Colorado's Hawkins Adds to Resume

Colorado head coach Dan Hawkins announced a few moves on his staff this week, the biggest being that he will add the role of receivers coach to his duties this upcoming season.

Hawkins will coach the Buffaloes as he prepares 13-year NFL defensive back Ashley Ambrose to take over the wide receivers position for the 2010 season. Ambrose, who is carrying the title of defensive technical intern this season, will be able to observe Hawkins but is prohibited from coaching the players until after the season when he will be named a full-time assistant.
The former Boise State head coach is looking forward to the day-to-day rigors of coaching a position this season.

"I was educated as a teacher and spent the majority of my professional life in the trenches as a teacher-coach," Hawkins said. "My first year at Boise as head coach, I also coached the tight ends. I am extremely excited about rolling up my sleeves and being a position coach again.

"We all recognize Ashley as a rising star in the profession," he continued. "He has the respect of our players, is extremely intelligent and is a class act. We look forward to mentoring Ashley and eventually having him be a part of our full-time staff."

The move paves the way for Hawkins to bring aboard his longtime mentor, 68-year-old Bob Foster, to coach outside linebackers for the 2009 season. Foster brings four decades of coaching experience to the staff, which time as the defensive coordinator at UC-Davis when Hawkins was a player and coach there and later became head coach. Foster was also Hawkins' defensive consultant for three seasons at Willamette.

This is the third time Foster has come out of retirement to coach at a BCS school, coming out in 2002 and 2006 to coach linebackers at Cal.

"Bob Foster is one of the greatest coaches, husbands, fathers and mentors around," Hawkins said. "He was part of an NCAA record 20 consecutive conference championships, and Coach Foster was a major part of the success of Oregon and Cal during his time there. He has never had a losing record and is a real quality human being who will be a major force for Colorado football on and off the field."

Additionally on Tuesday, Hawkins announced that former Michigan receiver Tony Clemons, one of the top high school receivers in 2007, has transferred to Colorado and is enrolled in summer school. Clemons, a 6-foot-3, 200-pounder out of Pittsburgh, played as a true freshman under former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr and as a sophomore last season under Rich Rodriguez, he caught 11 passes for 101 yards and had no touchdown receptions. He will be eligible to play in 2010 after sitting out this season.

Colorado also announced redshirt freshman tight end Ryan Wallace sought his release to transfer closer to his Bowling Green, Ky., home, with sophomore Lynn Katoa likely to transfer to a junior college.