us ... He even said he didn't know where the (rumor) came from."

A report published Tuesday by Yahoo! Sports stated Bobo was one of four candidates believed to have interviewed for the Tigers' head coaching job while Missouri athletic director Mack Rhoades was visiting Denver.

After practice Friday, Bobo said that in 15 years as a coach, his policy is to not talk about other jobs, but that he's "100 percent committed to his university, recruiting for this university and preparing for the bowl game."

Other candidates listed in the report believed to have interviewed were Air Force coach Troy Calhoun, Utah State's Matt Wells and Cal's Sonny Dykes. Dykes and Bobo, who has a $5 million buyout, are represented by Balch Sports. Missouri promoted defensive coordinator Barry Odom to head coach Thursday night.

Also, the Georgia head coaching position is expected to be filled soon by Kirby Smart. He is the Alabama defensive coordinator and a former Bulldog player. He will replace Mark Richt. Bobo came to CSU from Georgia, where he was a player and assistant coach.

Bobo set a school record for most wins by a first-year CSU coach in the regular season, leading the Rams to a 7-5 mark. Should CSU win its bowl game, he'll have the most victories of a first-year coach in program history. Steve Fairchild went 7-6 in 2008, including a victory in the New Mexico Bowl.

For insight and analysis on athletics around Northern Colorado and the Mountain West, follow sports columnist Matt L. Stephens at twitter.com/mattstephens and facebook.com/stephensreporting.