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The mystery surrounding Dan Hawkins' immediate future at Colorado has been resolved.

Colorado athletic director Mike Bohn announced Thursday morning that the embattled coach will return for his fifth season in 2010. Speculation had mounted in recent weeks as the Colorado Buffaloes spiral at 3-8 – their third non-bowl season in four years.

But Bohn and Colorado chancellor Dr. Phillips DiStefano met with Hawkins and his team Thursday morning to inform them of the plans to allow Hawkins to continue on.

Colorado coach Dan Hawkins has been adamant the past few seasons that having his son, Cody Hawkins, play quarterback for the Buffaloes was no different than other recruit.

Hawkins did a complete turnaround during Monday's weekly press conference, saying if he had to do it all over again he would not have recruited his own son.

"Not for him, no. Nope. Not at all," Hawkins said. "It's not fair to him. Here is a guy who is trying to do his best to win games and to help his team and does everything right, he's a good student and he's getting killed on Facebook and getting killed on his cell phone.

Conventional wisdom says Tyler Hansen should have been wary.

You don't commit to a program where the quarterback you will be competing with for time is the head coach's son. Period.

But that is exactly what the lightly-recruited Hansen did two years ago when he committed to Dan Hawkins and the Colorado Buffaloes, with Cody Hawkins already entrenched as the team's signal caller. Ever since, it had been a rollercoaster ride for Hanson.

Colorado running back Thomas Perez will miss the 2007 season, not for Fulmer Cup-related hijinx, but instead due to poor classroom performance. Let this serve as a stark reminder of the importance of the "other" side of student-athlete. Perez was being counted on to help bolster Colorado's running attack. The coaches were hoping he would serve as the team's power back and offer a nice change up from the elusive running style of Hugh Charles.

Perez arrived in Boulder in the Fall of 2006 as a junior-college transfer from Compton Community College. After academic clearance issues delayed his availability, the coaches decided to redshirt him in 2006. Coach Dan Hawkins had been bullish on Perez last fall.

"I said when I watched him on tape that he's an angry runner. He's a violent runner," Hawkins said at the time. "We need that and that's a good thing."

Unfortunately, the Buffaloes will once again have to without the bruising play of the 6-1, 220-pound Perez in 2007.

I'm all for having a realistic outlook on life, and I understand the importance of doing one's best. That being said Nick Nelson, a junior college transfer at Colorado, might be taking things a bit too seriously. This is what he had to say about his battle with Cody Hawkins for the Buffaloes starting quarterback job:

"I think it's real crucial because this is my last chance," Nelson said. "If Cody starts, I'm pretty much done. I'm going to be a backup for the rest of my career. So that puts a little extra pressure on me, but that's OK. I can handle it. I like pressure."

Pretty much done? A little extra pressure? I'm pretty sure this is what psychologists call "catastrophisizing". I understand that you're facing an uphill battle in trying to beat out the coaches son, but relax Nick, you've only been campus since January. It should come as no surprise then that, while Cody and his dad were off spring breaking with Urban Meyer, Nelson was busy criticizing his own play.

"I've got to pick it up a little bit. I can't be making some of the mistakes I've been making."

Nick Nelson – he's so emo.

The University of Colorado landed the guy they wanted in now former Air Force Head Coach Jeff Bzdelik. A news conference has been set for late this morning to introduce the new basketball head coach. Bzdelik was long the target of Colorado and the only candidate to actually take a tour of the facilities. The Buffaloes Head Football Coach, Sean Hawkins, was active in trying to help land Bzdelik and envisions a close relationship with him.

"(Meyer) is very supportive of Billy, and Billy is very supportive of him. And I think our department is that way, too," Dan Hawkins said after the Buffs' spring football practice on Tuesday. "I think you're all trying to push in the same direction and everybody's on the same page. It's obviously a very exciting time for (Florida). Everyone loves a winner."

The Buffs football and men's basketball teams combined for nine victories this season. Which means there is nowhere to go but up for Hawkins and Jeff Bzdelik.

"I think it will be exciting," Hawkins said of welcoming a new basketball coach to Boulder. "Because just like in football here, I just think there is so much potential here in both upgrading the facility and upgrading the program. I think whoever comes here is coming at the right time and people are ready to support that. Even though it's down a little bit, I think there's tremendous potential."

Yes, this should be just like Florida with Billy Donovan and Urban Meyer. Of course it helps when you win.

Of all the coaching vacancies, Bzdelik was only interested in the Colorado coaching job because it means no moving his family. It was a big reason why he took the Air Force gig after being fired as Head Coach of the Denver Nuggets.

Spring break is traditionally a time for college kids to head to Florida. Its not surprising then that Colorado quarterback Cody Hawkins did just that a few weeks ago. What is surprising, however, is that Hawkins took his father, Colorado head coach Dan Hawkins with him, and the two spent some time with Urban Meyer and the Florida Gators.

"I think it's really good to get out and just compare notes and see how other people do things," [Dan] Hawkins said. "It makes you think not so much what they do but what you do and why you do it. "It was nice. Went to a lot of meetings and just soaked it up."

No mention of beer bongs and wet t-shirt contests, and I'm shocked that MTV didn't bother to cover their exploits. But the trip sounds about right for a team coming off a 2-10 record in 2006. Sometimes its just good to get away and experience something new. You know, like a winning attitude.

"From those guys, I think probably the biggest thing you can learn is just the swagger and dedication to it," Cody Hawkins said. "...I was just noticing how dedicated the players were to everything. I mean, they were Gator football players and they really took pride in playing football for the University of Florida."

Coming off a disappointing 2-10 season, Colorado began spring practices with just six healthy offensive linemen. Included in that group are three players with considerable experience in tackles Tyler Polumbus (pictured at right) and Edwin Harrison, along with former guard Daniel Sanders who is moving to center in 2007. The coaching staff is hopeful that Erick Faatagi will also be cleared to join the group later in the spring. Despite the OL shortage, new offensive line coach Jeff Grimes is trying to remain upbeat:

"The positive part of it is that those guys are going to get plenty of work and they're going to get coached on every single snap," Grimes said. "And those guys will get better as a result of it."

While it is not unusual for teams to experience a lack of depth following a turnover in coaching staffs, the Buffaloes' offensive line situation seems especially dire. The CU spring game could be a logistical nightmare even if eight-man football rules are instituted.

The good news for Colorado fans is that the paucity up front should improve with eight offensive line recruits expected to arrive in the fall. The most notable member of that group, high school All-American Ryan Miller, should push for immediate playing time come August.

The Colorado Buffaloes are entering their second spring under Dan Hawkins with an improved attitude and a better understanding of expectations. Clearly becoming more familiar with the coaching staff and its system can go a long ways toward developing team chemistry, but what about memories of a dreadful 2006?

"I don't care who you are, 2-10 will wake you up," [defensive tackle George] Hypolite said. "Failure will wake any man up - and if you react to it correctly, it will bring you closer together."

So, CU fans can take solace in knowing that if nothing else, the players are at least bonding over the last season's double-digit losses. The team has also reportedly rededicated themselves to off-season workouts and some are actually staying after practice for extra work. Additionally this spring finds the Buffaloes working hard to develop trust with teammates in the name of chemistry. Coach Hawkins already sees a difference:

"You're starting to see these guys get steely-eyed. It's that merger, that marriage of souls."

With the off-season workouts now behind them, the Buffs will be looking to bounce back in 2007. Tight end Tyson DeVree thinks the key ingredient to making that happen might be shared humility:

"What we realized is actually pretty simple: No matter how much all the running and stuff hurt, it hurts more to lose. We're not going to go through that again."

Unless, that is, you fail to find a quarterback or guys on defense to replace Thaddaeus Washington and Abraham Wright.

In his second start as the one-and-only-officially-the-starting quarterback for the Arizona State Sun Devils, Rudy Carpenter lit up the Nevada defense for five touchdown passes in a 52-21 win.

After a slow start in their season opener against Northern Arizona, the Sun Devils looked to Colorado's embarrassing loss to Montana State for inspiration to motivate them against the lowly Wolf Pack.

Fittingly enough, the #23 Sun Devils will travel to Boulder this weekend to meet the winless Colorado Buffaloes, whose road to victory this season seems tougher than ever.