photo courtesy of Esteban Cortez of The Collegian
In the last two days, the world involving Fresno State football seemed mixed with emotions when the name Tim DeRuyter was spread around.
There was former Bulldog Lorenzo Neal blasting the search committee involved in the new coaching search for not pursuing former Bulldogs through his twitter account and on local television. Internet message boards were also often filled with rants about the new hire, and how many were hoping for former Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain, former NFL head coach and current Chicago Bears assistant Mike Martz, even former Bulldog assistant and current Oakland Raider tight end coach Kelly Skipper.
Students walking around the Fresno State campus even didn’t know the name Tim DeRuyter when asked by television reporters. Those who heard of the name either were in support of the new hire, or felt that someone else should have been given the nod.
On Wednesday however, the newest head football coach at Fresno State walked inside the Save Mart Center press conference room, and he said the kind of words that many people, from Bulldog fans, to current players to even the boosters, alumni and current Fresno State students wanted to hear.
“We are going to go out and win championships,” was one of the main attention-grabbing sentiments he stated out. “We’re going to build champions, win bowl games, recapture the heart of the valley. We‘re going to build a team that‘s going to win the hearts and minds of the valley. We‘re going to build champions on and off the field and our plan is to graduate 100 percent of our football players in our program.”
Another one was “from Bakersfield to Sacramento, we have to own the valley. This is the valley‘s team.”
He even paid tribute to the coaches before him, especially calling former Bulldog head coach Pat Hill an icon. He also wanted former Bulldog alumni players and coaches to feel welcomed and feel a part of the new regime.
The current Texas A&M interim head coach and former Aggie defensive coordinator was formally introduced by athletic director Thomas Boeh and Fresno State university inside a packed room at the Save Mart Center. DeRuyter becomes the fourth coaching hire in the last 35 years for Fresno State, and the 17th overall hire in the program’s history.
He comes with zero full-time head coaching experience, but 22 years as a defensive assistant and coordinator.
One of his biggest tasks is transforming a Bulldog defense that has fallen on hard times in the last four seasons, especially a 2011 squad that was 107th overall in scoring defense, and gave up an average of 35.2 points per game during their 4-9 campaign.
With a smile on his face, and with a clear, projective voice, he made it be known that there will be a transformation on the defensive side of the ball.
“We’re going to pressure,” DeRuyter said. “When we get done with that, we’re going to pressure. And when we get down there to that, we’re going to pressure some more. I’ve done a 3-4 base defense, and that’s what’s we’re going to do here. We’re going to play with passion.”
His Texas A&M defense led the Big XII conference in sacks this past season with 43. He also helped produce a first round draft choice, and a potential NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate in linebacker Von Miller of the Denver Broncos, who is currently leading all defensive rookies with 12 sacks.
DeRuyter gets his defensive ideas from one of the most legendary minds in the NFL today and an NFL Hall-of-Famer, current Pittsburg Steeler defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, whom he credits as a mentor.
“Coach LeBeau has been very, very good to me,” DeRuyter said. “I just met with him this summer before the season. I would visit with him in the off-season and loved what he did. He’s been a great resource to mimic his package with what we do. The thing that’s neat about it is, we show our players what the Steelers are doing when we show our package, so they can see themselves mimicking an NFL defense.”
For athletic director Thomas Boeh, he felt getting a coach with a defensive background was something to consider, especially the downturn of the Bulldog defense this past season.
“We kind of started leaning more towards defensive coordinators,” Boeh said. “Because that’s where we have to shore things up a little bit. We needed someone who can shore up our defense and at the same time, bring some excitement to the offense and take advantage of the great players we have.”
During the hiring process, Boeh said that the selection committee came down to four finalists. He wanted the one that sounded the most enthusiastic about coming to the Bulldogs.
He found Tim DeRuyter, who also had a previous working relationship with Boeh while the two were at the University of Ohio from 2002-2004.
“We were looking for someone who was going to bring some excitement, some innovation, passion, and above all else, we wanted someone who wanted all those things and wanted to be here at Fresno State,” Boeh said. “We got some great traditions behind us and we want to build on those great traditions, but we have new traditions ahead of us. And we were looking for the guy who would take us there. Tim DeRuyter has been on the radar for a long time, he’s made an impact on student-athletes and football programs at every stop he’s been at.”
DeRuyter met with some of the Bulldog players before being introduced to the press. One of them is the man who has led the Bulldogs in tackles the last two seasons and a guy who will now have to get acclimated to the 3-4 scheme, upcoming senior linebacker Travis Brown.
“He seems like a good guy,” Brown said. “Like he said, the defense is based off of the Steelers’ defense, I’ve seen them play and I’m excited about being in this defense. I feel they’ll pressure us, I’m excited to get some blitzes in.”
DeRuyter will not only come to Fresno State with zero coaching experience, but also zero ties to Fresno State.
However, he made it clear that along with an aggressive defensive nature and a fast, up-tempo offense, he wants that same aggression on the recruiting trail in his own, new backyard.
“We have to aggressively recruit the valley,” he said. “California has tons of talent here. We have to own this valley. We’re not going to take no for an answer. We’re not going to have anyone say ‘Well, this guy is a PAC-12, a Big XII, or a national recruit.’ We’re going after him. This 99 corridor is going to be Bulldog country, and we are going to own this in recruiting. That’s where we’re going to get hearts and minds of the valley back behind this program. Because most kids want to play in front of their family and friends, and there’s no better place to do it than right here.”
He also wanted to ensure that despite having no ties to the Bulldogs, he was going to ensure that this new regime was going to continue honoring the valley and Bulldog traditions.
“I want to invite all the former players and alumni to come back and be a part of this thing,” he said. “Those were the guys that built this thing. Coach Sweeney, coach Hill, the guys that played for them. I want them to know that I want them to be a part of this. I want them around this program and reach out to them in a number of different ways to make them feel welcome in and around our football program.”
He even ended his press conference by reiterating one, long standing tradition first made by Jim Sweeney, with the hope that can win over supporters of Fresno State football.
“To quote the great coach Jim Sweeney, we’re Bulldog born, and we’re Bulldog bred, and I’m going to be a Bulldog, until the day I’m dead. Go ‘Dogs!”
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