Sonny Lubick
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Place of birth | Butte, Montana | |
|---|---|---|
| Sport | Football | |
| College | Colorado State | |
| Title | Head Football Coach | |
| Record with Team | 105-64 | |
| Overall Record | 126-83 | |
| Coaching Stats | College Football DataWarehouse | |
| Schools as a coach | ||
| 1978-81 1993-current |
Montana State (I-AA) Colorado State |
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Sonny Lubick is the head football coach at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. In his fourth decade as collegiate football coach, the 2006 season will mark Lubick's 14th year at the helm of a Colorado State program that he built from virtually the ground up. The 15th head coach in school history, Lubick has won over 100 games at CSU, won or shared six Western Athletic Conference or Mountain West Conference titles, guided the program to nine bowl games in his previous 13 years, and was named National Coach of the Year by Sports Illustrated in 1994.
Lubick's success has made him the most recognizable figure in the CSU and Fort Collins community, so much so that when Pat Stryker, head of the Bohemian Foundation, decided to donate 15.2 million dollars toward extensive renovations of Hughes Stadium, she did so with the stipulation that the field be named after Lubick. The stadium is as a result now know as Sonny Lubick Field @ Hughes Stadium. As a result of the donation, CSU added 4,400 new seats and jumbo-tron scoreboard in 2004, new press box and suites in 2005, and new synthetic field turf in 2006.
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[edit] Montana State
A native of Butte, Montana, and a graduate from Western Montana in 1960, Lubick's coaching career began in Bozeman as an assistant coach at Montana State in 1970. After eight season with the Bobcats, Lubick was named head coach at Montana State prior to the 1978 season. Lubick's first season was wildly successful, as the Bobcats finished 8-2 overall and second place in the Division I-AA Big Sky Conference at 4-2. The following year the Bobcats won the Big Sky with a 6-1 league record (6-4 overall).
The following two years, however, would see a decline. In 1980 Montana State from first to sixth place in the Big Sky, finishing the season 4-6 and 3-4 in league play. Despite his popularity in Bozeman, Lubick was fired after the 1981 season after the Bobcats fell to 3-7.
[edit] Assistant Coach
Following his dismissal from Montana State, Lubick moved on to the Division I-A ranks as an assistant coach. His first stop was in Fort Collins, Colorado as offensive coordinator for Leon Fuller from 1982 to 1984. The Colorado State University (CSU) program was, at the time, generally regarded as one of the worst programs in college football. The Rams had been to just one bowl game in their history and were coming off a win-less 0-12 season in 1981. Though CSU wasn't overly successful in his three years, Lubick was a popular and like-able figure in the Fort Collins and university community, something that would ultimately benefit him later in life.
In 1985, Lubick latched on with Stanford University as an assistant coach, a position he would hold through the 1988 season. In 1988 Lubick joined Dennis Erickson's coaching staff at the University of Miami as the Hurricanes' defensive coordinator. While at Miami, Lubick molded a tough and physical Hurricane defense that featured the likes of Cortez Kennedy and Russell Maryland. Miami won two national championships in Lubick's four years as an assistant. Considered one of the nation's top assistants, Lubick got his second head coaching job at a somewhat unlikely place.
[edit] Colorado State
Little had changed at Colorado State since Lubick left the program in 1984. Though there was a brief period of success under Lubick's predecessor, Earle Bruce, that featured the school's first ever bowl game victory (32-31 over Oregon in the 1990 Freedom Bowl), CSU was still considered a graveyard for college football. Since 1960 the program had recorded just seven winning seasons, and in that same span the program the program had three win-less seasons. Considering it a challenge, Lubick accepted the head coaching position at Colorado State prior to the 1993 season. Faced with a culture of losing, Lubick assembled a staff of assistants that included eventual Florida head coach Urban Meyer, and began aggressively recruiting and attempting to change CSU's image.
Lubick's debut in 1993 was far from spectacular. After starting 1-4 the Rams won three consecutive games to finish the season 5-6, providing hope that the program was headed in the right direction. The "right direction" would take Colorado State to heights they had never seen before in 1994. Led by a defense that featured future NFL players Sean Moran and Brady Smith, Colorado State flew out of the gate 6-0 heading into a key game on October 8 against the #4 Arizona Wildcats in Tucson, Arizona. Known for their vaunted "Desert Swarm" defense, Arizona had been picked by Sports Illustrated and several other publications to win the National Championship, but it was CSU that took a stunning 14-6 lead. With Arizona driving to the CSU 21 in the second half, Garrett Sand forced a fumble that Moran recovered and ran back 79 yards for a touchdown. Regarded simply as "The Play" in CSU football history, the return ended up being the game winning score, as Lubick and the Rams engineered the greatest upset in the program's history 21-16. Near rioting broke out in Fort Collins as a result of celebrations from students and fans. A victory the following week over UTEP set up a nationally televised showdown with Utah, also undefeated, at Hughes Stadium. With extra bleachers brought in to the 30,000 seat facility, a crowd of 39,107, the largest in Hughes Stadium history, witnessed a heartbreaking 45-31 shootout loss. Despite the setback, the Rams recovered to win their final three games, including a dramatic 44-42 comeback win at Fresno State that sealed CSU's first ever outright Western Athletic Conference (WAC) championship (Utah lost twice more during the regular season following their win at CSU). The victory earned Colorado State their first ever trip to the Holiday Bowl in San Diego, California, where the Rams lost a hard fought 24-14 affair to Michigan. Though the season ended on a down note, the Rams 10 wins were a program record for victories in a single season. The 10-2 campaign was the start of ten straight winning seasons under Lubick, and also earned him National Coach of the Year honors from Sports Illustrated.
Lubick's Rams followed up their breakout campaign in 1994 with a strong 1995 season. With Smith earning WAC defensive player of the year honors, and safety Greg Myers earning All American honors for a second straight year, CSU finished the 1995 season with an 8-4 mark and a share of the WAC conference title. The Rams were once again invited to the Holiday Bowl, but this time they were downed by the Kansas State Wildcats by a score of 51-24. In 1996, the Rams posted another winning season, finishing 7-5 and tied for second place in the WAC. However, a lack of quality wins, and crushing losses to Colorado, Oregon, Nebraska, and Wyoming would lead to CSU not earning a bowl invitation.
The 1997 season also got off to a difficult start. Colorado State blew a halftime lead against arch-rival Colorado in their second game to lose 31-21. Two weeks later the Rams suffered a 24-0 shutout loss at home against Air Force to fall to 2-2. It would be the last game Lubick's Rams lost for the rest of the season. Led by quarterback Moses Moreno, the WAC Offensive Player of the Year, bruising running back Kevin McDougal, and future Pittsburgh Steeler linebackers Joey Porter and Clark Haggans, Colorado State stormed through the rest of league play, with a 14-7 victory at Wyoming October 18th the closest they ever came to defeat. Winning their second outright WAC title, the Rams once again went to the Holiday Bowl, this time facing the Missouri Tigers. Down three at halftime, CSU scored 21 second half points to defeat the Tigers 35-24, netting Lubick his first ever bowl victory, extending a school record nine game winning streak (the streak would be end at ten in 1998), and finishing the greatest season in school history 11-2. During this period of success, Lubick reportedly received interest and coaching offers from several other high profile programs, including Miami and USC. But commitment to his program, and intense efforts from fans to keep the loveable coach in Fort Collins, lead to Lubick staying at CSU each time. In 1998, Lubick's Rams finished 8-4 and third in the WAC, but were not invited to a postseason bowl.
Prior to the the 1999 season, seven member schools of the WAC (Air Force, Colorado State, BYU, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, UNLV), upset over conference expansion that threatened to balloon travel costs and breakup long standing regional rivalries, broke away from the WAC and formed a new league, the Mountain West Conference. But 1999 would be memorable for Ram fans for another reason. Since the day they began playing football, CSU had more often than not failed to beat their in-state rivals from Boulder, the Colorado Buffaloes. Playing in a superior league with superior resources, Colorado often overshadowed Colorado State, considering them a "little brother" of sorts. The Rams had rarely ever beaten the Buffs, and Lubick had gone 0-3 in his first three games against them. On September 4 the game, now dubbed the Rocky Mountain Showdown, was played at a neutral site, Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colorado for the second straight year, and the Rams were once again consider underdogs against the ranked Buffaloes. However, behind 189 rushing yards and two touchdowns from McDougal, the Rams blew out the Buffaloes 41-14, marking the first time in 13 years that CSU had beaten their in-state rivals. The victory was seen by many as the final step in CSU's ascension to legitimacy. Victories over Wyoming and Air Force also complete the "Front Range" sweep, and the Rams finished 8-4 again, this time tying for the Mountain West title. CSU was invited to the Liberty Bowl, but lost to Southern Mississippi 23-17.
In 2000 Lubick's Rams, led primarily by Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year Matt Newton, defeated Colorado for the second straight season 28-24. The victory was the catalyst for a 10-2 season that included an outright Mountain West title and a 22-17 Liberty Bowl victory over Louisville. With the graduation of several key seniors, and the preseason loss of starting running back Cecil Sapp to injury, Lubick faced a rebuilding year in 2001. The Rams still managed a 7-5 finish and a 45-20 New Orleans Bowl victory over North Texas. 2001 was also notable for the emergence of quarterback Bradlee Van Pelt. A transfer from Michigan State, Van Pelt's dual threat capability as a running and passing quarterback would make him a two time conference player of the year. But it was his game in 2002 against Colorado that made Van Pelt a cult hero in Fort Collins. After losing to CU in 2001, Van Pelt and the Rams, bolstered by the return of Sapp, went into their Rocky Mountain Showdown heavy underdogs against a Buffalo team ranked sixth in the nation. Trailing 14-13 late in the fourth quarter, Van Pelt broke loose on a 26 yard touchdown run. As he neared the goal line, Van Pelt turned and spiked the football off of CU cornerback Roderick Sneed's helmet as he scored what would be the game winning touchdown. Following the game, Van Pelt called CU "the sorriest sixth ranked team in the nation he had ever faced". It was the second biggest upset in school history, and further added to the Van Pelt's following in Fort Collins. Though the outspoken quarterback occasionally gave Lubick problems, the 2002 season would be another banner season. With Sapp setting the school single season rushing record, the Rams finished 2002 with a 10-4 record and another Mountain West Conference title.
The 2003 Ram football team was considered by many to be the best team in Lubick's tenure, if not all of CSU history, prior to the season. Though Sapp was gone, Van Pelt and many other seniors returned, and high profile Colorado-transfer Marcus Houston was added to the mix. The Rams entered the season ranked 24th in the nation and with hopes of cracking the Bowl Championship Series. Those hopes were quickly dashed when the Rams were upset in their opener by CU 42-35. Though CSU did make a bowl game for the fifth straight season, the Rams 7-6 finish was the start of a down period for Lubick and his program. With Van Pelt gone, CSU faced another rebuilding year in 2004. A particularly devasting loss at Folsom Field against Colorado on September 4th, in which Lubick later admitted to mismanaging CSU's final series that ended in the Rams failing in three plays from CU's one yardline to score what would have been a game winning touchdown in a 27-24 loss, led to a 4-7 finish, the worst year in Lubick's tenure.
The 2005 season started once again with another devastating loss at Colorado on September 3. Leading 21-10 after three quarters, three interceptions allowed CU to tie the game, and Mason Crosby kicked a game-winning 47 yard field goal with five seconds left to give the Buffs a 31-28 win. This time the Rams regrouped. Behind school record setting wide receiver David Anderson, and buoyed by the surprising emergence of thousand yard sophomore running back Kyle Bell, CSU finished the regular season 6-5 and tied for second place in the Mountain West. However, a blowout 56-32 loss to the Naval Academy in the Poinsettia Bowl seemed to be another setback.
Following the 2005 season, Lubick signed a three year contract extension that will make him CSU's coach through the 2009 season. Unfortunately, the Lubick family was dealt a difficult blow in the offseason. In February, Lubick's youngest son, Marc, was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma cancer, a type of cancer that is notoriously difficult to pronounce. The younger Lubick had just finished his first season as Colorado State's wide receivers coach, a position he took over after his brother Matt left the program in 2005 after spending the previous four seasons coaching that position under his father. Marc Lubick underwent chemotherapy and coached during the 2006 season.
The Rams entered the 2006 season with high hopes, but on and off field problems quickly beset the program. Just three days prior to the season opening game against Weber State on September 2nd, preseason all conference back Kyle Bell was lost for the season with a torn ACL during a practice. A sophomore in 2005, Bell had run for over a 1,000 yards and figured to be the centerpiece in CSU's offense. The Rams defeated Weber State 30-6, but lost another starter prior to their game against the arch rival University of Colorado on September 9th, this time due to scandal. Several players, including preseason All-MWC cornerback Robert Herbert, were suspended indefinetly from the program after being charged with fraud in a campus checking scandal. Herbert had arguably been the team's best defender in 2005.
Despite these losses, however, the Rams started the 2006 season strong. On September 9th, after three years of frustratingly close losses, the Rams defeated their in-state rival CU 14-10 at Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium. After dropping a 28-10 decision at Nevada the following week, CSU rebounded with a road win at Fresno State and homecoming win against UNLV to go to 4-1. Playing at in-state rival Air Force on October 12, the Rams opened up a 21-3 halftime lead and appeared to be well on their way to a fifth victory. However, the Falcons rallied for 21 unanswered points and came back to defeat CSU 24-21. The loss was the beginning of one of the worst slides in Lubick's tenure. The following week Colorado State was shutout 24-0 at Wyoming in the annual Border War series. Home losses to New Mexico and BYU followed. Currently the Rams have lost 5 straight games. Heading into their final two games of the season against TCU and San Diego State, the Rams are 4-6 and 1-5 in Mountain West, all but eliminating them from any hope of postseason play.
[edit] Personal life
Lubick is married to wife Carol Jo and has three children: daughter Michelle and sons Matt and Marc, both of whom have been assistant coaches under their father.
[edit] Head Coaching Record
| TEAM | YEAR | WINS | LOSSES | Bowl Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana State | 1978 | 8 | 2 | |
| Montana State | 1979 | 6 | 4 | |
| Montana State | 1980 | 4 | 6 | |
| Montana State | 1981 | 3 | 7 | |
| Colorado State | 1993 | 5 | 6 | |
| Colorado State | 1994 | 10 | 2 | Holiday Bowl |
| Colorado State | 1995 | 8 | 4 | Holiday Bowl |
| Colorado State | 1996 | 7 | 5 | |
| Colorado State | 1997 | 11 | 2 | Holiday Bowl |
| Colorado State | 1998 | 8 | 4 | |
| Colorado State | 1999 | 8 | 4 | Liberty Bowl |
| Colorado State | 2000 | 10 | 2 | Liberty Bowl |
| Colorado State | 2001 | 7 | 5 | New Orleans Bowl |
| Colorado State | 2002 | 10 | 4 | Liberty Bowl |
| Colorado State | 2003 | 7 | 6 | San Francisco Bowl |
| Colorado State | 2004 | 4 | 7 | |
| Colorado State | 2005 | 6 | 6 | Poinsettia Bowl |
| Colorado State | 2006 | 4 | 7 | |
| CAREER TOTAL | 18 years | 126 | 83 |
| Preceded by: Sonny Holland |
Montana State University Head Football Coaches 1978-1981 |
Succeeded by: Doug Graber |
| Preceded by: Earle Bruce |
Colorado State University Head Football Coaches 1993-Present |
Succeeded by: Present |
| Colorado State Rams Head Football Coaches |
|---|
| Forbes • Toomey • Griffith • McIntosh • Rothgeb • Cassidy • Hughes • Wagner • Davis • Mullison • Lude • Wampfler • Arslanian • Caddas • Fuller • Bruce • Lubick |
