4 thoughts: Former Boston College coach Steve Addazio hired as Colorado State football coach

Kevin Lytle | The Coloradoan

Show Caption Hide Caption 5 things to know about new CSU head football coach Steve Addazio 5 things to know about new CSU head football coach Steve Addazio

The next Colorado State football coach was fired less than two weeks ago.

That’s not to say Steve Addazio won’t be successful in Fort Collins, but the former Boston College coach doesn’t have a track record of high-level success.

Here are four thoughts on the hire.

Who is this dude, anyway?

This hire is unlikely to inspire a fan base still smarting from the two losing seasons that led to Mike Bobo's ouster. Addazio went 44-44 in seven seasons at Boston College, making four bowls and losing three. He never managed to win more than seven games in a season at Boston College.

At age 60 and with a 57-55 overall record as a head coach, Addazio is no longer a rising star. His background as an offensive line coach is only sexy to old-school football purists.

That said, Addazio made big efforts on social media to relate to fans at Boston College. In one case, it led to viral success. "Be a dude" became synonymous with his time at Boston College after a series of Addazio videos went viral on social media platform Vine.

“What’s better than this? Guys being dudes.”

Vine is dead, but the clip has been viewed more than 1 million times on YouTube.

Addazio will need to make a concerted effort to connect with a CSU fan base that will be skeptical of his hiring, along with the larger Fort Collins community that has largely abandoned Rams home games.

Did candidates' integrity issues box CSU into a corner?

It’s safe to say CSU's search for a new coach did not go smoothly. Fans were clamoring for Parker to hire Ohio State assistant and former Rams player Tony Alford. It doesn't appear Alford was ever near the top of Parker's list.

Instead of hiring a search firm, Parker used retired college football coach Urban Meyer to help lead the search. Meyer was connected with Parker via a booster, and helped put one of his former assistants into CSU's top football job.

CSU’s AD said “integrity” was the most important thing in this hire. But then the Rams involved Meyer, who was suspended for three games during Ohio State's 2018 season for his handling of domestic violence allegations against one of his assistant.

Then the Rams came close to hiring former Tennessee coach Butch Jones.

The school was negotiating with Jones before backing off late, per multiple sources, out of concerns about his involvement in a federal Title IX lawsuit that Tennessee settled out of court following allegations of sexual assault by two of Jones' players.

Why did it take so long for CSU to read up on Jones’ background? It wasn’t a secret that he had baggage.

Winding up with Addazio is nearly as confusing. Parker said he wanted someone with head coaching experience and it appears he boxed himself into a tight corner with that restriction.

Addazio doesn’t match CSU’s recruiting footprint and plays a style of football that's vastly different from what CSU built in recent years.

For all the talk about CSU athletics being the "front porch" of the university, this search has been a bad look that's been panned nationwide. If Parker chose wrong, it will set the football program back years. But winning does cure all.

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How will Rams players react?

The next big step will be Addazio’s connection to players. He had several former Boston College players publicly bash him after his firing, including Heisman finalist running back Andre Williams.

I can’t imagine how frustrating it must be for candidates trying to get their first head coaching job and you see Colorado State hire a guy with a 57-55 career record who former BC players (including a Heisman finalist) openly celebrated his dismissal. — Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) December 11, 2019

Two current CSU players – offensive lineman Nouredin Nouili and safety Caleb Blake – have already announced intentions to transfer. Quarterback prospect Griffin Brewster decommitted from CSU on Wednesday prior to the announcement.

Time will tell how Addazio will connect with his new team. CSU has a roster good enough to win in 2020. Addazio needs to avoid mass attrition.

There's also the early signing period opening in a week (Dec. 18) when Addazio will need to try to lock down CSU's current commits.

Will CSU remain Wide Receiver U?

CSU’s biggest mark on the national stage has been its offensive firepower, most notable its emergence as a "Wide Receiver U."

Rashard Higgins, Michael Gallup, Bisi Johnson and Preston Williams are all former CSU receivers making their mark in the NFL. Warren Jackson will be next.

Will that continue? Addazio’s Boston College teams were more old-school football, with solid defense and methodical, rush-based offense.

It would behoove CSU and Addazio to hire an offensive coordinator who can keep the Rams’ high-flying offense, but it doesn’t seem likely with the new coach's track record.

If the Rams shift back to an old-school plan, it will take years to rebuild the roster in that mold.

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