Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ

Chiaverini's ReturnÌý

Darrin Chiaverini (Comm’99) played onÌýthree bowl-winning Buffs football teamsÌýand in the NFL. The Twitter-friendlyÌýcoach and former Buffs captain rejoinedÌýÅ·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ from Texas Tech early this year.ÌýHe aims to inject a fresh shot of Type-AÌýmojo into the Buffs as the new co-offensiveÌýcoordinator, recruiting coordinatorÌýand wide receivers coach. He observesÌýthat the Denver Broncos won the SuperÌýBowl in each of the last three years he’sÌýlived in Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ...

It’s hard to recruit effectively whenÌýthe team has struggled for years.ÌýBut it can’t get better until it getsÌýelite players. How do you breakÌýthat cycle?Ìý

You have to get a group of playersÌýwho want to come in and changeÌýthe culture together. You can flip itÌýwith one or two classes. You reallyÌýcan. You put those classes together,Ìýthey’re hungry, they want to playÌýtogether, then something special canÌýhappen. It’s happened before.Ìý

You’re very active on TwitterÌý(@CoachChev6). How important isÌýthat tool for both recruiting andÌýgetting fans fired up?Ìý

I believe social media is one of theÌýmost powerful instruments we haveÌýin today’s society. It’s time for peopleÌýto know what Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ has been,Ìýwhat we’re about and where we’reÌýtrying to go. The kids nowadays, theyÌýdon’t remember the great [Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ]Ìýteams. They weren’t even bornÌýyet. This place has great pride andÌýgreat tradition. It’s time for the nationÌýto know that again. We have won aÌýnational championship, we’ve wonÌýa Big 12 championship, we’ve wonÌýbowl games, we’ve produced firstroundÌý(NFL) draft picks, we’ve won aÌýHeisman Trophy.Ìý

Tell us about the amount of timeÌýyou spent on the road leading up toÌýsigning day in February.

ÌýIn the last week, I went from DenverÌýto California, California to LubbockÌý(Texas), Lubbock to Dallas, DallasÌýto San Antonio, San Antonio to NewÌýJersey, Jersey to Fort Lauderdale,ÌýFort Lauderdale to Denver. Talk aboutÌýgetting your frequent-flyer miles.Ìý

With you sharing offensive coordinatorÌýduties with Brian Lindgren, howÌýdo you two work out any differencesÌýyou might have?Ìý

Coach Lindgren is a really good person.ÌýWe have different philosophiesÌýon certain things, but he’s been realÌýopen to looking at what we did atÌýTexas Tech, [and I’m] looking at whatÌýthey did at Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ, and we’re tryingÌýto find out what do we do best. WhatÌýdo we have the personnel for, [so that]Ìýwe can play more up-tempo football?ÌýWe have very different personalities —ÌýI’m more aggressive and Type-AÌýand I think coach Lindgren is moreÌýlaid-back — but we’ve meshed well.ÌýWe complement each other. We’reÌýgoing to have differences of opinion,Ìýthere’s no question, because weÌýcome from different styles of footballÌýbackground.Ìý

What do you bring to the table thatÌýcan make a tangible difference inÌýturning things around for Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ?Ìý

I know Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ football. I know howÌýgreat this place has been and I knowÌýit is dying to be great again. I think IÌýcan bring some of that tradition. Also,ÌýI’m very aggressive in recruiting andÌýI want kids to see how special thisÌýplace is. But also it’s about us scoringÌýpoints offensively and helping bringÌýthat to our offense. I’d rather haveÌýcoach Mac [Mike MacIntyre] tell me,Ìý‘Hey Chev, back off a little bit’ thanÌýhave to motivate me. You don’t haveÌýto motivate me. I’m self-motivatedÌýin everything I do. That’s why I’veÌýbeen successful.Ìý

You’ve moved about a dozen timesÌýsince you last lived in Boulder in theÌýlate ’90s. Tell us about that.

It’s been crazy but the journey is worthÌýit. I enjoy teaching young men life skillsÌýthrough football. This is more than justÌýfootball and winning and losing. I wantÌýto win as bad as anything that I do inÌýlife, but I also know there’s more to itÌýthan that. It’s about developing youngÌýmen, developing them as people, soÌýthat once they leave this university,Ìýthey’ll be successful in life. Football hasÌýgiven me the avenue to do that.Ìý

Condensed and edited byÌýGary Baines (´³´Ç³Ü°ù’83).

Photo by Glenn AsakawaÌý