kemajic said:
ElrodGrizzly said:
https://406mtsports.com/college/big-sky-conference/andy-thompson-carries-montana-grizzlies-lessons-to-sacramento-state/article_0238548c-3a5b-11ee-a3e1-ff544177112e.html
It is a really good article that catches up anyone who hasn't followed his past, and the author gave him a chance to reflect on his time at Montana and how it led to where he is now. Well worth the five minutes to read.
Since it's behind a paywall, could you please post the article? Thanks.
Anything for you, Kem.
MISSOULA — Andy Thompson had quite the array of head coaches at Montana.
He first played for Mick Dennehy with the Grizzlies in 1999. Then it was Joe Glenn leading the program from 2000-02. Finally, he closed out with Bobby Hauck in 2003.
Thompson, 43, now finds himself in the head coaching chair for the first time in his career. He’s taking over at fellow Big Sky program Sacramento State, which has won three consecutive conference championships.
“You learn a lot from each head coach, especially those three guys,” he said. “They were so successful. Had a great experience there. I learned a lot. I think there’s three different ways to do things. They’re all different. But I think the biggest thing is they were themselves. I’m trying to do the same thing at Sac State.
“I got to be who I am and be me. I can’t be somebody else. Your players feel that: if you’re authentic and you’re just not spitting out words, there’s some meaning behind that. I think all three of those guys — coach Dennehy, coach Glenn and coach Hauck — did that. I’m trying to do the same thing.”
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While those three differed in their personality and approach, they shared the common thread of being successful coaches.
Dennehy took UM to a 1996 national runner-up finish and three first-round exits in four seasons.
Glenn coached UM to the 2001 national title, 2000 runner-up finish and 2002 quarterfinal appearance in his three years.
Hauck led the Griz to national runner-up finishes in 2004, 2008 and 2009, as well as a semifinal exit and three first-round exits in the seven seasons of his stint from 2003-09.
“I think of Joe Glen playing the piano, doing the fight song afterwards,” Thompson said. “I think of coach Hauck and his toughness in practice and the things that we did to try to carry over and how he’s helped me in my career. If I needed somebody to call on a job, he’s tried to help me that way.
“Then coach Dennehy is the one that gave me the opportunity in giving me the scholarship. He was a little bit more behind the scenes, quieter, but he was very successful and you always knew he was a man of integrity.”
Thompson has had 19 years in the coaching business to discover, implement and refine his coaching philosophy and style. He now gets to put that into action for the first time in terms of building and running an entire program.
“I think I’m passionate,” he said. “I think I enjoy football, every part of it. I think I enjoy building relationships with the guys on the team day to day. I’m always around. I’m always trying to be there to help them, either with a workout, if I’m watching them, if I’m actually running the drill, or if I’m helping them with something off the field, either trying to get a job of if they need something.
“I’m trying to be consistent and serve our players. I hope our players would say that if you asked them: Coach Thompson, he’s always trying to help us.”
Program building
Thompson began learning to build a program during his time at Northern Arizona.
It was there that he worked under Jerome Souers for 14 seasons. Souers earned his shot at NAU by excelling as an assistant coach with the Montana Grizzlies.
Souers had followed Don Read from Portland State to Montana in 1986 when the latter was hired to be the Griz head coach. He served as the defensive coordinator from 1990-97, including the 1995 I-AA/FCS national championships season.
“Being there for 14 years and watching coach Souers, who had been there 20 years, I saw how you have to have all parts of your program going,” he said. “So, athletic training to your academics to community service to the weight room — all those things that are not actually on the football field — are important. How you set them up, how those people help your players is a huge part of you being successful on the field also.
“Just learned how you treat people too. It’s hard to stay in one place for a long time if you’re not a good person. I always felt like coach Souers was a genuine, positive person and always had an outlook that he could help people get better. I learned that. I’m trying to take that with me to Sac State for sure.”
Thompson had started his coaching career at Eastern Oregon in the Frontier Conference as a linebackers and special teams coach for interim head coach Travis Baker. He spent one season there immediately after he wrapped up his playing career at UM.
Thompson had decided about halfway through his playing career that he wanted to get into coaching, he said. He had come to college from Walla Walla, Washington, planning to major in business but then shifted to an education major.
“I had took some business classes and I didn’t do as well,” he said. “I had always worked summer camps back at a YMCA in Walla Walla and it felt pretty natural trying to coach kids. So switched to education and got my degree from the University of Montana in education, health enhancement, which was teaching, and then did my student teaching and got that done.
“Then really wanted to coach, but I couldn’t find a spot to get into college until spring break right before I was graduating. Coach (Kraig) Paulson, who is our D-line coach, knew somebody at Eastern Oregon. Started off there and started riding buses from Eastern Oregon to Billings, Montana, for games and I loved it. It was a great experience there getting into coaching. From there, I’ve just been trying to do it every year.”
Thompson is still surrounded by a couple of former Montana Grizzlies. Kraig Paulson, who started UM’s No. 37 legacy tradition by passing the jersey to Tim Hauck, is the defensive line coach. Jeremy LaPan is the special teams coordinator.
Paulson briefly coached Thompson at UM. LaPan played offensive tackle for the Griz in 2011, so Thompson didn’t know him before they connected in Sacramento.
Thompson is the first player who Bobby Hauck coached at UM who later went on to become an NCAA Division I head coach, Hauck believes.
“We’ve spent quite a bit of time together since he got into the coaching ranks,” Hauck said. “He’s a good football coach. He understands it. He’s hardworking. All the different things. High character guy. All the things that go into being good at the job. He’ll do great.”
Hauck added: “He had great intensity (as a player). He was a good teammate. He had good leadership skills. All those things that lead to being a good coach. Andy has made himself in coaching. He’s done a great job. He’s developed. He’s a good coach. He’s a good dude. He’s going to do a good job.”
Well-rounded
Thompson came to Montana expecting to play quarterback. He was moved to safety his first season because of injuries, he said.
Then it was back to quarterback for the 2000 season, sitting in on every QB meeting. Then it was back to defense as he played his final three seasons at linebacker.
It was a somewhat similar story in the coaching world. He coached linebackers and special teams at Eastern Oregon. At NAU, he coached running backs for two seasons, then linebackers and special teams for two years, and then he settled into a decade of being the defensive coordinator.
Thompson moved to Sacramento State to be the DC and linebackers coach in 2019.
“I felt lucky,” Thompson said. “I got to work on all three sides of the ball coming up and I’ve been able to try to help with that. We’ve got great offensive coaches at Sac State. They don’t need my help too much, but I definitely respect the amount of work it takes on each side of the ball to be successful.”
This year, Thompson will still be calling the defense and leaving the offense to the OC. That’s how former coach Troy Taylor handled it, calling the offensive plays and leaving the defense to Thompson.
In three seasons with the Hornets, Thompson’s defense has produced 19 All-Big Sky honorees, two FCS All-Americans and one Big Sky defensive player of the year award winner. He coached over 60 All-Big Sky players in 14 years at NAU.
One of those honorees in Sacramento is senior linebacker Armon Bailey, who earned All-Big Sky first-team recognition last season.
“Man, he’s really passionate about our game,” Bailey said about Thompson. “Energetic. He brings a different type of attitude to our defense. Awesome. Really humble too. Humble and hungry. I feel like it’s been really similar. He was my linebacker coach as well, not just the DC. Still the same vibes.”
Thompson also has experience as a winner. The Griz won five Big Sky titles and one national championship during his time suiting up in maroon and silver from 1999-2003.
He now takes over for Taylor, who left this offseason for Stanford. Taylor had led the Hornets to three consecutive Big Sky championships and a 23-1 record in conference play.
One area where the Hornets have struggled is winning playoff games, going 1-3 under Taylor. Perhaps that will change. All-American tight end Marshel Martin has been impressed with Thompson so far.
“It was kind of like a relaxed breath,” Martin said of the team’s reaction when Thompson was hired. “He always kept players on the right path. Once he got to head coach, he’s been more like a father figure.
“He knows how to lead. Great leadership. He puts people in the right position. He has players doing the right things. With him going to head coach, I feel like everything’s going to go up from here.”
