Colorado State University Athletics
10/22/2026 2:00:00 PM | Football
Multiple assistants have later guided the program
Colorado State has seen many men who have been assistant football coaches over the past 126 years, starting with the first, Clarence Griffith in 1900. The assistant coach is an integral part of the football coaching staff and today we see several of them on the sidelines and peering down from above to help guide the Rams in action. Over the course of time, an assistant coach proves his abilities with a promotion to head coach, some at CSU and others at other colleges and professional teams. We look back on those assistant coaches for the Aggies and Rams who have been moved up to head coach to make CSU fans proud.
The first assistant coach in school history was also the first assistant coach to be promoted to head coach. In 1901, the Aggies opened their season against Colorado, but a controversy ensued over the legality of a CAC player. This led to Aggies head coach George Toomey resigning and Griffith took over for the 1901 and 1902 seasons.
Over the course of time, several other CSU assistant coaches took over, in one way or another, as the new head coach of CSU football. Three were CSU graduates, the first being Hans Wagner, long-time assistant coach of Harry Hughes who became head coach for the Aggies in 1942. Wagner resigned midway through 1946 under pressure from his own alumni. Don "Tuffy" Mullison was the second Aggies assistant coach to take over after Bob Davis stepped down following the 1955 season. Mullison coached 1956-1961, enduring some of the hardest times at CSU and becoming the first CSU head coach to be fired. The last was Steve Fairchild, Sonny Lubick's trusted QB coach and offensive coordinator in the glory years, who took over for the Ram legend in 2008, but only lasted through 2011.
Three Rams assistant coaches who took over as head coaches at CSU did so when the head coach was either fired or resigned. These interim coaches held the teams together and received little credit but deserved more considering the circumstances.
The first Rams assistant to take over for a fired head coach was Chester Caddas who took the reins mid-way through the 1981 season following Sark Arslanian's departure. The second was Dave Baldwin, who coached the Rams in the Las Vegas Bowl in 2014. No interim coach, including Harry Hughes in 1946, has won a single game as head coach.
When you think of other Rams assistant coaches who have gone on to be head coaches, the one who paid the most back to CSU was Lubick. Lubick joined Leon Fuller's staff in 1982 as offensive coordinator for three seasons and came back in 1993 to bring the greatest football success of the post WWII era for the Rams. Many of Lubick's protégées, whether players or coaches have gone on to be assistant coaches in the NFL. Klint Kubiak, who never coached at CSU but was one of Lubick's players, just became the head coach for the Las Vegas Raiders, the first CSU player to be an NFL head coach since Jack Christiansen.
Other notable Rams assistant coaches who went on to be head coaches include Kay Dalton at Northern Colorado, Lane Kiffin, a graduate assistant under Lubick who coached at Florida Atlantic, Ole Miss and now LSU. A lesser-known assistant coach for the Rams was Bobby Collins, who spent the 1956 season under Mullison and later went on to be head coach at Southern Miss and SMU. Skip Holtz spent the 1989 season at CSU before moving on to coach with his father at Notre Dame and then head up programs at East Carolina, South Florida and Louisiana Tech.
Skip Holtz' departure led to Earle Bruce hiring a new wide receiver's coach in 1990, an Ohio State graduate he knew named Urban Meyer. Meyer was an integral part of Bruce's staff who guided the Rams to the 1990 Freedom Bowl win. When Bruce was fired after the 1992 season, Lubick retained Meyer, who remained as the wide receivers coach for CSU until 1995. Meyer moved to Notre Dame as wide receivers coach until he was hired at Bowling Green for his first head coaching position in 2001.
Without question, Meyer is the greatest former CSU assistant to become a head coach at any other school. After his two years at Bowling Green, Meyer went on to Utah, Florida and Ohio State where he won 7 conference titles and 3 national championships, two at Florida and his last at Ohio State in 2014. He won multiple coach of the year awards, has been recognized nationally and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. No other former Rams assistant coach can claim such success.
Who knows who will be another Rams assistant coach that will go on to be a head coach in the NFL or NCAA, but it is likely we will see many more successful coaches come though Fort Collins over the next 100 years.
The first assistant coach in school history was also the first assistant coach to be promoted to head coach. In 1901, the Aggies opened their season against Colorado, but a controversy ensued over the legality of a CAC player. This led to Aggies head coach George Toomey resigning and Griffith took over for the 1901 and 1902 seasons.
Over the course of time, several other CSU assistant coaches took over, in one way or another, as the new head coach of CSU football. Three were CSU graduates, the first being Hans Wagner, long-time assistant coach of Harry Hughes who became head coach for the Aggies in 1942. Wagner resigned midway through 1946 under pressure from his own alumni. Don "Tuffy" Mullison was the second Aggies assistant coach to take over after Bob Davis stepped down following the 1955 season. Mullison coached 1956-1961, enduring some of the hardest times at CSU and becoming the first CSU head coach to be fired. The last was Steve Fairchild, Sonny Lubick's trusted QB coach and offensive coordinator in the glory years, who took over for the Ram legend in 2008, but only lasted through 2011.
Three Rams assistant coaches who took over as head coaches at CSU did so when the head coach was either fired or resigned. These interim coaches held the teams together and received little credit but deserved more considering the circumstances.
The first Rams assistant to take over for a fired head coach was Chester Caddas who took the reins mid-way through the 1981 season following Sark Arslanian's departure. The second was Dave Baldwin, who coached the Rams in the Las Vegas Bowl in 2014. No interim coach, including Harry Hughes in 1946, has won a single game as head coach.
When you think of other Rams assistant coaches who have gone on to be head coaches, the one who paid the most back to CSU was Lubick. Lubick joined Leon Fuller's staff in 1982 as offensive coordinator for three seasons and came back in 1993 to bring the greatest football success of the post WWII era for the Rams. Many of Lubick's protégées, whether players or coaches have gone on to be assistant coaches in the NFL. Klint Kubiak, who never coached at CSU but was one of Lubick's players, just became the head coach for the Las Vegas Raiders, the first CSU player to be an NFL head coach since Jack Christiansen.
Other notable Rams assistant coaches who went on to be head coaches include Kay Dalton at Northern Colorado, Lane Kiffin, a graduate assistant under Lubick who coached at Florida Atlantic, Ole Miss and now LSU. A lesser-known assistant coach for the Rams was Bobby Collins, who spent the 1956 season under Mullison and later went on to be head coach at Southern Miss and SMU. Skip Holtz spent the 1989 season at CSU before moving on to coach with his father at Notre Dame and then head up programs at East Carolina, South Florida and Louisiana Tech.
Skip Holtz' departure led to Earle Bruce hiring a new wide receiver's coach in 1990, an Ohio State graduate he knew named Urban Meyer. Meyer was an integral part of Bruce's staff who guided the Rams to the 1990 Freedom Bowl win. When Bruce was fired after the 1992 season, Lubick retained Meyer, who remained as the wide receivers coach for CSU until 1995. Meyer moved to Notre Dame as wide receivers coach until he was hired at Bowling Green for his first head coaching position in 2001.
Without question, Meyer is the greatest former CSU assistant to become a head coach at any other school. After his two years at Bowling Green, Meyer went on to Utah, Florida and Ohio State where he won 7 conference titles and 3 national championships, two at Florida and his last at Ohio State in 2014. He won multiple coach of the year awards, has been recognized nationally and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. No other former Rams assistant coach can claim such success.
Who knows who will be another Rams assistant coach that will go on to be a head coach in the NFL or NCAA, but it is likely we will see many more successful coaches come though Fort Collins over the next 100 years.
Friday, October 16
Friday, October 16
Saturday, October 03
Saturday, October 03