FORT COLLINS — Steve Fairchild is fresh from seven years in the NFL, or the No Fun League, where some organizations seem to prefer deprogramming coaches’ personalities into Bill Belichick clones.
When asked to describe Colorado State’s new football coach, phrases such as “very well organized, all business, smart, intense, intelligent” are used by former teammates and coaching colleagues.
Typical NFL cliches.
But even if he doesn’t always show it, the 49-year-old Fairchild is having the time of his life as he settles into running his own program for the first time.
“I don’t consider myself a great public speaker by any means, but I certainly like talking to people about the program and where we’re trying to go,” Fairchild said.
What he sees is his offense taking shape nearing the end of spring practice and a new staff starting to learn what he wants.
Every day during the Rams’ spring drills the past three weeks, he has introduced something new, be it as small as varying the number of minutes in each drill period to switching the offensive and defensive jersey colors. He has even had the sports information director jump in a fun drill with the team that involved running in circles.
Fairchild welcomes the change from the NFL’s year-round, all-football focus to the more diverse demands at the college level.
But he brought with him tricks from the NFL he hopes can turn CSU’s program around.
“His presence here is a good change,” said safety Klint Kubiak, oldest son of Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak. “It’s so much more up-tempo.”
Return to Fort Collins
Fairchild finally has boxes unpacked and his office decorated, with family photos and his new toy, a wide-screen plasma TV. He is fascinated with how the flatscreen pulls out from the wall, swivels, turns and does everything but run the two-minute offense.
It’s a far cry from when Fairchild first visited the CSU coaches’ offices as a player in the 1970s, or later as an assistant coach in the 1990s. Now he sits in a plush office overlooking the practice field.
He has been drawing on his history in Fort Collins to bridge his return to college ball. He enjoys bringing out former players to talk to his new team. He has even hired three of his former CSU players as assistant coaches.
“He expects people to practice a certain way. He’s from the NFL, but he was like that before,” former CSU quarterback Matt Newton said after visiting practice last week. “Everybody knows, offense or defense, he expects a certain way of practice and a level of intensity.”
During Newton’s career, Fairchild was known for being in the face of his quarterbacks. Now he spends most of practice observing the offense, and occasionally dropping in on the defense.
“There’s a lot of personnel decisions that sometimes an extra set of eyes helps, like for a third cornerback or ‘Can this guy change positions?’ ” Fairchild said.
At least a few times per practice, he gives no doubt who the new sheriff in town is when he unleashes an expletive-laden tirade after seeing something he doesn’t like.
Sonny’s successor
Fairchild arrived at Colorado State in 1978 as a highly recruited quarterback out of Mesa Community College in his hometown, San Diego.
“I didn’t get recruited to play Division I football (out of high school),” Fairchild said. “The community college avenue was for me, coming from a single-parent home.”
His position coach at Mesa was Mike Martz, who hired Fairchild in 2003 as offensive coordinator of the St. Louis Rams. Even with Pac-10 and Big Ten teams calling, Fairchild chose CSU, in part because the Rams had an immediate need for a starter.
He split playing time in 1978 and redshirted in 1979. His 2,578-yard season as a senior is still ninth in the Rams’ record book. His career highlight came against Wyoming, with 409 yards (fifth-best all time) and a late game-winning drive that entered Border War folklore.
Upon graduation in 1981, he hit the coaching circuit, with five stops at four schools before he returning to CSU in 1993 as quarterbacks coach. Sonny Lubick promoted him to offensive coordinator four years later.
As Lubick’s program took off, assistants started getting notice. The NFL came calling for Fairchild, who had two stints with the Bills wrapped around his time with Martz in St. Louis.
Fairchild coached both wide-open football with the Rams and grind-it-out football with Buffalo, which ranked near the bottom of NFL offensive production under Fairchild the past two seasons.
Air Force’s offensive revival last season is proof bringing an NFL student back to the college level, such as Troy Calhoun, can help accelerate a turnaround.
“Being in the NFL is the ultimate football education,” said Calhoun, who spent time with the Broncos and Texans before returning to his alma mater.
After three losing seasons, Air Force went 9-4 and played in a bowl game last season. The Rams have not had a winning season since 2003, the major reason Lubick was forced out.
Fairchild isn’t about to make predictions of an immediate turnaround. At least not three weeks into his first spring practice installing a new offense.
First-day chaos has rapidly evolved into crisp shifts, an emphasis on the running game, and ample variety. He’s experimenting with a no-huddle, shotgun, direct snaps to running backs, two backs and a one-back set.
The Rams say their new coach’s approach is anything but routine.
“A lot of guys get lost in the everyday drudge of coming out for practice,” junior safety Mike Pagnotta said. “He makes it fun. They’re a lot more willing to work hard for it.”
Natalie Meisler: 303-954-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com
