ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—Colorado State coach Steve Fairchild had no problem finding nice things to say about the New Mexico Bowl.
For starters, it’s where the first-year coach will take his Rams (6-6) next week to face Fresno State (7-5).
“For us right now, to get to a bowl game after a three-win season, to get this thing turned around with these seniors and to have a chance to play and win, that’s exciting,” Fairchild said Thursday.
The significance of reaching a bowl as a first-year coach wasn’t lost on Fresno State’s Pat Hill, who did it in his second season.
“It’s not as easy as everybody thinks,” Hill said. “Wins are hard to come by.”
Fairchild was happy to be in Albuquerque for another reason.
He literally was back in his old neighborhood during a New Mexico Bowl luncheon at Four Hills Country Club. Fairchild was a New Mexico assistant from 1987-89 and his daughters were born in Albuquerque.
“This is a neat, neat city,” he said. “I’ve always thought that. When you think about it, this bowl game is a gold mine. The population here, the culture, the nice weather, the sun is always out, this can be a tremendous destination for teams.”
Fairchild was New Mexico’s offensive coordinator under former coach Mike Sheppard.
The Lobos weren’t too successful during that era, winning just four games in the three seasons Fairchild worked in town. Also on that staff was linebackers coach Marvin Lewis, now head coach of the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals.
“Tremendous people,” Fairchild said. “We obviously didn’t win enough games, but we certainly enjoyed our time here.”
The outcome was considerably better when Fairchild returned to his alma mater as an assistant under former Colorado State coach Sonny Lubick.
Fairchild coached quarterbacks from 1993-96, then was offensive coordinator from 1997-2000 before jumping to the NFL.
Colorado State won five conference titles in his eight years as an assistant coach on Lubick’s staff.
Last Dec. 12, Fairchild succeeded Lubick as Colorado State’s head coach. He was asked to revive a program that had dominated the WAC in the 1990s and the Mountain West earlier this decade.
While Lubick was widely esteemed for building up the Rams over his 15 seasons, things had fallen off and athletics director Paul Kowalczyk felt a change was warranted.
Lubick led the Rams to nine of the school’s 11 bowl games. It’s likely nobody in Fort Collins expected to be back in another so quickly.
“It is a testament to Steve and his staff and their abilities,” Kowalczyk said. “They were able to get the most out of this team. They were fun to watch. They played to the last whistle.
Kowalczyk paused, then added, “It really is a statement that Colorado State is on its way back.”
