Embree recruited well despite performance 

Back-to-back abysmal seasons cost Colorado head coach Jon Embree his job, which means a transition for a program that would seem to have nowhere to go but up. But what stood out about Embree’s brief, two-year tenure, was the disproportionate amount of success he found on the recruiting trail, relative to the on-field record. While Colorado didn’t exactly dominate the recruiting landscape in the Pac-12 under Embree, the Buffaloes were a player for far more recruits than their recent lack of success would seem to indicate.

That had a lot to do with Embree’s personality and ability to relate to recruits, which included being able to sell his background as a former standout Colorado tight end and a coach with 10 years of experience as an assistant coach.

Embree also seemed to be following a blueprint for recruiting success that has kept Oregon State -- another school without an abundance of home-grown talent of other states -- more than relevant in a competitive conference. In his two full recruiting classes, Embree hit California and Texas hard. In the 14-player class of 2013, 11 verbal commitments were from those two states. He got players to buy into the idea of competing early for a position and bringing a proud Colorado football program back to relevance. Eventually, however, injuries and a nearly impossible uphill climb led to the end of his tenure.

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