Boosters defending fallen coach

Barnett believers say he's 'scapegoat'

John C. Ensslin, Rocky Mountain News

Friday, December 9, 2005

Longtime fans of University of Colorado football were saddened but not surprised Thursday to learn CU officials fired football coach Gary Barnett.

Several boosters said Barnett simply was taking the fall for the criticism the program has endured since a scandal over recruiting practices erupted nearly two years ago.

"I feel like they needed a scapegoat," said Carrie Cantrell, a 1991 CU graduate and a member of the board of directors of the Alumni C Club Association. "I'm sad about it."

Cantrell recounted Barnett's past successes, including winning four of the past five Big 12 Conference North Division titles and being named conference coach of the year in 2004.

"I think he's done a lot of good," she said, adding critics were using the football team's three consecutive losses at the end of the regular season as a pretext to get rid of him.

"I think it was a good excuse for them to do something they had wanted to do," she said.

Cantrell's husband, Jeffrey, who played for CU when Barnett was an assistant in the late 1980s, agreed that the Buffaloes' recent play was just an excuse.

"I think the administration was probably looking for a reason to pull the trigger." he said.

C Club Association president Frank Bernardi said he believes the announcement could be traced back to January 2004.

That's when Boulder County District Attorney Mary Keenan's allegation the football program had condoned the use of sex and alcohol as recruitment tools for the football program became public.

Ultimately, a state grand jury investigated those allegations. The panel delivered a scathing report on the program and one indictment involving an aide's misuse of a university cell phone.

"Those kind of people finally got what they wanted, " Bernardi said of the program's critics

Bernardi said he still has a high opinion of Barnett.

"I like Gary, I don't know him that well, but I like him," he said. "Gary's a wonderful coach, he's honorable, he's forthright and he's honest."

But Bernardi noted every college football coach has critics.

For his own part, Bernardi intends to remain supportive of the CU athletic program.

"I just want to see CU succeed," said Bernardi, who played football for CU from 1952 to 1954 and who describes himself as "more than a fan. I put a little blood on that field.

"My overall feeling is if you're a coach at CU, whether it's football, basketball, cross country or whatever, I'm in your corner. CU's my baby. I want it to succeed."

ensslinj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-892-5291