Gaining ground

When former Ohio State coach Woody Hayes, the college football patriarch of the 1960’s and 1970’s, coined the phrase “three feet and a cloud of dust,” the old-school mantra came to define the bruising running games employed by teams in an era when the run and gun didn’t exist, and the West Coast offense would’ve been interpreted as playing football on a beach. 

It was in this discipline that Mick Delaney first coached at UM in 1968, as an assistant under the wishbone offense architect Jack Swarthout. Delaney stayed just one season, then went on to build Western Montana’s program, and eventually became one of Sonny Lubick’s top aides at Montana State and Colorado State. 

Forty autumns later, Delaney marks his return to Montana as the running backs coach, and much has changed. Montana now plays in the Coliseum of the FCS and boasts a pro style offense. But Delaney has gone back to the future for most of his career, coaching through the evolution of the modern day halfback, all the while prizing the retro roots of physical runners. When asked the characteristics he wants in his backs, Delaney gives just one answer, without hesitation. “The number one thing is to be a tough guy,” he says.

Head coach Bobby Hauck has said all fall camp that he expects his three running backs – junior Thomas Brooks Fletcher, sophomore Chase Reynolds and senior Andrew Schmidt – to equal the production of the graduated Lex Hilliard, the school’s second leading rusher who ran for 1,181 yards last season.

A tough task indeed for Delaney to inherit, but he speaks with confidence about his unit. “Lex has done so much for this program,” Delaney says, almost speechless. “We’re going to put some accountability on our guys,” he adds, noting that his runners have responded well in fall camp.

The reality is that Hilliard was a pillar of the program – perhaps even the eminent face in the community for the past three years - and filling those shoes is insurmountable this year.
“Mick’s got great experience, first of all. I’ve known him forever, since I was a kid,” says Hauck. “The best quality about Mick is that he’s a great person, and he’s going to do a great job with our backs.”

What isn’t insurmountable is Delaney helping shape the new identity of the position. He has a ruff hewn outfit, a trait which each runner then spawns a different personality; Brooks-Fletcher is a rugged make-you-miss back, Reynolds, a former wide receiver turned running back who is the speedster, and Schmidt, the biggest, strongest hammer of the three.

“You know, guys talk 4 this and 4 that, about running 4.8’s and 4.7’s,” says Delaney, who has spent the past 14 years coaching halfbacks at Colorado State under the recently retired Lubick. “But it’s more about being a team player and a downhill runner.”

“ He’s definitely got an old school feel to him,” says Brooks-Fletcher. “He’s got a lot of experience and he’s teaching us a lot of things that is relevant to the position.”

A primary component of the running backs’ success will hinge on the experience-laden offensive line, which features three All-American candidates and bona fide NFL potential. 

“The top six or seven guys, are as good of group as I’ve ever been around,” Delaney says.  “And that includes some very good lines at Colorado State. They’re smart, athletic and big.”

Brooks-Fletcher added that he feels good running through the trees up front. “All of them are experienced, and all have been in game situations,” he says.

Delaney has reservoir deep game situation experience, which will be of utter significance Saturday night in northern California after an off- season of inexperience speculation. Four decades after he first roamed the sidelines with Montana, the 2008 rendition still brings a bed of excitement to the veteran coach. 

“I’m tremendously excited to be here,” he says. “At this point in my life and my career, it’s so challenging to go into another program.”

The challenge, for Delaney and his backs, starts Saturday. How do you put one foot in front of the other, trying to follow the footsteps of a Montana legend? 

Three feet and a cloud of dust wouldn’t be a bad start. 

roman.stubbs@umontana.edu