With Dan Hawkins about to be named head football coach at Colorado let me tell you how close he came to getting the job at Oregon State.

Hawkins was on the list of candidates. However, Mike Riley was the guy that Bob DeCarolis wanted all along. DeCarolis went through the interview process but it was Riley's job to lose. In fact Fitz Hill, the former head coach at San Jose State was interviewed. Could you imagine selling Fitz Hill to your boosters ? He's a great story and as impressive a human being as you'll meet. He was in the Army and received a Bronze Star and Commendation Medals. But try selling Fitz Hill to your boosters. No one in Corvallis would have know who he was.

Hawkins wanted to bring his entire staff to Corvallis if he got the job. This is not unusual. What coach wants to come in and start working with assistants he doesn't know ? Just ask Dennis Erickson. Look what he had to go through in San Francisco.

Orginally I had heard that Hawkins even wanted to bring in his own secretaries. I am not sure it even got to that point.

But like I said it was Riley or bust.

This was DeCarolis' first hire and, in his mind, Riley was a good choice, and he was also a safe choice. Keep in mind the Raising Reser Project was in full swing and Mike Riley returning to Corvallis can get donors to write checks a lot easier than Dan Hawkins could. Donors would have had to see a few wins from Hawkins before they would start forking over the bucks. But with Riley, they didn't need that.

In the end Colorado and Hawkins are a great fit. Right now it's a mess in Boulder and Hawkins is as good as they come with the football stuff, and he is the boy scout type they need off the field.

As for Riley it's still wait and see. He signed a 7 year contract at $800k a year. DeCarolis wanted to make sure Riley wasn't going anywhere this time. But in doing so put himself in a bind. Because if the Beavs don't go to a bowl next season fans are going to be calling for Riley's firing. Quite frankly, the OSU Athletic Department doesn't have the 2 and a half million dollars it would cost to buy him out if there's another 5-6 season.

So for good or for bad DeCarolis and Riley are joined at the hip. How far they take this thing is anyone's guess.

Ron
RPivo@kgw.com