fa re w el lt ri b u te
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Friday, June 24, 2011
Page 2 THE MONTANA STANDARD, BUTTE, FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011
Two giants retire from Tech T
wo of the most influential personalities at Montana Tech-UM are set to retire tonight after a final farewell banquet in their honor. Chancellor Frank Gilmore has been at the helm of Montana Tech since 1989 and Football Coach Bob Green has led its team for 24 years. Together they have become the face of Tech to the City of Butte and well beyond, Montana, the nation and even in international realms. They have left an indelible mark and a legacy that those following will find hard to fill. It seems that Tech and the surrounding Mining City have grown a little bit better thanks to them. Gilmore has been known as a hardnosed adminstrator who always put Tech first, always fought for its faculty and staff and always cared deeply about the students in their endeavors in a tough academic environment.
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Green is the ambassador for Tech who drove his teams to give it their all. Oredigger football on a warm Saturday afternoon at Alumni stadium provide many memorable moments, especially since fans in the stands could hear every word shouted from the sidelines. Tech has seen some amazing growth in the last decade. This publication is dedicated to the accomplishments of both men as they leave public life, but probably not for long. Both plan to remain in the Butte area and will likely be seen at Oredigger events from time to time. From all of the staff of Montana Tech, the University System and the public of Butte, we wish them well in their next careers. And we hope you enjoy the final interviews and insights of these two men. — The Montana Standard staff
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Page 4 THE MONTANA STANDARD, BUTTE, FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011
Gilmore brought change to campus BY GERARD O’BRIEN of The Montana Standard
P
erhaps it was the combination of a strong work ethic instilled in a young boy in Mississippi and the acquired knowledge that one cannot force rapid change on academia, which made Chancellor Frank Gilmore one of the more successful in guiding the ship known as Montana Tech. Gilmore retires at the end of the month after 13 years at the helm. Tonight’s event at the Tech HPER complex will celebrate his achievements as well as those of outgoing football coach Bob Green. Tech has grown in stature locally and internationally under Gilmore’s guidance, along with the 40-acre campus growing physically. In a recent wide-ranging interview with The Montana Standard, Gilmore ticked off a list of accomplishments, many of which he humbly says he did not accomplish alone, but built on with
a strong leadership team and from past chancellors’ efforts. “I wanted to improve the institution academically, and increase the mix of academic programs,” he said. “I believe we’ve done that. We were already good, but you’re never good enough.” Tech has brought back the nursing degree programs to campus, offering degrees for LPNs, associate nursing degrees and a bachelor’s in nursing.
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Healthcare Informatics program is also on campus. The former petroleum engineering building on the campus is undergoing a transformation as well to house the nursing program, along with Tech’s outreach programs, and its jumpstart program for high school students. Frank and Ann Gilmore arrived on the Tech campus in July 1998, bringing their own style of southern hospitality to town while embracing Butte wholeheartedly. Ann Gilmore immersed herself in a host of local service groups and charities while also hosting many memorable Christmas holiday receptions at the chancellor’s home on campus. Ann noted that from the home’s study, she could see if Frank was in his office and at work in the Mining and Geology building. Frank quipped, “It works both ways. I can also keep an eye on her at home too.”
Banquet honoring both men tonight in the HPER The city is invited to honor both Chancellor Frank Gilmore, his wife Ann Gilmore and Coach Bob Green tonight in the HPER complex on the Montana Tech campus. The event is free, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. People can RSVP online at www.mtech.edu/retirement/ or call 496-4402. You may leave a farewell wish or comment at the same online site as well.
See Gilmore, Page 5
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THE MONTANA STANDARD, BUTTE, FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011 Page 5
WALTER HINICK/THE MONTANA STANDARD
CHANCELLOR FRANK GILMORE recalls his 13 years on campus in an interview with The Standard and looks to the future of Tech as Chancellor Donald Blackketter takes over.
Gilmore... Continued from Page 4 Under his direction, there have been numerous improvements to the facilities, but none more than the construction of the new $15.4-million Natural Resources building on the west end of campus that houses state-of-the-art petroleum engineering program and the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology. The HPER complex is also undergoing a major renovation.
“I wanted to bring Tech and the Butte community together as well,” he said. “I think we’ve done that.” A symbol of that accomplishment is the archway that frames the Marcus Daly statue at the top of the hill. It was donated by the late Bob and Pauline Poore, who believed that Tech is a vital link to Butte’s stability. The Tech foundation program was another area that saw growth. In 2000, the foundation had a mere $9 million in its coffers. Today it sports $25 million and
plans are to break ground Friday on a new Frank and Ann Gilmore University Relations center. Over the past six years, Tech worked on a comprehensive campaign to raise $21 million to help supplement faculty salaries and new scholarships. It’s an example of Gilmore’s slow but steady approach and the campaign hit its goal a year earlier than expected. Marketing of Tech has grown by leaps and bounds under the guidance of Vice Chancellor Mike Johnson. And there’s been the successful branding campaign, “Tech, Get into it.”
The Montana Tech alumni association had only 800 members when Gilmore took over, yet there were 8,000 living alumni. He got an endowment going that brings every alumnus into the fold so they receive all the mailings from Tech, keeping them in touch with their alma mater. “My method is not to make abrupt changes, but be more deliberate and slowly push for change,” Gilmore said. For the future of the campus, Gilmore would like to see the school’s name change to something more mar-
ketable, all encompassing, such as the Montana University of Technology. He believes a doctoral program will finally happen for Tech, attracting more research and skilled faculty that can translate into spinoff jobs for the community.
He’d like the Montana Board of Regents to charge Tech with a mission to be an institution that provides a well-rounded education to engineers in both the liberal arts, humanities and sciences. And finally, as Tech’s name grows, it will always attract students and faculty from around the world. “There is probably a Tech graduate in every country in the world that has petroleum exploration,” Gilmore said. For him and Ann, they plan to retire to a home they are building near Deep Creek at the base of the Anaconda Pintler wilderness. They hope to spend their winters in their second home in Mississippi. “I plan to be a logger there, hauling saw logs off our property,” he said. Leisure time does not sound like an option.
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Thank you for a job well done. Our best wishes for the future.
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Page 6 THE MONTANA STANDARD, BUTTE, FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011
Groundbreaking Ceremony Frank and Ann Gilmore University Relations Center Groundbreaking of the new, Frank and Ann Gilmore University Relations Center (URC) will be Friday, June 24 at 2 p.m. on the grassy lot next to the Montana Tech Foundation Building on Granite Street. “It’s a project we’ve envisioned for the past 20 years,” Michael Barth, director of operations at the Montana Tech Foundation, said. The $2 million project is being funded entirely through the financial support of alumni, friends and individuals and businesses within the private sector. It will continue the westward expansion of the campus and will be located on Granite St., adjacent to the current Foundation Building, Barth said. The URC, scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2012, will house the University’s Advancement and Development Team which includes Alumni Affairs, Career Services, Public Relations and Marketing, and the Montana Tech Foundation. Donors to the project will be honored by recognition tiles placed throughout the building. The three level, 10,000 sq. ft. building will offer conference rooms and meeting areas — serving as a place for alumni to gather, recruiters to meet and interview students and visitors to begin their introduction to the campus. “Altogether, it will be a place to celebrate Montana Tech,” Barth said.
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An impeccable resumĂŠ W. Franklin Gilmore Chancellor, Professor of Chemistry Administration Education: B.S. (1957) Virginia Military Institute Chemistry Ph.D. (1961) Massachusetts Institute of Technology Organic Chemistry Post-Doc (1963 -1964) Florida State University Molecular Biophysics Institute for Educational Management (Summer 1994) Harvard University Work Experience: Montana Tech Chancellor; Tenured Professor of Chemistry (1998-present) West Virginia Institute of Technology Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Professor of Chemistry (1996-1998) West Virginia Institute of Technology Vice President for Academic Affairs, Professor of Chemistry (1993-1996) University of Mississippi Chair and Professor of Medicinal Chemistry, Research Professor (1988-1993) University of Mississippi Professor of Medicinal Chemistry, Research Professor(1979-1988) University of Mississippi Chairman and Professor of Medicinal Chemistry, Research Professor (1971-1979) University of Mississippi Tenure (1970)
University of Mississippi Chairman and Associate Professor of Medicinal Chemistry (1969-1970) University of Mississippi Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry (1968-1969) University of Mississippi Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry (1967- 1968) Midwest Research Institute Chemist and Senior Chemist (1964-1967) Visiting Assistant Professor (1983-1985) St Francis Hospital, Colorado Springs Clinical Chemist (Summer 1963) US Army Active Duty, Artillery Officer and Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (1961-1963) Military Service (Private-Captain) U.S. Marine Corps Reserves; U.S. Army Reserves (13 years including 22 months active duty) Professional Affiliations: American Chemical Society (1957-present) American Associate for the Advancement of Science (1967 - present) American Peptide Society, Charter Member Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society Phi Kappa Phi Rho Chi
Congratulations and Good Luck! Coach Green and Frank & Ann Gilmore
See Resume Page 8
Thank you for believing in Montana Tech & Butte! Good luck in your retirement Dr. Gilmore and Coach Green! Best Western PLUS
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Page 8 THE MONTANA STANDARD, BUTTE, FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011
Resume...
2010 Year in Review:
Continued from Page 7
■ Natural Resources building occupied in January by petroleum engineering students as well as the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology. ■ Renovation of the former petroleum building starts to house nursing school department and will be known as the Health Sciences Building ■ Newmont jumbotron scoreboard erected at the football field. ■ Tech hosts second Economic Summit arranged by U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, bringing in 2,500 attendees ■ Tech campus is tobacco free in July ■ Fall 2010 enrollment set a record 2,863 students ■ In 2010, 68 research proposals selected for funding, totaling $11 million ■ Montana Tech Foundation supplied campus with a record level of scholarship funding just over $1.3 million. ■ Football coach Bob Green retires, replaced by Chuck Morrell. ■ Chancellor Frank Gilmore announces retirement, Donald Blackketter named to replace him.
Honors and Awards: James Louis Howe Award, Blue Ridge Section, ACS, 1957 Teacher of the Year, School of Pharmacy, 1980-81 Phi Kappa Phi American Men and Women of Science Presidential Award, Golden Bears Club Service: Goldwater Scholarship Review Committee (1988-present) National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) Review Committee (1980-present) Sigma Xi: University of Mississippi Chapter, President two times; Southeast Regional Director, 1993-1996; Director at Large, 1997-2000, President-elect, President and Past President, 2001-2004; Treasurer, 2009-present; Strategic Planning Committee, 2009-present. Board of Directors, Butte Family YMCA Board of Directors, Butte-Anaconda United Way Board of Directors, Butte-Silver Bow Chamber of Commerce Habitat for Humanity
THE MONTANA TECH ENTRY arch was donated by Bob and Pauline Poore as a welcoming entry point to the campus and a symbolic connection between Butte and Tech
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THE MONTANA STANDARD, BUTTE, FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011 Page 9
Green leaves behind legacy, bright future BY BILL FOLEY of The Montana Standard
W
ithout question, the Montana Tech program is in better shape than it was when Bob Green inherited it. When Green accepted the job as head coach in December 1986, the future of the Orediggers was anything but certain. The Orediggers went 3-24 in the three seasons before Green came to town. The following line came from the Dec. 31 edition of The Montana Standard: “Despite pressure from the Board of Regents on college athletics in the state, Green expressed confidence that football will go on at Montana Tech.” It certainly did “go on.” Twenty-four years and 140 wins later, Green handed the keys of a finely-tuned program to new coach Chuck Morrell. Morrell takes over a program that runs deep in
the community. He gets a team that is in the process of building new locker rooms and a state-of-the-art weight room. Morrell will coach on a campus that has a JumboTron, near capacity crowds, multiple summer camps and an annual All-Star high school football game. “You always want to leave a place better than you found it,” Green said shortly after announcing his retirement in November. “We certainly made it better.” Green’s 24 years saw the Orediggers post a record of 140-116-1. In the 78 years of Oredigger football before Green arrived in 1987, the Orediggers went 152-272-29. “He changed the culture that existed at Montana Tech football,” Joe McClafferty, Montana Tech’s ath-
Congratulations & Best of Luck Coach Green and Frank & Ann Gilmore
MONTANA STANDARD
See LEGACY, Page 10
OUTGOING COACH Bob Green
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Page 10 THE MONTANA STANDARD, BUTTE, FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011
Legacy... Continued from Page 9 letic director, said at Green’s retirement press conference on Nov. 16. Green, who will turn 61 in July, won his first game — beating Jamestown College 22-19 on Sept. 5, 1987. Green won his last game — beating Montana Western 27-21 Nov. 13 in Dillon. Under Green’s watch, the Orediggers placed second, tied for first or outright won the Frontier Conference 16 times. The Orediggers played for the NAIA national championship after winning the Frontier Conference title in 1996. Before taking over at Tech, Green spent five seasons at Northwest Missouri State, where he split time coaching running backs and defensive backs as well as serving as defensive coordinator. The Tech job was Green’s first collegiate head coaching position. Green led high school programs in Minatare and Broken Bow, Neb. He also coached briefly as an assistant at the University of Northern Colorado.
“My last practice on Friday, one of my players said, ‘Are you crying?’ I said, ‘No, it’s just cold out here and I got something in my eye.” Green, a Nebraska native, played defensive back for four years (1972-75) at the university of Nebraska-Kearney, where he earned a bachelor’s degree and served as an assistant coach following his senior year. It didn’t take long for Butte and Montana to get to know the booming personality of the former Marine and Vietnam veteran. The Standard story following Green’s introductory press conference started with the following sentence: “If the vocal enthusiasm Bob Green exhibited in the press room Tuesday sinks into the players, the Montana Tech Orediggers could be a very inspirational football team next fall.”
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A quarter of a century later, and Green is known far and wide for his loud voice, enthusiasm and one-liners. The coach’s “Greenisms” gained national attention over the years. He was often quoted in the Seattle Times “Sideline Chatter” column by Dwight Perry. After announcing his retirement, Green was featured in a blog by ESPN’s Rick Reilly. ESPN talk show host Jim Rome suggested Green consider coaching
See Legacy, Page 11
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THE MONTANA STANDARD, BUTTE, SATURDAY, FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011 Page 11
sive back Shayne Shaules. Green also cracked his pelvis and injured his shoulder. “It was a helmet-to-helmet collision — and I didn’t have one,” Green said. In the end, Green said it was that hands-on style that made him retire at 60. He didn’t want to coach if he couldn’t be in the middle of the action. “You can be the guy who stayed at the party too long,” Green said. “I don’t want to be that guy.” So, sometime in the second half of last season, Green decided 2010 would be his finale. Though he told no one, Green entered the game in Dillon knowing it would be his last. He didn’t tell his wife, Pam, until they had dinner
Legacy... Continued from Page 10 Alabama or the Dallas Cowboys. “Suddenly that guy knows what he’s talking about,” Green joked, with his typical quick wit. On the football field, Green coached 100 mph from the kickoff to the final gun. He ran the defense for all of his 257. During practice Green would bark out instructions from the field — behind his defensive backs. He was so hands-on coaching that in a 2008 practice he was knocked out cold in a collision with defen-
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later that night. It wasn’t an easy decision for Green to make. For 37 years, all he knew was coaching football, he said. “I thought about it a lot,” Green said. “My last practice on Friday, one of my players said, ‘Are you crying?’ I said, ‘No, it’s just cold out here and I got something in my eye.” As of July 1, Green is officially retired. The transition from leader of the Orediggers to Oredigger fan will be complete. “I already do miss it,” Green said. “I’ve loved every minute of it. I love going to practice. I love the smell of it. I love the interacting with the players. I miss it, and that just confirms it was the right decision.”
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Farewell Coach Green Editor’s note: This column was orginally
BY
printed in the Nov. 23, 2010, edition of The Montana Standard
As we walked out, Green, who quickly changed into his “marry ’em an bury ’em suit” after a spring scrimmage, was looking at us, smiling
I
t was on my wedding day six and a half years ago at the old St. Lawrence Church in Walkerville. I remember it clear as day. Right after the “I wills,” Justice of the Piece Debra Williams presented for the first time “Mr. and Mrs. Bill Foley” to a resounding ovation. Then we headed down the aisle into matrimonial bliss. What stands out about that moment isn’t the sparkle in my bride’s eye as she dreamed of her lifetime of happiness sure to come. It wasn’t the envy in the eyes of every other woman in the church. It wasn’t our family members sitting up close. It wasn’t the groomsmen or bridesmaids. What I remember most is Bob Green. The Montana Tech football coach was seated toward the front of the church and close to the aisle.
BILL FOLEY
ear to ear. The coach was pumping his fist above his head like he was in the crowd at the Arsenio Hall Show. There is no easy way to describe the character that is Bob Green, who announced his retirement last week. It goes far beyond the booming voice of the former Marine. A couple of years ago, Dwight Perry from The Seattle Times sent me an email link to a YouTube video full of classic Coach Green lines. “Is this guy for real?” Perry asked. “Yep,” I said. “He is the genuine article.”
See, Farwell Page 13
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Page 12 THE MONTANA STANDARD, BUTTE, FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011
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THE MONTANA STANDARD, BUTTE, FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011 Page 13
Farewell... Continued from Page 12 “Your job,” Perry said, “must be easy.” Since, Green has been a regular quote in Perry’s “Sideline Chatter” column that is syndicated across the country. For me, my wedding day is a pretty good starting point in describing Green, who is so much more than a football coach. He’s the face of the campus. The face of Butte. The face of Montana. I never played football for Coach Green, but I got to know him pretty well as the beat writer for the Tech football team the past nine seasons. I’ve had so many heart-to-heart talks with Coach Green that it almost feels like I did play for him. There was a life lesson in each one of those talks. When I’d get too worked up about something, Coach Green would calm me down. If I was sad, he’d cheer me up. Coach Green is the ultimate voice of reason. Perhaps the best way to sum up what Coach Green means to so many is the shock, sadness and anger that followed the news of his retirement.
We all took for granted that the master of one-liners would coach forever, so a lot of people just won’t believe that he retired on his own. Many figured the coach had to have been forced out. Some still do since Green appeared to be already be working on the 2011 season. Somebody has to pay, and a lynch mob of former players surely would have made sure of that last Monday night — on the eve of Green’s retirement press conference — if so many of them didn’t live out of town. The news felt as if somebody had just died. Green had to remind everybody that his retirement should be a celebration, not a wake. In typical Green fashion, the coach had a great way of summing up the emotions. “I’d rather have people upset because I’m leaving and they want me to stay instead of upset because I’m staying and they want me to leave,” he said. Turns out, the coach didn’t want the hoopla that would have come with one last season. He didn’t want his players to have the added distraction that would
See Farewell, Page 14
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Page 14 THE MONTANA STANDARD, BUTTE, FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011
Farewell... Continued from Page 13
Bob Green Circa 1986
surely follow the mere hint of retirement. As it turns out, that’s exactly what we should have expected from Coach Green. “The characteristic that screams Bob Green to me is leadership,” Tech Athletic Director Joe McClafferty said. “Bob’s leadership is reflected in his coaches and his players.” I’ve never heard of one of Coach Green’s players not loving — loving, not just liking — the coach. What’s not to love? Coach Green took the blame for every loss. He gave credit to his players and coaches after every win. I never heard him make one excuse. Sure, he’d disagree with calls some times. He just refused to blame losses on officials, injuries or youth. I’ve also never heard of one of Coach Green’s players not going on to a successful career — not even the very few who didn’t graduate from Tech. As Matt Vincent, a former linebacker under Green, says that is because of the life lessons the players learned playing for Coach Green.
See Farewell, Page 15
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THE MONTANA STANDARD, BUTTE, FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011 Page 15
The orginal story from The Montana Standard edition of Dec. 31, 1986, penned by Hudson Willse.
Farewell... Continued from apge 14 I haven’t always agreed with Coach Green.
For instance, we had quite a dispute in 2005 when receiver Brian Styck was going to play quarterback against MSU-Northern. Green wouldn’t let me do a profile story on Styck before the game because the move was top secret. By “top secret” I mean everybody in the state knew about it. I also didn’t exactly see eye-to-eye with Coach Green on the Butte Copper Kings. Still, saying he forced the baseball team out of town 10 years ago is giving the coach too much credit. About 30 other factors played a much larger role than Coach Green not wanting to share his locker room, which isn’t an unreasonable position for any coach. “Friends can disagree,” Coach Green would tell me. I’ve found myself repeating that lesson to myself hundreds, if not thousands, of times. I’m really going to miss those talks in Coach Green’s office. I’m going to miss seeing the coach’s face light up when he suddenly pulled a “Greenism” off the top of his head after a big win. I’m going to miss seeing Coach Green coaching 100
mph until the final gun — even in a blowout loss to Carroll College. I’m not the only one who will miss Coach Green leading the Orediggers. Not even close. Like a lot of his players, friends and fans, I am saddened by the retirement.
As usual, though, Coach Green is right. His retirement shouldn’t be a reason to be sad. We should happily celebrate the coach who won almost as many games in 24 years as every other Tech coach did in 78. We should celebrate the most positive and upbeat man we’ve ever known. We should celebrate the man who has owned every room he has ever entered. We should celebrate the friend who always leaves us smiling. When you see Coach Green around town — and you will because he isn’t going anywhere — look him in the eye and tell him congratulations with a smile from ear to ear. Then, salute him with an Arsenio Hall pump of the fist. ■ Sportswriter Bill Foley, who will still lean on Coach Green to be his voice of reason, writes a column that runs Tuesdays in the Standard.
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Page 16 THE MONTANA STANDARD, BUTTE, FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011
Memorable ‘Greenisms’ Following are the top Bob Green quotes from 2010, his 24th and final season as head coach of the Montana Tech football team: ■ “I told ’em they’ve got to stick like a Toyota gas pedal.” — On instructing his defensive backs to be big hitters during spring drills.
■ “I’ve had a lot of people tell me what I’ve done wrong — probably more than I ever had. I think you have to listen to them all. They’re all loyal Orediggers.” — After season-opening loss.
■ “We didn’t have to euthanize anybody, but we had some nicks.” — On injury situation after first game.
■ “It was an outstanding scrimmage. There were plays on offense, there were plays on defense. It’s kind of like going to the Golden Corral buffet. You know what, it’s all good and there’s a lot of it.” — After an April scrimmage.
■ “I admire offensive linemen. In my next life I’m going to be an offensive lineman. I’m going to be 6-foot-6. I used to want to be 300 pounds, but now I want to be 295. I don’t want to be 300 pounds.” — During preseason camp in August.
■ “We had an interception chance, and we caught the ball. An interception chance is like a date with the homecoming queen – close the deal. Don’t waste an opportunity.” — After August scrimmage.
■ “You’ve got to finish the deal. Finish is our big deal, and we didn’t do it.” — After season-opening loss to South Dakota Mines.
■ “What a difference a week makes. Last week I was ready to do the high dive into the Berkeley Pit. This week I feel like I just had a Viagra cocktail with a Cialis chaser.” — After Week 2 win over Eastern Oregon.
■ “I hope it’s not. I hope they forget how well they played at Western, but I bet they don’t.” — When asked if week off would hurt MSU-Northern before Week 3 game in Havre.
■ “Marriage and football are the same. There’s no ugly wins and there’s no beautiful losses. In marriage, there’s no ugly bride and no beautiful ex-wives. Nobody’s going to tell you your bride is ugly or your ex-wife is beautiful.” — Before first Northern game, which most observers said was an “ugly win.”
■ “I’ve been scared. I was scared of my mother, I was scared of my grand-
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mother, I was scared of the drill instructor and I was scared of the North Vietnamese and the Vietcong. I’ve been scared for free. I don’t have to take a ride or watch a horror movie.” — When asked if he feared Rocky Mountain College’s receivers after win over Bears.
■ “They’re good. I’ll bet they’ve beaten a lot of teams a lot of times in a row.” — When asked about Carroll College’s 12-game winning streak over Tech before first game with Saints.
■ “A TV reporter asked me why we scored so much one week and not very much the next week. Whoever knows the answer to that would have the Holy
Far Coachewell Gre and en Dr. Gil lmore !
Grail. It’s because it’s football.” — About up-and-down offense early in season.
■ “We lost the game fair and square. The officials didn’t beat us. The crowd didn’t beat us. The game was decided between the white stripes.” — After loss at Carroll.
■ “There were some long faces and there were some lower lips sticking out. But we did not call the undertaker and tell him to order a 50-gallon drum of embalming fluid.” — Four days after loss at Carroll.
See Quotes, Page 17
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THE MONTANA STANDARD, BUTTE, FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011 Page 17
very losable.”
Quotes...
— Before playing Rocky in Billings.
Continued from Page 16 ■ “He’s not going to slow dance tonight at the Vu. Nobody’s going to get close to him.”
■ “There were times when we looked like we couldn’t play dead in a cowboy movie. Today wasn’t that way.” — After loss at Rocky.
— On quarterback Matt Komac’s rib injury after home win over Montana Western.
■ “I haven’t had one person tell me good job for going 32-6. They all talk about the one.”
■ “Maybe I’m finally learning things after 37 years coaching. In this case, I like it. Like I’ve had to say for almost 40 years to Pam Green, ‘I stand corrected.’” — On week off coming at right time for several injured players.
— Pointing out The Billings Gazette reported that Tech was 32-5 against Rocky before the game in Billings.
■ “It’s more than one play. It takes more than one guy to win; it takes more than one guy to lose.” — After a team breakdown led to loss at Eastern Oregon
■ “That’s the worst we played all year. It was my fault. We didn’t play well enough.” — After home loss to Northern.
■ “We played two games that were very winnable. Unfortunately, they were
Coach Green, I promised you a corvette... this is the o. best I can do.
■ “Whatever the record says, these guys are exceptional. It would be great to get these seniors a victory on Senior Day.”
- Mark Lisac
Congratulations Frank & Ann Gilmore
— Before home game against Carroll.
■ “It’s kind of like when you throw that yoyo down and it doesn’t come back up.” — After Senior Day loss to Carroll.
■ “Obviously our guys were disappointed. That’s another life lesson. It’s not being disappointed that counts, it’s
See Quotes, Page 18
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Page 18 THE MONTANA STANDARD, BUTTE, FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011
Quotes... Continued from Page 17 whether you stay disappointed.” — On bouncing back from Carroll loss.
■ “Everybody has health problems at the 11th game. If you can show me a college football team with no health problems going into the 11th game, I’ll show you a good looking ex-wife.” — On injuries heading into season finale.
■ “Today the yoyo came back up.” — After season-ending win at Western.
■ “After last week we were lower than a snake’s vest button. They came back and responded tremendously.” — After win at Western.
■ “The lovely and talented Pam Green. She’s been with me for every play I coached for 37 years. She’s the anchor of the Green family. The man of the house wears pantyhose.” — At retirement press conference.
■ “I can’t thank our players enough. It’s impossible to convey what you mean
to me. I hope they enjoy being with me one little bit as much as I enjoy being with them.” — At retirement press conference.
■ I’d rather have people upset because I’m leaving and they want me to stay instead of upset because I’m staying and they want me to leave. — Two days after retirement announcement.
■ You can be the guy who stayed at the party too long. I don’t want to be that guy. — Two days after retirement announcement.
■ “I’m the only sane coach on the staff. I mean totally sane.” — Before playing Montana Western at home.
■ “It’s a bad ankle. But it’s a bad ankle on his good ankle.” — About Drew Savage before playing at MSU-Northern.
■ “Skyler is getting to be where he’s like tackling knives. He’s a slasher.” — On running back Skyler Knuchel before season started.
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