Specifics of Colorado State’s offensive plan under new coach Steve Fairchild will wait until the staff is completed and there is a full evaluation of returning personnel.
Fairchild met the media Friday, more than three weeks after he was named to succeed Sonny Lubick. He first had to finish the NFL season at Buffalo and admitted to second thoughts about not leaving sooner when the Bills needed a bus to get back from Cleveland in a mid-December blizzard.
When Fairchild, 49, coached at CSU from 1993-2000, the Rams were physically dominant up front. While Fairchild wants to retain (or return to) the physical mind-set, he admits the college game has changed.
“You see a lot more spread offenses,” he said. “The game is getting faster. In the NFL, it’s hard to find a fullback, it’s hard to find quarterbacks who aren’t spending more time in the shotgun. The game is changing. Any coach who is going to design and run an offense is going to do it based on what he’s got.
“We’re going to play an exciting brand of football.”
He won’t rule out calling at least some of the plays on offense.
He has interviews lined up with candidates at the American Football Coaches Association Convention in Anaheim, Calif., starting Sunday. Fairchild would not say who is under consideration, but some have ties to the program, either as players or coaches.
He hasn’t seen any tape of the Rams from last season.
As for the erosion of the program’s success during the past four years from its status as a Mountain West leader, Fairchild said: “It would be unfair for me to comment.”
His remedy is hard work
. “When I was with the (St. Louis) Rams, there was a sign when you walk in the door that said, ‘Championships are won on a daily basis.’ That’s how I view this job. We’re not just going to come into camp in August and decide we’re going to practice hard and beat CU. My job is to make us better the next day.”
The complexity level of any new offense depends on the experience of the quarterbacks. CSU has negligible experience at the position.
As a coordinator at the college and NFL level, Fairchild has dealt with the media, but knows the head coaching position takes on a whole new level of public persona. He succeeds the extroverted Lubick, who was almost universally loved by media and boosters.
“I have more respect for Sonny Lubick than anyone I know,” Fairchild said. “I also know I’m not Sonny Lubick. You are who you are. I’m not real flashy. I don’t tell a lot of jokes. I’ll tell you the truth. I do believe in hard work and accountability.”
Defensive coordinator Larry Kerr also attended the press conference. He said a few of the defensive players have dropped in to greet him. He and Fairchild will hire two coaches for the secondary, with one taking on special-teams duties.
Natalie Meisler: 303-954-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com
