Nothing but respect for Embree’s style

As a reporter who has had to scratch and claw for every bit of information I could get on the Colorado football beat in recent years, it’s nice to be covering the program this year under new coach Jon Embree. Why? He answers questions directly, honestly and he doesn’t waste my time or yours. Yes, if I ask questions and report the answers from the head coach and that head coach is being dishonest or holding back bits and pieces of the story, he’s wasting our time. Anyway, I love that Embree doesn’t do that. I’ve said this before, but he strikes me as someone who is very comfortable with himself and his decisions. He’s confident and it is reflected in how he deals with people, including the media and our meddling questions. Today he named freshman Will Oliver his starting place-kicker on the sixth day of training camp because his gut and the results Oliver was producing told him Oliver was the guy. Over the past five years, simple decisions and bits of information like this were treated like state secrets. The decisions might have been made just as early in camp, but you often didn’t get confirmation until much later in August or even until the first game of the season. I’m happy not to have to play that game any more. Embree hasn’t lost a game yet or made a questionable coaching move on game day and he’s faced few tough questions. So it’s tough to say what he might be like a year or two or five from now.The job has a way of changing people over time, even those who swear it won’t have that effect on them. But I like the way Embree is going about his business thus far. It’s a refreshing change that I hope becomes the norm around here.