His grandmother, Desbah Tsinigine, who passed away at 98 years-old encouraged Gomez to pursue an education. Junior Madison Carlton, who also cheers for the Skyhawks, and senior cross-country and track runner Karla De La Cruz also intern with the team. Born in Islip, N.Y., Rifilato was raised in Bells Gardens, Calif. My cowboy boots wouldnt have worked in Florida, he says. In their 12th year under head coach Jas Baines, the Mountaineers compiled a 74 record (72 against conference opponents) and finished third in the RMAC. Send Message, John Grinde Live. They are working directly with me on day-to-day operations, said FLC head coach Johnny Cox. I asked, Where are people who do the fundraising? He played college football at Idaho, where he was his team's Defensive Player of the Year in 1983-84 and Long Beach Community College, where he was a preseason All-American. Smith has accepted the head coaching position at Kentucky State University (NCAA Division II) in Frankfort, Kentucky. Call 917-426-9745 to speak with one of our Recruiting Specialists. Dene Kay Thomas, now the president at Fort Lewis, worked as an associate dean at Idaho at the same time. to build a profile. The interns, he said, are really helping the program. CSU Pueblo defensive tacke Trey Botts was named RMAC Defensive Player of the Year. At Division I you charter planes. He was going to fix it himself., Long bus rides are just one of the realities of a tight budget. Defensive coordinator Ed Rifilato has been promoted to head coach. John L. Smith a longtime NCAA Division I head coach with success at six different universities will become head football coach at Fort Lewis College effective March 1, Skyhawk Director of Athletics Gary Hunter announced today. We love that about him., Smith is learning to love Fort Lewis, too, despite all of the headaches that come with the job. 21 Colorado School of Mines", "#22/14 Mines Rolls, 45-9, At Chadron St", "Mines football celebrates homecoming with 48-21 win over Colorado Mesa", "No. Fort Lewis has one conference title in program history, in 1984, as an NAIA school. Im hoping to learn how a football team is run; what offensive and defensive coordinators do and how to be a head coach.. Smith, 65, was once a marquee name in big-time college football. La squadra gioca le partite casalinghe a Lewis Field Stadium, che si trova nel campus di Fort Hays State University di Hays, Kansas. Puzzled fans in the stands turned to Smiths wife, Di, and asked, What do we do now? I really didnt take that into account, he asserted. Ive always known I am.. He returned to the Skyhawks football program during the 2012 season after previously serving as head coach at both Fort Lewis College and New Mexico Highlands. The second two videos are from The Rivalry (Neon yellow head band and purple stick). Still, Smith believes he can build a winner. The network is available to high school student-athletes around the country through valued relationships with the NFLPA, FBU, NFCA and SPIRE. In general, the interns have been helping with fundraising, recruiting athletes and taking them on campus tours; providing information to incoming freshmen; attending meetings and taking notes; and giving evaluations on potential players. He played quarterback and linebacker for the Wildcats from 1967-70 before joining their staff as a graduate assistant for the 1971 season. We look for small things to give the defense an edge so they know what theyre looking for, she said. Keep your mouth shut!. Players there are just different, he says. Smith stepped down as FLCs football coach Wednesday. A look at notable numbers from the coaching career of John L. Smith, now at Fort Lewis. It made him a better athlete and a better man. In their first year under head coach Brandon Moore, the Orediggers compiled an overall record of 133 with a mark of 90 against conference opponents, winning the RMAC championship. Also included is the Durango Train, which runs between Durango and Silverton and staked its claim to fame with an appearance in the film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Fort Lewis College Football Program Coaching & Recruiting Staff He seems to be only half kidding. | In their third year under head coach Josh Breske, the Yellow Jackets compiled a 74 record (54 against RMAC opponents) and finished fifth in the RMAC. That is why I took sports so serious.. Ever since he was a little kid we noticed that he an athletic ability., He always had that potential in him, she said. 100% of college coaches and programs are on the SportsRecruits platform. Marvin Ronald Lewis (born September 23, 1958) is an American football coach who is special advisor to the head coach at Arizona State. The CSU Pueblo ThunderWolves finished in second place with an 84 overall record. Marvin Lewis. "I would like to thank Athletic Director Gary Hunter and President Dene Thomas for the opportunity to lead the Skyhawk football program. Smiths face turns a deep shade of crimson and his eyes bulge. Send Message, John Sandoval Thanks for visiting the Fort Lewis College Football scholarship and program information page. Microsoft no longer supports most versions of Internet Explorer, since it released Microsoft Edge in 2015. Smith has accepted the head coaching position at Kentucky State University (NCAA Division II) in Frankfort, Kentucky. That same season, FLC beat every Colorado Division II program for just the second time in school history. Football is more complex.. Send Message. 21 Colorado School of Mines Rolls to 84-10 Win Over Adams State", "CSU Pueblo football tripped up at No. He had served as NMHU's defensive coordinator from 1996-98. Rifilato will officially take over as head coach beginning Jan. 1, 2016. Gomezs father, Al Lane, said hes real proud that his son has the opportunity to play at the next level. The official Roster for the Fort Lewis College Skyhawks. The 2022 Colorado Mines Orediggers football team represented the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado during the 2022 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) football season. 10 in the final NCAA Division II rankings. Sand Storm Tournament Highlights - January 2022, Class of 2022 - Def/Mid, 5'9" 125 lbs, R Hand. He made head coaching stops at Louisville, Michigan State and Arkansas, among other programs, and is one of just 19 men to take three different schools to bowl games. This information is very valuable for all high school student-athletes to understand as they start the recruiting process. His infamous halftime rants -- found easily on YouTube -- made players at Fort Lewis wonder what they had gotten themselves into. I love and will miss the people and the town of Durango. When a teammate interjects to explain the Mesa player said something degrading, Smith waves him off. Now as times are changing, theres a possibility I could coach with my daughters. We apologize for this inconvenience and invite you to return as soon as you turn 13. The latest additions include two collegiate transfers and 28 high school seniors. In their third year under head coach Jarrell Harrison, the Grizzlies compiled a 29 record (27 against conference opponents) and finished ninth in the RMAC. Rifilato's wife, Kelley, is the Skyhawks head volleyball coach. Reach him at She said FLCs cheerleading program is relatively similar to footballs. I really like it; it really opened my eyes to how much detail is in the program and how much the coaches put into it.. From 2008-12 it went 10-58, including 7-38 in league play. The Colorado Mines Orediggers won the RMAC championship with a 92 record (90 against conference opponents), led the conference in both scoring offense (46.86 points per game) and scoring defense (18.64 points per game), and was ranked No. Fort Lewis College is located in Durango, CO and the Football program competes in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference conference. Rifilato's 2005 Skyhawk squad went 6-4 overall and 6-2 in league games. If you cant quickly find and message any college coach you want, then youre not solving your biggest problem in getting recruited for Football. The team won in the first three rounds of the NCAA Division II playoffs and faces Shepherd in the semifinals on December 10. (Cody Olivas/Durango Herald), What Silvertons snowpocalypse teaches us about winter weather preparation in rural Colorado, Report a paper delivery issue/suspend delivery. Staff Directory Members By Category/Department; Name Title Email Office (970) Twitter; Johnny Cox: Head Coach-Quarterbacks jcox@fortlewis.edu: 247-7306 247-7306 Almost immediately, Fort Lewis athletic director Gary Hunter saw an opportunity. Not included in the pitch: A conversation about the road trips. It just might take longer than anticipated. That injury prevented him from competing in combine to possible make the national team in 2019 after he got an invite by taking part in another combine in Phoenix earlier that year. All Ive been doing is just grinding day-in and day-out, he said. President Dene Kay Thomas was instrumental in assisting us set up an academic advising and support unit at the University of Idaho when she was associate dean there, and developed a close working relationship with John L. That was a key in getting him to Fort Lewis College. He won the Colorado National Football Foundation Coach of the Year honors in 2005 and 2006 while at Fort Lewis College, and RMAC Coach of the Year honors while at New Mexico Highlands in 1999. People have unlimited possibilities when given an opportunity., Carlton grew up as a football fan and was excited to help out the Forts team. Im extremely excited, Johnson said. When I was younger I used to travel with him to rodeos and I wanted to be a cowboy. John Grinde. My name is Jeff Hansen. Last offseason defensive line and strength and conditioning coach Joe Morris spent weeks driving around Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona, crashing on friends couches and sleeping in his car trying to track down overlooked talent. [62] With Brown as defensive coordinator, the Skyhawks gave up an average of 60.7 points per game. We have full confidence that Coach Rifilato will continue to grow the program successfully." Returning to the Rocky Mountains was also important to Smith, who is an avid outdoorsman. Contact any college in the country in just a few clicks. The Recruitng Coordinator (JuCo, Transfers), Volunteer Assistant Coach (Tight Ends) of the Fort Lewis College Football program is John Sandoval. When you communicate clearly and concisely and youre right, if you can help a player, they dont care where the advice comes from, Cox said. He spent the 1992-93 seasons as linebackers coach at San Bernardino Valley Junior College. Prior to arriving at Fort Lewis in 2003, Rifilato spent one year coaching with John L Smith at University of Louisville after serving as defensive coordinator at the University of Idaho in 2000 and 2001. Privacy Policy, Weather data from The Durango Herald and darksky.net, Female interns help program while learning career skills, Fort Lewis football interns Averi Basso, Karla De La Cruz and Madison Carlton have been helping the program with its day-to-day operations while learning its ins and outs this spring. Coaching at a Division II school with no professional prospects has made him a better teacher, Smith says. Served by air and bus; train serves Grand Junction. That was part of my sales pitch: Boy, do I have an adventure for you., They told me, We cant pay you anything, but well get you a year-round pass to the resort, Smith says. Defensive coordinator Ed Rifilato has been promoted to head coach. He recently sat down with NFL Draft Diamonds writer Jimmy Williams. Breanna Biorato/Dixie State Athletics Without a. He was a hard-core team roper, Gomez said. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Last year Smith and Hunter bought a big-screen TV so the kids would have somewhere to congregate, paying for it out of their own pockets. Getting familiar with the Football program is an important first step in the recruiting process. He looks bewildered. He ended up passing away and when that happened I was really sad.. You are using an incompatible browser. But out West, especially at smaller divisions, players wilt at even a hint of criticism. Ironically, attending Fort Lewis wasn't even on his radar at all. Smith has climbed the 19,340-foot Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, run with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, para-glided in Switzerland, flown a T-38 Talon jet trainer in Texas and skydived in Indiana. Lewis . I am very excited to have John L. here at FLC. At Division II you charter buses. Previously, Lewis was the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. FLC was 6-2 in RMAC games that year, losing the league title to Chadron State, which featured current NFL player Danny Woodhead. As part of a close-knit family, Gomez said he drew inspiration from some close relatives hes lost, which includes his late grandmother and uncle, who passed away months apart four years ago. For the best experience, we recommend, start your free recruiting profile with SportsRecruits today. I didnt get a chance to go because I got hurt. I dont know that Ive ever done that before, question if Im being too hard on a player. Build, maintain and track progress with colleges on your target list. 24 . The night before the Mesa game, Smith gathers the special teams in a Holiday Inn conference room and shows video of a kickoff return, explaining how close the Skyhawks have previously come to scoring. The last time the Skyhawks notched seven wins in a season was 2006 when Rifilato was the head coach. Smith has coached at Idaho (1989-94), Utah State (1995-97), Louisville (1998-2002), Michigan State (2003-06), Weber State (during the 2011-12 offseason) and, most recently, Arkansas (2012). At team dinner the night before Fort Lewis matchup with Colorado Mesa on Oct. 25, Smith tells an assistant this level is, all about spoon-feeding. Most players at Fort Lewis are not football junkies, and they marvel at Smiths knowledge of the tiniest details that can make a big difference. He's a great player's coach, said Rifilato, who played for Smith in 1983 and 1984 at the University of Idaho, earning the Vandals' Defensive MVP award. The 2022 Western Colorado Mountaineers football team represented the Western Colorado University in Gunnison, Colorado, during the 2022 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) football season. The trip got longer on the way home when the bus broke down for a few hours. Smith was chosen as the Big Ten Coach of the Year at Michigan State in 2003. I felt it was a great opportunity when it presented itself. Hunter was the director of athletics who hired Smith for his first head coaching job at Idaho in 1989, while Thomas served as associate dean at Idaho during his tenure. Smith is also the uncle of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith. Here are two of our most popular articles to get you started: NCSA College Recruiting (NCSA) is the exclusive athletic recruiting network that educates, assists, and connects, families, coaches and companies so The Recruitng Coordinator (JuCo, Transfers), Volunteer Assistant Coach (Tight Ends) of the Fort Lewis College Football program is John Sandoval. To help him through the grieving process, he used sports as an outlet to cope with the losses he endured. College coaches Visit ESPN to view the Fort Lewis Skyhawks team schedule for the current and previous seasons. Tickets Men's Basketball vs 3-Seed #16/12 Black Hills State University March 3, 2023 7:30 PM. It was a wonderful opportunity at Fort Lewis. Smith tried that, in 2006, after he was fired from Michigan State. On average, 34% of all student-athletes receive athletic scholarships. We truly believe that John L. and Diana Smith will be a perfect fit for the Fort Lewis College family and Durango community, said Hunter. 3 followers 3 connections At the high school level, Gomez made the varsity football team as a freshman but he saw limited action. Jan 10 144 career wins after sweeping UCCS & RU last week now puts FLC Head Coach Bob Pietrack at #2 in all-time wins as the Skyhawks skipper. Fort Lewis College does offer athletic scholarships for Football. When I first got here, I thought by the end of year two, wed have this thing turned around, he says. Maybe they need someone whos nurturing. The Page High graduate said signing his letter of intent is a dream come true. Get Exposure with college programs. Known as much for his eccentric personality as his spread offense, he did not expect this when he agreed to lead a Division II team. But after conferring with an official and determining that the penalty was not on Chambers, Smith jumps into the huddle and hollers, I apologize!