This is the fourth of nine articles highlighting the CSU Pueblo Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2023 Inductees and today's fourth article features former Pack football coach Mike Friedman (1974-83)
When Mike Friedman became the head football coach at then-Southern Colorado State College in winter of 1974, his style was completely different than outgoing coach Joe Prater.
Prater had led the then-Indians for three decades and finished his 18-season run with an 85-84-4 (50.3 winning percent), including an 11-season mark of 52-53-2 at SCSC (1963-73) and a 7-year mark of 33-31-2 at Pueblo Junior College (1956-1962).
While the gentlemanly Prater had a low-key approach to his coaching style as he also doubled as a math teacher at SCSC, Friedman was a high-energy personality that guided the Indians to their first-ever post-season appearance in 1982 while posting a 10-season mark of 61-35-2.
During Friedman's tenure in Pueblo, he coached then-University of Southern Colorado to its first-ever Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference title in 1980 with a 7-1 record when the Indians posted a program best nine wins. During the playoff run in 1982, USC posted a 9-2 overall mark and a 7-1 mark in the RMAC play.
Recruiting emphasis were also different between Prater and Friedman. Prater was more aligned with recruiting talent from Texas high schools and junior colleges. It was not that Friedman abandoned "the Lone Star" state, but he was more active in recruiting players from all over Colorado.
On Friday, Friedman joins Prater as an inductee into the Colorado State University Pueblo Athletics Hall of Fame where six athletes, a family and a team will be honored at a Occhiato Student Center Ballroom Banquet to kickoff homecoming weekend. The inductees will also be recognized the next day at the football game against Adams State at the ThunderBowl.
Joining Friedman as 2023 inductees are Bobby Graham (men's basketball, 1963-1966), Bailey Hughes (women's cross country, track & field, 2015-2017), Deborah Hunter (women's basketball, volleyball, 1985-1987), Ryan Jensen (football, 2009-012), Shelly Watts Pearcey (women's basketball, 1985-1988), and Derrick Williams (men's cross country, track & field, 2014-2018).
The Trahern Family Legacy that spanned 13 seasons and over 400 games and matches will also be inducted along with the 2016-2017 women's basketball team that posted a 28-4 overall record and captured the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference regular season title and hosted the NCAA South Regional Tournament for the first and only time in school history will join the Hall of Fame in the Team category.
As 2012 CSU Pueblo Athletics Hall of Fame inductee and Douglas County High School football and basketball standout Mick McCall said, "Coach Friedman was some kind of a recruiter. He not only sold his program, but he also sold himself. He sold me to the school because I could play both sports."
Kit Carson multi-sports standout and Colorado High School Athletics Association Hall of Famer Bart Stevens, who followed McCall as the USC quarterback, said Friedman "was also an outstanding recruiter and a great salesman of the program. He attracted outstanding talent in state as well as out of State."
In addition to McCall Stevens, other top Colorado players recruited by Friedman were Dan and Mark DeRose (Pueblo East), Jeff England (Wheat Ridge), Bill Gower (Pueblo Centennial), Herman Heard (Denver South), John Trahan (Denver Thomas Jefferson) and John Wristen (Pueblo South. Heard, was drafted in the third round of the 1984 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs.
Stevens, who was a quarterback (1977-1981) during the Friedman era said, "my experience during my years at USC were some of my best life memories. Coach Friedman provided outstanding leadership and I am very grateful for the opportunities he gave me. Coach was very intense and focused. He believed in a system of play and didn't deviate from it. Coach was an outstanding teacher and motivator! He surrounded himself with outstanding coaches!"
A 12-time letterman at Flager where his football career was one of the more remarkable in Colorado annals, Stevens was a four-year starter and complied a 52-5 overall record. He ran for 1,956 total yards, while passing for 4,599 more. He scored 25 career rushing touchdowns and threw for 67 scores through the air. Stevens had a 30-year prep coaching, teaching and administration at schools in Colorado and New Mexico.
McCall, who was a four-year starter and led the team to a then-record 8-win season during his senior season in 1978, and 24-15 overall said he is "excited for Coach Friedman to be inducted into our Hall of Fame. I have two thoughts that stood out to me as a player first and a coach second. Also, being someone who worked with him on his staff working to develop the players in the program that he ran. "
With coaching stints at Northwestern (2008-2019), Bowling Green State (2003-2007), Wyoming (2001-2002), Oregon State (1988-1990) and Idaho State (1983-1987), McCall said that "on the day that he started recruiting me he was very upfront and honest with me as a player and a person. I just told him that I wanted to play college football, I just want a chance to play soon. As the communication went on he said that they would have me start working on defense and play safety. We got into fall camp and a few days into practice the QB room had some injuries. He said that he wanted me to move over to offense and play QB. I again trusted what he said and moved to the offensive side. Anytime he asked me to do something, I thought it was for the betterment of the team and he did what he said he would do.
McCall, who began coaching in 1979 at USC where he played basketball for three seasons," said "the second thing that I asked of him going through the recruiting process was that I also wanted to try and play college basketball as well. He said he could not speak for coach (Harry) Simmons but, he would set up a meeting for me to talk with him. Again, he did what he said he would do. I took this process into how I started in coaching and continued and utilized it for 40-plus years of coaching and teaching young people and fellow coaches. I can't thank Coach Friedman enough for helping me learn and understand how to start and build relationships that will impact kids and fellow coaches for the rest of their lives."
Joe Pannunzio, currently coaching with the Philadelphia Eagles, said, "Coach Friedman's attention to detail was beneficial for me. It taught me not to be satisfied with being ordinary or average. He was tough on us about getting things right. We could not finish practice until we ran ten perfect plays."
Following Stevens and McCall as the USC quarterback, Pannunzio said he "will also be indebted to Coach Friedman. A lot of what he taught us, I still use to this day in coaching. He developed a family culture, and we all worked together. I am sorry I can not attend the induction, as I'll be with the Eagles in Los Angeles. My parents will be there to honor a man who was instrumental in my career - on-and-off the field of play."
Prior to coming to Pueblo, Friedman posted a six-season record of 34-16-1 record as a high school coach and was an assistant at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater before replacing Prater in March, 1974.
Friedman becomes the 14th coach to be inducted into the CSU Pueblo Athletics Hall of Fame along with Kay Aguilar, 2013; Jessie Banks, 2008; James "Spank" Blasing, 2009; Joe Folda, 2018; Mike Friedman, 2023; Chuck Haering, 2015; Don McIntosh, 2010; Doug Moses, 2011; Tom Muhic, 2012; Prater, 2016; Dr. Dale Rea, 2009; Jack Seilheimer, 2012; Harry Simmons, 2008 and Don Stutters, 2019.
Four football players during the Friedman era have also been inducted into the CSU Pueblo Athletics Hall of Fame - Kirk Brynjulson, 2019, 1972-75; Dan DeRose, 2011, 1981-84; Herman Heard, 2013, 1982-83, Mick McCall, 2012, 1975-78 and Glen Printers, 2015, 1973-1974.
