Jerry Miller
“The Bengal” Adviser
To some fans of Idaho State football, the announcement was like a punch in the stomach.
Bengal football offensive coordinator Don Bailey is on his way to the University of Hawaii, finally
reaching one of his goals of coaching at the next level.
It’s likely that for many Bengal fans, panic was their first reaction. After all, Bailey came to ISU
with head coach Mike Kramer as his hand-picked architect of what last year produced the
nation’s leading passer in Quarterback Justin Arias, and the second-most most prolific offense
in FCS football.
With Bailey coaching Quarterbacks, running backs and receivers last season, ISU led the Big Sky
Conference in total offense and passing offense, was second in scoring and third in rushing.
The Bengal offense is losing Arias and offensive tackle Jim Bagley to graduation, but the hole
created by Bailey’s departure may be the biggest.
On the other hand, Coach Mike Kramer is not going to panic, and he’s not surprised at all about
losing Bailey.
He’d already lost inside wide receivers coach Mike Ferriter to the new staff at the University of
Montana, where Ferriter starred as a receiver.
Kramer and Bailey worked together to build a Big Sky Champion program at Montana State, just
as they were working together to do here. He knows what Bailey can bring to a program.
“I’m going to be losing a coach of renown, a friend of merit, a person of style and class, and one
of the most ethical, smart, contemporary people in all of college athletics,” said Kramer.
Kramer also added that Bailey’s departure is not a bombshell to him.
“It’s not a negative, it’s a celebration of something that [Bailey] richly deserves,” said Kramer.
As a matter of fact, the head coach readily admits that he had a lengthy conversation with
Hawaii Coach Norm Chow about Bailey’s qualifications, and as much as he hates the thought of
losing Bailey, he said he gave him the best recommendation he possibly could.
Bailey’s departure means another break in the relationship between him and ISU’s head coach,
as they last parted ways when Kramer left Montana State.
“We’ve been together for 10 seasons, and 45-thousand total yards,” said Kramer. “That’s 17.3
miles! I’m very proud of [Bailey] and what he’s been able to accomplish, and I know he’ll do
exactly the same thing at the University of Hawaii.”
So what about ISU? What are the Bengals going to do without the mastermind of their amazing
offensive machine? How will that hole be filled?
“Well, number one, with nine starters back on offense, I don’t want to change the music,” said
Kramer. “Just because we lost the lead-singer in the band doesn’t mean we change the music.
Like Journey, just because we lose the lead singer doesn’t mean we change the music, the
drumbeat will stay the same.”
Kramer said his job is to create the most moral, ethical situation possible, taking care of the
players that are here. He admitted there are likely some things that Bailey brought to the table
that at first will be irreplaceable, like the way he and Kramer thought alike in so many ways,
whether it was about the offense, players academics, and even the way you should treat
people, both in and out of the program.
“It’s a trust factor,” said Kramer, “the same trust factor I have with my boss, Jeff Tingey. But will
there ever be another Don Bailey? Not in my career.”
Kramer said there are other guys out there that can get the job done, and he’ll look both inside
his current staff and outside of it for a replacement.
“I’m looking everywhere,” said Kramer, “but we’re not in any great hurry.”
He added, “Whomever we hire is gonna run what we run, what’s already in place.”
How will ISU fans know if Bailey’s replacement, whoever he is, is the right guy?
Coach Kramer says they’ll know about the same time he does…on game day.
“[Bailey’s] greatest strength is the quarterback play, and not the quarterback play in practice, or
in scrimmages, it’s on game day,” said Kramer. “And I won’t know if I have the right guy until
we get into game day and the water is spilling out of the teakettle, and [I see] if he can slow the
quarterback down and help him get back on track. That’s [Bailey’s] greatest asset.”
Stay tuned. This should be a lot of fun.
