Learning about two ‘old-school’ football coaches
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I met two "old-school" football coaches this past weekend.
On Friday night, I covered my first Marshall Tigers football game. It happened to be the homecoming game and the Tigers defeated Delano 21-7. I never met Coach Terry Bahlmann before Friday's matchup. Of course, through Independent stories, I knew he has been a successful football coach for the Tigers. He was named the Independent's 2024 Coach of the Year. He was inducted into the Minnesota Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2023. He has coached football for 38 seasons and compiled a career record of 260-16.
Before coming to Marshall, Bahlmann coached at trio of schools in Iowa. He coached Willow for three years, Schleswig for another three and Carroll for 14 before he started at Marshall in 2004.
That's an impressive resume.
After the game, I met head coach Terry Bahlmann on the Schwan Event Center field. He credited his team for playing "old school" football.
His quote after Friday's game says it all:
"We ended up stopping them three times inside our 15 (yard line). So those are huge plays by our defense. We've been led by our defense the last couple years, and they stepped up. The old bend, but but didn't give up the score. So then our run game was able to control the ball and the clock. So a little bit old school for us, physical football, but but our kids played well.”
On Saturday, I met another hard-nosed football coach while covering the Southwest Minnesota State University football team take on Duluth in another homecoming game matchup on the same field.
Former head coach Gary Buer was being honored during halftime while he stood in the middle of the field with some of his former players.
I was able to catch him before he walked off field. I introduced myself as with the Independent, and he responded like we were old friends.
I asked him how it felt to be back at SMSU for Saturday's game.
"A lot of emotion, Mike," he said. "I’m just so happy to be back here, and we had such a great turnout of former players. And Southwest State has rolled out the carpet for us. They’ve treated us really well. It’s such an honor. You're a Mustang for life."
Back at the office, I did some research and discovered he spent 13 years coaching at SMSU. From 1979 to 1992 he coached the Mustangs. He is the winningest coach in school history with a 70-69-5 record and the 1987 squad to the university's first NAIA Division I playoff appearance.
"So proud of the time that we were here,” Buer also told me Saturday. “We spent 14 years of my life here. All of our kids graduated from Marshall High, and we it took a long time, but we we built a really solid program. And so happy for the young men that made the decision to come and play for the Mustangs."
I asked him what led him to the SMSU coaching job?
"I was the head coach at Dakota State University in Madison for two years. And then Jon Wefald (SMSU president from 1977-1982) gave me an opportunity to come over and build this program. But I’m a native Minnesotan. I have three brothers that still are on the family farm and went to Willmar Junior College and then Minnesota Morris. And got my coaching started there with Mike Simpson, and then Uncle Sam came and got me two years in Vietnam. Came back and my college coach had taken the head job at St. Cloud State. I went there to work for him and get a master’s degree. Off to Dakota State for a while, then off to BYU to work on my doctorate. I was a graduate assistant out there. Then came back to Minnesota."
Wait, BYU?
"Well, I learned the passing game from Lavell Edwards at BYU," he told me. "We we modified it a little bit (at SMSU)."
And then he reminisced a little bit with me.
"We had a great quarterback in Curt Strasheim out of Granite Falls. And we actually started running the run and shoot offense, which was ideal for him," he said.
A little more research and I discovered Strasheim also coached at SMSU, compiling a 14-30 record.
"And then we evolved into a more pro-style. Had great quarterbacks, Danny Koster out of Lake Benton, Steve Elzenga out of Westbrook, then Jeff Loots out of the Twin Cities. And we were throwing the ball better than anybody in the country at that time. Had great receivers. Wayne Hawkins ended up going playing with the Patriots (seventh round draft choice in 1992). … Several players play in the Canadian League. We had good athletes. Good young men."
I later also learned that Buer also coached the Marshall Tigers from 1997-2000. Eventually, went on to coach in Arizona at Sabino High School. He also coached at Southern Virginia University in 2003-2006, before returning to Arizona at Independence High School.
He officially retired from coaching at the age of 70 and currently resides in Glendale, Arizona. He is currently a adjunct professor at Grand Canyon University, teaching in exercise science.
I asked him if he misses coaching?
"I do. I sometimes think I should go back, and I’m reminded how old I am," he said with a smile.
The best part of the weekend for me -- talking football with two "old school" football coaches.
-- Mike Lamb is editor of the Marshall Independent