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Colorado hires Jon Embree as coach

BOULDER, Colo. -- Jon Embree will be introduced as Colorado's new football coach on Monday morning.

Word got out late last week that Embree, the Washington Redskins tight ends coach, was athletic director Mike Bohn's choice to replace Dan Hawkins, who was fired after going 19-39 in four-plus seasons in Boulder.

"It's a dream job with it being my alma mater and growing up out there, this is definitely the job that I've always wanted," Embree said Sunday.

Embree's deal will be for five years, The Denver Post has reported, citing his agent.

"You have assistant coaches that have been around college football," Embree said. "A lot of recruiting is selling yourself and selling the program. Obviously knowing both very well, I'm excited about the prospects on the horizon."

Embree will be joined in Boulder next month by fellow former Buffalo Eric Bieniemy, who will finish out the season as the Minnesota Vikings' running backs coach before returning to Colorado to serve as Embree's offensive coordinator.

The Buffaloes have called a morning news conference to introduce Embree as the school's 24th full-time head coach and Embree flew to Colorado following the Redskins' 31-7 loss to the New York Giants.

"I'm excited about it. I'm ready to get out there and see what the landscape's like and get ready to start recruiting," Embree said. "I'll do that for a couple of weeks and then we'll have a dead period. I'll come back here to see these guys and watch them finish the season strong."

Redskins coach Mike Shanahan let Embree leave the team early so he could get a jump on recruiting.

"I'm very happy for Jon. He'll make a heck of a head coach," Shanahan said. "It's a dream job for him. He's done a heck of a job for us. I wish him well."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.