Dan Hawkins was close to having a shrine built in his honor outside the varsity center at Boise State prior to taking over as the head coach at Colorado in 2005.

Everyone loved him at Boise State, nationally he was regarded as not only a great football coach, but a better motivator. He was considered college football's version of Phil Jackson.

Heck, I thought he was a great hire, only doubting a little if higher profile athletes (four- and five-star recruits that Boise State wasn't getting) would buy into his so-called "Hawk Love" mantra.

Personally, I always enjoyed being around him. He was quirky, he was honest, and most of all, he would give great answers. Of course he won a lot, too.

Last week, though, he seemed to have lost it (he is only 14-26 with the Buffs) and went on a tirade about loving kids, or in his case, his players. He questioned sportswriters, and wondered why they don't have kids, and if they did, they would know that you "should love them up."

You're right, Hawk, you should love them up, but this is college football, a game that pays you millions of dollars. It's a cut-throat business and it's not nice when the losses outnumber the wins — by a lot.

Hawkins is close to losing his job and it's starting to show. The pressure is high and now he's going after the media, the same media who "loved him up" not so long ago.

Who thought the end would end this way? Not me.