This is from Pat Rooney's article:

"I just want to make sure when we come out there and line up in 2021, I want to be different than what we were in 2020."

**Most CU fans were positive and excited about 4-0, and even 4-2, yet KD was not fully pleased. He isn't settling on that small sample of improvement and basking in congratulations. He's not pounding his chest and strutting 'round like a rooster. No. He sees things he doesn't like and knows can't continue. He wants better. He knows that is going to take big steps.

"2020, we’re going to use that as a reference point. But really, 2021 is a whole new year. It’s a whole new objective and a whole new standard of how we do things. For us to get those things accomplished, it’s going to take a great level of commitment both from our staff and our players.”

**Did you see it? "..a whole NEW STANDARD of HOW we DO things." This sounds like how the best coaches think, communicate, are motivated and lead. Coachspeak, you say? Maybe. Yet I didn't hear that much out of the mouths of the cast of usual suspects who have been leading this program for years.

KD sounds a hella (sic) lot more like an Urban Meyer, Nick Saban or other old school winners than he does a list of CU head football coaches not named McCartney, Barnett and Crowder. Mediocrity might one day come to an end in this program.

**Did you see this too? "..it’s going to take a great level of commitment both from our staff and our players." Raising the bar. The greats push people, demand from them what they don't even know they have in themselves or don't know how to release or don't want to give. What I really like about that statement (and I think has been missing at Assistant Coach Free Ride University) is "..it's going to take a GREAT LEVEL of COMMITMENT from both our STAFF and..."

We're already seeing it. Two of them, gone. KD was seeing what those staff members didn't know.

Now, I've said that I didn't like the KD hiring (I saw it as a convenient hire of low-hanging fruit). It was uninspiring and I didn't see it taking CU to great heights. I am also not impressed with the first recruiting class, even with all the reasons stated for it on this board. Yet I can say, I was impressed with how KD led and achieved during the season. He was impressive. The steady leader in the storm/chaos. He looked competent and excellent. Squeezed all the juice out the fruit that he could. Recruiting is the secret sauce yet no program wins without a great leader too who hires an excellent staff and INFLUENCES as well as persuades players to drive themselves to improvement, productivity and success, while being a team.

KD is one thing, despite my doubts, and that is credible. A change in fortunes might be a comin'.