Pocatello, Idaho – As any sports fan living in Corvallis in the '80s could attest, following Oregon State Athletics was a proverbial rollercoaster ride. Sports figures including Ralph Miller, Dale Thomas, A.C. Green, Gary Payton, and many other greats braved the challenges of competing in the talent-rich Pac-10 (now Pac-12) Conference.
While all these men were role models to many Beaver Believers including myself, it was then Head Coach Dave Kragthorpe and his wife Barbara who impacted my life far beyond what any upset would bring on a foggy Saturday night in the Willamette Valley.
Because of Coach Kragthorpe's recruiting efforts, my family had the likes of Bronco Mendenhall, OSU team captain and current head coach at the University of Virginia, help us unpack our moving truck when we first arrived from Southern California, and my Halloween costume in 1988 was inspired by future NFL third-round draft pick, Erik Wilhelm.
But even more importantly, and beyond football, Dave and Barbara have always been some of the most genuine and caring people around. They both made you feel like family from the moment you met them. Coach Kragthorpe's positive presence and respect for others could be felt by everyone, even reporters after a tough loss.
"Coach was always a father figure to us players and a positive influence," Mike Machurek said, former Idaho State quarterback (1980-1981). "Barbara drove me down to the hospital in Salt Lake City when I had my knee operated on to make sure everything was done correctly. You only come across a few people in your life like Dave and Barbara."
Born in 1981, I had no way of knowing the legacy that Kragthorpe had established in Southeast Idaho that same year. Prior to testing the administrative waters as athletic director at his alma mater Utah State University, and before bringing his "Air Express" philosophy to Corvallis in 1985, he orchestrated one of the greatest program turnarounds in Division-IAA (now FCS) history at Idaho State University.
Just two seasons after the team had finished 0-11 in 1979, the newly hired Kragthorpe led the Bengals to a 12-1 record and National Championship after beating the Eastern Kentucky Colonels in the 1981 Pioneer Bowl, 34-23.
Not until reuniting with the Kragthorpes in my professional career did I realize that time may change a lot of things, but not Dave and Barbara. Their love and passion for college football has little to do with wins and losses, but rather the relationships they have built and the many lives they have touched along the way.
"Coach is a phenomenal person and a huge influence in my life," Dave Vandegriff said, who was one of Machurek's targets at wide receiver during the 1981 season. "He leveled with me and taught me how to be part of something bigger than myself."
Kragthorpe epitomizes a coaching tree and the small fraternity we know today as college athletics, yet his legacy extends far beyond the gridiron. No matter who I come across, the message is always consistent when talking about his leadership; that of humility, respect, and selflessness.
"Coach Kragthorpe showed me the importance of getting everyone to buy into the team," said Marvin Lewis, former ISU linebacker, graduate assistant on the 1981 championship team, and veteran coach of over 25 years in the NFL.
"Fundamentals and execution win games and putting together a coaching staff that can reach each player. He was a great example for me as a coach to reach each player in his own way. I was blessed to play and coach for him."
It comes as no surprise to learn that it was ISU legend John "Babe" Caccia who poached Kragthorpe away from BYU in December of 1979 where he was coaching the offensive line. One can only imagine that Babe saw a little of himself in his new coach's passion for developing leaders.
The all-time winningest coach in ISU history was right; Dave Kragthorpe was the real deal.
"Coach K brought in a top-notch staff when he arrived from BYU and a winner's mentality," said Dirk Koetter, another member of the 1981 championship team who recently retired from the NFL after a 39-year coaching career.
"He did a great job of telling it like it is but was also very consistent in delivering a positive message to the team. I tried to emulate that as I rose through the coaching ranks and his 'speak softly, but carry a big stick' mantra definitely carried over to my college and pro coaching career."
Even after stepping away from coaching in 1992, Kragthorpe continued to have a profound impact on the game.
"Coach K has been a mentor and positive influence in my life ever since I was a student-athlete at Utah State," Matt Wells said, head coach at Texas Tech.
"I have always respected his insight and knowledge of the game, and as I progressed in my career he has been my eyes and ears from a veteran coach perspective. Dave and Barbara have been instrumental in my family's life as well over the years with their love and support. They are like grandparents to our kids."
I know I speak for many when I say Dave and Barbara Kragthorpe truly are a college football treasure. They are the same genuine and caring couple that my family admired in the '80s demonstrating the same humility, respect, and selflessness.
Their travel this fall includes game day stops in Lubbock, Cincinnati, and of course Pocatello; all to support friends and loved ones in what has become the family business.
As if their impact on Idaho State University has not been enough, Dave and Barbara generously established a Bengal Football scholarship in 2016. Naturally, their endowment quickly gained momentum and amassed 94 honorary donations from former players, coaches, and friends.
Scholarship support means the world to anyone, especially a head coach when they hit the road recruiting, but for the Kragthorpes and the game of football, Dave's financial assistance was defining.
"His plan out of high school was to enlist in the Army," Barbara said. "Without Dave's football scholarship, he would not have been able to go to college and begin his coaching career."
ISU's Homecoming on September 25, 2021 marks the 40th reunion of that illustrious championship season in 1981, and it also represents what Dave and Barbara consider a great opportunity to maximize the impact of their scholarship.
To get the ball rolling, they have generously offered to match up to $15,000 of any new contributions to their endowment through the end of the year.
"Our youngest son Steve and all of our grandchildren have benefited from scholarship support and our goal is to pay it forward for future generations of student-athletes at ISU," Barbara added.
I can only imagine there were families in Southeast Idaho in the early '80s that looked up to the quality people that played for and coached alongside Kragthorpe, and who knows, maybe there was a trick-or-treater or two rocking a 1981 ISU championship jersey.
I am confident, however, that there were and still are countless people who admire Dave and Barbara's care for others, their passion for the true meaning of college athletics, and the remarkable impact they have had on the game of football.
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To learn more about supporting Athletics scholarships at Idaho State University, including the Coach Dave Kragthorpe Scholarship Endowment Fund, please contact Associate Athletic Director Joel Moersch at (208) 282-4503 or joelmoersch@isu.edu.
