CU to cut Barnett
Susie Wargin sports reporter/anchor
BOULDER - 9NEWS has learned the University of Colorado does not plan to bring head football coach Gary Barnett back next season.
A 9NEWS source corroborates a Wednesday Denver Post story which says the university will buy out the remainder of Barnett's deal and not reinstate the coach for next year.
Just one month ago, Barnett's future at CU looked promising. Nothing had been set in stone by athletic director Mike Bohn, but his tone indicated a contract extension for Barnett was likely. Today that does not seem likely.
Buying out Barnett's contract will cost the school about $1.8 million - that includes his base salary of $185,000 and $1.6 million of his $2 million retention bonus.
Where the $1.8 million will come from, along with a timeline of when Barnett will be let go, has yet to be determined. Bohn has been out of town at meetings in New York and plans to return Wednesday. When reached for comment by the Post, Bohn would not speculate, but he is expected to talk to Barnett soon after he returns to Boulder.
The Buffs finished Barnett's 7th season with losses in three straight Big 12 games, quickly turning a 7-2 season into 7-5. In those last three games to Iowa State, Nebraska and Texas, CU lost by a combined score of 130-22.
The final two were the most embarrassing as both were on national TV and CU managed to score just 3 points in each game.
CU will play Clemson in the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando on December 27.
http://www.9news.com/acm_news.aspx?OSGNAME=KUSA&IKOBJECTID=056fed62-0abe-421a-0173-027989d0be3a&TEMPLATEID=0c76dce6-ac1f-02d8-0047-c589c01ca7bf