Editor’s note: This story originally ran on August 13, 2015. Throughout the season, Skyline Sports will archive and reprint stories from the past pertaining to the matchups of the week. Portland State hosts Montana State on Saturday afternoon.
Bruce Barnum has a timer set. Any time he needs a reminder of the urgency surrounding his next four months, it’s right there in front of his face. Barnum knows his new job is a finite one unless he can turn the Vikings around.
Barnum, Portland State’s offensive coordinator since 2010, is now the Vikings’ head coach. But he’s got an interim tag attached to his first head coaching title. He has until December 31 of this year to extend his head coaching tenure, at least in the City of Roses.
Barnum’s youngest son, Cooper, set a countdown timer on Barnum’s cell phone as a constant reminder of what Barnum needs to accomplish.
“So if I’m ever eating lunch too long or I’m draggin’ ass, I just look at that and I figure I better get going again,” said the endlessly entertaining new Vikings’ head coach.
Barnum takes over for Nigel Burton, a once-rising star in the coaching business who came to PSU after spending a few largely successful seasons as Chris Ault’s defensive coordinator at Nevada-Reno. In 2011, Burton’s second year, the Vikings were a two-point conversion away from beating eventual Big Sky Conference champion Montana State, a win that would’ve likely boosted the 7-4 into the FCS playoffs. But the campaign serves as the only winning season at Portland State in the last eight.
McDonagh
Last fall, the Vikings went 3-9. This season, the schedule includes a brutal stretch featuring Washington State, North Texas and the Big Sky Power 5 of Eastern Washington, Montana, Montana State, Idaho State and Cal Poly. The Vikings do return 16 starters, including several standouts on their defensive front seven. Jeremy Lutali, a senior linebacker and All-Big Sky selection last season, said the Vikings understand the urgency behind Barnum’s tenure and want to do their best to keep him around.
“Winning for him is what we want,” Lutali said. “We love the man. We want to keep him around after this season. We want to play for him and to win for him so he can stay.
“Playing for a guy like him, you have someone to play for finally. The fact that everyone loves him not only as a coach, but as a man, it gives us more of a purpose. It makes it more fun. It makes practice fun. When practice is fun, everyone loves the game.”
The longtime Big Sky Conference assistant — the Eastern Washington alum coached at Idaho State from 1998 until 2006— has already made tweaks to the program, from scheme to practice schedule to attitude.
“I had to change the culture when I got here,” Barnum said. “There’s 1,000 ways to skin a cat. They have tried a couple of ways since Tim (Walsh) left. They didn’t work. So what I’ve seen be successful, I’ve brought that in maybe with some flair or what I do or who I am, which is not that much of an effect but I think it’s a little old school. I know we can get people to the school and the city. I know we can get kids here. You’ve seen those kids here in the past. There have been some great football players go through Portland State.”
With the exception of last season, Barnum’s offenses have been prolific at PSU. In 2013, the Vikings averaged 540 yards per game, second in the nation. But the offensive output never amounted to much success. In five seasons, Burton posted a 21-36 record, including 12-27 in Big Sky play.
“One thing that we are really harping on this summer and this fall camp is our mindset,” said senior cornerback Aaron Sibley, a 2014 second-team All-Big Sky seleciton. “Finishing games, staying with people. Every time something happens, don’t hang your head.
“Coach Barnum is unlike any coach I’ve ever played for. He makes it fun. He’s very unorthodox. He always likes to have a good time. He keeps the mood light so everything is not tense. I think that’s the biggest difference between the two coaching styles. I think that will help us finish games.”
Over the next few weeks, Barnum will have to decide on a quarterback. Kieran McDonagh was one of the best freshmen in the country in 2012. He hasn’t been able to find a groove since. In 2013, he lost his starting spot with three games left to Paris Penn, a shifty, athletic dual-threat who’s had a hard time staying healthy. Last season, Josh Kraght started in a 29-22 loss at Montana State and held the job for the rest of the season. With the addition of former BYU quarterback Alex Kuresa, Barnum will have a four-player competition in fall camp.
Junior tackle Kyle Smith will lead the offensive line. Steven Long and Nate Tago will be the key tailbacks. On defense, Lutali will have the formidable duo of Junior Alexis and Daniel Fusi playing in front of him.
“Fusi is probably 350 on a light day and 390 on a light day,” Barnum said. “We only practiced for 90 minutes in the spring. A guy with that body, he thought that was money. And I don’t run them any more for punishment so a guy like Dan Fusi that is 469 pounds thinks I’m God.”
The defense will feature more zone coverage in an effort to limit big plays, Barnum said.
The Vikings return almost every contributor from last year’s squad, but that might not be reason for optimism considering PSU’s struggles a season ago. Kraght proved he can keep the Vikings in games but Portland State needs to fortify its defense if Barnum wants to turn his interim tag into a full-time position.
If Barnum can earn himself another year, he has aspirations to sell the City of Roses to recruits. He mentions all the internship and career opportunities Portland can provide, a niche he feels doesn’t exist in other Big Sky towns that don’t share the city’s metropolitan feel.
And although every time he looks down at his phone, he’s constantly reminded that his time is running thin, he feels no pressure.
“I’m probably stupid but no I really don’t feel any at all,” Barnum said with a jolly smile. “It feels natural. I feel I’m prepared for this. I’m having a blast. I love the staff. I love the support. I love how the team is acting right now. I know we haven’t kicked off yet. But the honeymoon period is better than my own honeymoon. Right now where we are at, we are going to put a product on the field where people are going to say, ‘All right, hold on a minute. We better buckle down here.’”
Photos courtesy of Portland State Athletics. Main by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved
