From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20111125/SPORTS0203/111250364/Wayne-State-football-has-built-a-winner#ixzz1ejs9QWQc


Wayne State football has built a winner

Terry Foster/ The Detroit News

Detroit— A photo sits on Wayne State athletic director Rob Fournier's desk, a snapshot of the dark days of Warriors football, when few people attended games which usually resulted in blowout losses.

Today there is a very different picture of Wayne State football. The Warriors (9-3) play at Nebraska-Kearney (10-1) Saturday in a second-round NCAA Division II playoff game.

They got to the postseason following a controversial decision by the selection committee to bypass Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champion Hillsdale. And they needed to overcome a 21-6 deficit in snow so thick that it delayed their first-round game at St. Cloud (Minn.) State for 30 minutes. The Warriors eventually prevailed, 48-38.

Fournier keeps the photo as a reminder of how far Wayne State has come.

"There was a lot of work over a lot of period of time," Fournier said. "Success does not come easy."

Build it the right way. Paul Winters followed that principle every step of the way since taking over as head coach in 2004. Some of the steps were uncomfortable. He ruffled feathers and players left the team because they didn't believe the Warriors could be winners, or because they didn't fit the team culture.

Winters is getting better talent each season. Expectations were so high this season there was disappointment following an 8-3 regular season. That's because a year ago the Warriors won a school-record nine games.

"I felt like last year we arrived," Winters said. "I really thought this year, I don't want to call it a disappointment, but we felt we were the best team in the league and we lost those three games by a total of 12 points. It was a matter of us, not the opponents.

"I think we are at a point in the program where we can sustain excellence."

An easier sell

Winters has pulled this program up from the ashes. From 1985 to 2006, when his plan began to take hold, the Warriors were 60-118-1, with just three winning seasons. If the Warriors put together a winning season next year, it would be their fifth straight, something that hasn't happened in 33 years.

Other schools have noticed. Fournier said he's gotten requests for permission from schools to talk to Winters for assistant positions at Big Ten schools. He even turned down a job with the University of Cincinnati shortly after getting the WSU job because he wanted to remain a head coach.

A family atmosphere has been created at games as alumni and donors make their way to Adams Field. NFL scouts also began showing up. They were looking for hidden gems, following the success of Wayne State's all-time leading rusher Joique Bell, who was a senior in 2010 and currently is on the New Orleans Saints' practice squad.

They were taking notes on 6-foot-3, 308 pound tackle Joe Long, free safety Jeremy Jones and wide receiver Troy Burrell. Footnotes like these make Wayne State an easier sell to recruits and parents.

In the Warriors' victory over St. Cloud State, Toney Davis rushed for 326 yards and five touchdowns and Josh Renel ran for 70 yards on just seven carries.

"Because of lack of winning it was a tough sell (to recruits)," Winters said. "But the university has always been an easy sell because of the academics. It competes with pretty much any school in the area. We are now recruiting a higher caliber of athlete. More doors are open."

Long said he was optimistic even after a 3-8 record in his redshirt freshman season of 2007 because he saw cliques that divided the team disappear.

"We are good because of how close we are," Long said. "This team is very unselfish and we have the right mind-set of wanting to win a championship. We're focused to get it done."

Changing the culture

The school believed in Winters' game plan and has given him resources to compete with GLIAC powers Grand Valley and Hillsdale. The school built new coaches offices and meetings rooms behind the stadium, and a multi-purpose indoor building is set to open next month. The building includes tennis courts, an indoor track, and enough room for the football team to conduct practices.

One of the first things Winters did was change attitudes. WSU football players used to attend practice with their heads down and with sour dispositions. Winters got rid of those players and installed pride in the program.

"I would like to see us get comfortable with this success," Fournier said. "I have seen programs do it periodically and then fall back. Our goal is to create that sense of success and achievement every year. It has taken a while to get there. I want to develop that championship atmosphere so people get comfortable with success so that it does not seem like an aberration."

Win or lose, Wayne State's season has been a success. There are no multi-million dollar payouts for schools in the Division II playoffs. The NCAA provides transportation and hotel and a place to play. That's about it. For teams like Wayne State, this playoff run is about school pride.

"We don't expect to lose a lot," Fournier said. "I always tell our coaches here, I want our kids to enjoy a championship experience. It does not mean you have to lavish people with all kinds of incentives — where they stay or travel. They should feel gratification for their hard work. It is no different than with any employee. Hard work should be acknowledged."

Division II playoffs

What: Wayne State (9-3) at Nebraska-Kearney (10-1) in second-round NCAA Division II playoff game

When: 1 p.m. Saturday

Radio: WDTK 1400

At stake: Winner advances to play Minnesota-Duluth vs. Colorado State-Pueblo winner in quarterfinals.

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