DENVER Colorado begins search for replacement

Athletic director Mike Bohn has a coach in mind.
DENVER (AP) -- Colorado's athletic director was pleased with the school's progress in the search for a new football coach Friday, a day after severing ties with Gary Barnett and putting himself on the clock to save this year's recruiting class.
"We know that every day that goes by without a replacement certainly has a price in the recruiting area," athletic director Mike Bohn said. "But if we get the right fit and right coach, we can make up that ground quickly."
On Thursday, Bohn said he had one specific "star" in mind for the job and landing that person would be a home run. But on Friday, the AD said too much was made of that quote.
"There are numerous candidates out there," Bohn said. "The point I was trying to make was, we will get a home run. We'll find him and we'll make it work."
Interim coach
In the meantime, Bohn tabbed Barnett's defensive coordinator, Mike Hankwitz, to coach the team against Clemson in the Champs Sports Bowl on Dec. 27.
Bohn said he had not conducted any formal interviews as of Friday. He has hired Chuck Neinas, his mentor and a well-connected, Boulder-based headhunter, to help with the search. Bohn said he'll confer with chancellor Phil DeStefano, as well as members of the administration and faculty.
"We are pleased with our progress at this point," he said.
Colorado recruiting coordinator David Hansburg and some of Barnett's assistants, who are still under contract, will remain on the recruiting trail.
Bohn made a plea at Barnett's going-away news conference for players not to give up on the school, although even that may not pay off. As it stands, Colorado's recruiting class is rated 74th the nation by Rivals.com.
"It's not unbearable, in my opinion," Bobby Burton of Rivals.com said of being without a coach during the key recruiting period in December. "But you can't expect a banner recruiting class this year no matter who you hire. It's going to be a year before the new coach can fully explain who they are to the players."
If Bohn's "star" is a current assistant at another college -- say former CU and current UCLA assistant Jon Embree, who has the support of former Buffs coach Bill McCartney -- he will have to negotiate with that school, first to talk to the coach, then about the timing of prying him away.
If it's someone like Dave Logan, a popular former CU player who now coaches high school and is the play-by-play voice of the Denver Broncos, things could move more quickly.