FORT COLLINS — There are no guarantees how a new coach will do. But one thing Colorado State football fans need not be concerned about is Mike Bobo’s work ethic, or his will to win.
The former University of Georgia offensive coordinator and quarterback tells anybody who asks that competitiveness is what makes him tick. Bobo’s father, who was his high school football coach in Thomasville, Ga., said Bobo began to show that spirit at age 3.
“I’d take Mike out on a boat to go fishing,” George Bobo said. “I’d be at one end fishing for bass and Mike would be at the other end with a small rod fishing for bream. Every time we went out, he’d try to beat his record for number of fish. And he’d try to beat me. Even then, he hated to lose.”
The Bobo family competed at everything, and Mike was first in line.
“It’s how I was raised,” he said. “Whatever we did, we were going to compete — cards, pingpong, board games, how fast you went to the mailbox, it doesn’t matter.
“My dad always staged competitions. You have to learn to compete to get what you want in this world and to survive. You can’t shy away. You have to earn what you get. I realized later, that’s what he wanted to teach us.”
To this day, Bobo family vacations feature the Bobo “Olympics,” which award points to family members — in kids and adults divisions — for performances and accomplishments in various activities. Bobo presents the winners with trophies.
Not only did Bobo learn to compete, he strived to be the best.
“I remember flushing grades of 97 down in the bathroom in second grade because I didn’t get 100 and didn’t think 97 was good enough,” he recalled.
“Dad had to explain to me that if that was the best I could do on that particular test, that’s OK. You may not be the best student. You may not be the best football player. You may not be the best basketball player. But if you can be the best you can be, we’re going to be OK.”
With competition comes pressure. Bobo appears to thrive on pressure. He believes the experience and pressure of formulating a weekly offensive game plan to score against defenses in the Southeastern Conference will serve him well at Colorado State in his first head coaching job.
“I like pressure; I like the feel of it,” Bobo said. “I liked the pressure of being a high school and college quarterback. I wouldn’t have gone into coaching if I didn’t like pressure.
“I hate to lose more than I like to win. But I like the pressure and the competition more than anything. There’s almost a nervous, sickening feeling when you’re preparing for a big game. But that’s what I want.
“It’s great to win a game. But there’s nothing better than to go into a locker room and seeing those kids smiling and happy because of what they have accomplished.”
George Bobo said he first spotted a future coach when Mike was in grade school. It wasn’t long after the Bobo family had moved to Thomasville that word spread about the youngster.
“People said, ‘There’s this new kid that leads everybody,’ ” George recalled. “They said: ‘He takes everybody and he teaches them games. He’s a born leader.’
“Kids that were on our high school team might not have been the best players. But Mike would always spend time with them and make them feel good about themselves. Mike was always good with people. He wanted them to be the best that they could be. Coaches realize that effort will beat talent a lot of times. Mike gets the most out of people.”
A change in career plans
Most assistant coaches, even coordinators, do some job hopping. Bobo said he remained at Georgia for 14 years, including the past eight as the Bulldogs’ offensive coordinator, because his family loved Athens, Ga. And he felt a loyalty to Georgia head coach Mark Richt, who hired him as an assistant when he was in his 20s.
Though he was on the same staff, Bobo felt he was growing in his job because Richt kept giving him more responsibility and freedom. And, Bobo said, he wanted to feel he was ready for his first head coaching job when he began applying.
“Three years ago, people starting calling (about jobs), and the itch to leave wasn’t there,” Bobo said. “I’ve always been a guy that applies all my enthusiasm to the job I have. I dismissed opportunities. They might have been too far off from where I’m from or out of my comfort zone.”
Bobo, 40, won’t call it an epiphany, but about 18 months ago his outlook changed, his horizon broadened. He sat down for a serious discussion with his wife, Lainie.
“We talked about what I wanted to do (in life),” Bobo recalled. “Well, I wanted to be a head coach. So I started to get my mind right for that.”
With Lainie’s blessing, Bobo began to start planning what it would take to land a head coaching position. He began to jot down names of colleagues who would be good candidates for his staff if he got a head coaching position. He thought about places where he might like to coach, the kind of school, which type of city.
“I wanted to get my mind ready for when the right opportunity came,” Bobo said. “I wanted to be prepared for any interview. I had turned down chances to interview for jobs because I knew I wasn’t going to take the job and didn’t want to waste their time. But I knew I had to be ready for when the time came.”
That time came when the Colorado State job opened. Though he had never lived in the West, he said there never was a hesitation between him and Lainie about making Fort Collins a destination. But they may have to work on their two sons.
“My three daughters are fired up; they all think they’re going to become professional snow skiers,” Bobo said. “Every time I see them, they’re wearing CSU gear. Now, my boys are die-hard Georgia fans. My 8-year-old (Jake) is still wearing a Georgia sweat shirt all the time. I don’t know if we can get it off him right yet.”
Bobo’s head has been spinning since arriving in Fort Collins for his introductory news conference Dec. 23. Lainie and the kids will remain in Georgia to finish out the school year. Bobo misses his family but talks to them every day, sometimes hooking up via a laptop or smartphone.
“I get up early, and when I get to see their faces, and the kids take turns reading a daily devotional, that’s a great way to begin the day, a great way,” Bobo said with a smile.
“Mike is a people person”
His first three weeks on the job have seemed more like three days. Every morning, he likes to write out a list of tasks for that day. Some days he doesn’t put a dent in the list.
Bobo finally completed his CSU coaching staff this past week, and all coaches are prepared to hit the recruiting trail in a full sprint this week. National signing day is Feb. 4.
Before leaving for Florida, former CSU coach Jim McElwain had six oral pledges, and to this point each player has said he will sign with CSU. Bobo and his staff would like to round up 10 or more commitments by signing day.
One of Bobo’s best friends in the coaching fraternity, Tennessee defensive backs coach Willie Martinez, said he has no doubt that Bobo will become hugely successful at Colorado State. Martinez coached with Bobo at Georgia for more than a decade.
“We’re in the people business, and Mike is a people person,” Martinez said. “He comes from a great family. He grew up in football and learned to do it the right way.
“When you get into coaching, you’re talking to your players about teamwork and integrity and togetherness and being selfless and working toward a common goal. Those are things that your players are immediately going to be attached to. You can’t fabricate it. You are who you are. And Mike, first and foremost, is a good person. Players will see that. They are going to want to play for him. They will believe in him because they know what he stands for and who he is. They won’t want to let him down.”
They’ll soon find out how much Bobo hates to lose. Martinez has a coffee mug to remind him of that.
“I lost to him and his partner in cards,” Martinez explained. “And before I knew it, I had this coffee mug. One side has a picture with me and my partner with the word ‘Loser!’ The other side has a picture of him and his partner with the word ‘Winner!’
“He’s very, very competitive — almost to the point where you might want to beat the guy up,” Martinez joked. “Some people would have thrown away that coffee mug. I keep it as a symbol of our friendship, but I also drink coffee out of it when I need to get extra pumped up for something. That’s what he wants. He wants to beat you. But he wants to do it the right way. And he wants you back so he can try to do it again.”
Tom Kensler: tkensler@denverpost.com or
