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25 worst college football coaching hires in history

By Nicholas Ian Allen

PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 1: Head coach Mike Price of the Washington State University Cougars manages the game from the sidelines during the 89th Rose Bowl game against University of Oklahoma Sooners at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2003 in Pasadena, California. Oklahoma defeated Washington St. 34-14. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 1: Head coach Mike Price of the Washington State University Cougars manages the game from the sidelines during the 89th Rose Bowl game against University of Oklahoma Sooners at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2003 in Pasadena, California. Oklahoma defeated Washington St. 34-14. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) /
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BOULDER, CO – NOVEMBER 07: Head coach Dan Hawkins leads the Colorado Buffaloes against the Texas A&M Aggies during NCAA college football action at Folsom Field on November 7, 2009 in Boulder, Colorado. Colorado defeated Texas A&M 35-34. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
BOULDER, CO – NOVEMBER 07: Head coach Dan Hawkins leads the Colorado Buffaloes against the Texas A&M Aggies during NCAA college football action at Folsom Field on November 7, 2009 in Boulder, Colorado. Colorado defeated Texas A&M 35-34. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) /

19. Dan Hawkins, Colorado

  • Hired: December 2005
  • Fired: November 2010
  • Record at Colorado: 19-39 (.328)
  • Career head coaching record: 112-61-1 (.644)

Embree struggled mightily to turn Colorado around, but he also inherited a mess from Dan Hawkins, who spent five losing seasons as the head coach of the Buffs.

Chris Petersen receives a lot of credit for Boise State become a national name in college football, but Hawkins posted a 53-11 record in five seasons as head coach of the Broncos before he was lured away to Boulder. That run included three years with 11 wins or more (including a record string of 31 straight wins in Western Athletic Conference play) and four WAC championships.

The magic of the blue turf didn’t follow Hawkins to Colorado, however. His tenure began with a thud in 2006, losing to FCS Montana State 19-10. After taking over a 7-5 program, Hawkins’ first Colorado squad finished 2-10, which tied the school record for losses in a season.

Hawkins rebounded with a 6-6 regular season in 2007, but the Buffaloes lost the Independence Bowl to Alabama and its new head coach, Nick Saban. A 5-7 campaign in 2008, a 3-9 mark in 2009, and 3-6 start in 2010 – highlighted by a brutal 52-45 loss to Kansas in his final game – spelled the end for the coach that brought us such gems as “It’s Division I football, it’s the Big 12. It ain’t intramurals… go play intramurals, brother…” as well as “10 wins no excuses” ahead of a nine-loss season.

After six years as a football nomad, which included short stints with the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes, the U.S. national team, Vikings Vienna (a pro football team in Austria) and as a television broadcaster, Hawkins is once again a college head coach. He was hired as the head coach at UC Davis in November 2016.

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