Freelancer Bob Welch, as this is written a columnist for the Eugene (Ore.) Register-Guard, wrote this story in 1993 for Sports Illustrated. But, eventually SI made a decision not to print it. Instead, it appeared in both the McMinnville (Ore.) News-Register and the Hillsboro (Ore.) Argus. It was in the N-R’s Saturday, July 31, 1993 edition. That was the same day Ad Rutschman was inducted in the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame. It was in the Argus’ on Tuesday, Aug. 3, 1993. While the newspapers printed the same article, each appears slightly different, apparently due to editing.
N-R headlines--
The X’s and O’s don’t even being to tell you about this Wildcat giantJump head--
Ad: Willamette Valley native born in Hillsboro
Argus headlines—
Rutschman proves ‘nice guys’ do finish first
Jump head—
Just winning was never Ad’s only goal
Three years ago, in the aftermath of a car accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down, Jim Winston would lie in a Los Angeles hospital bed and think back to his football days at Linfield College. Back to playing on the 1982 NAIA Division II championship team. But, mostly, back to his coach, Ad Rutschman.
“Tomorrow, you will face adversity on every single play,” Rutschman would often tell his players on the eve of games. “How you react to that adversity will determine who wins. It will be that way tomorrow, five years from now – every single day of your life.”
Rutschman speeches no longer resound beneath Memorial Stadium this fall: after 24 years, he retired as football coach prior to the 1992 season. But Rutschman leaves behind one of the premiere small college programs in the country - the Wildcats have the longest consecutive string of winning seasons, 37, among the 669 National College Athletic Association and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics schools with football programs - his legacy runs deeper.
“In theory, all colleges talk about teaching values and building character,” says Mike Riley, a former Rutschman assistant coach, who was the Wildcats’ defensive coordinator before leaving for the Canadian Football League after the 1982 championship season. “But at Linfield it’s actually done.”
Within days of Winston’s accident, Rutschman was on the telephone to his starting defensive tackle on the 1982 championship team, encouraging him not to quit.
“I’ve never forgotten how he told the team that self pity leads to self destruction,” says Winston, who works on the television series "Golden Girls" and recently got married.
For Rutschman, 61, the game always meant more than X’s and O’s and W’s and L’s.
N-R headlines--
The X’s and O’s don’t even being to tell you about this Wildcat giantJump head--
Ad: Willamette Valley native born in Hillsboro
Argus headlines—
Rutschman proves ‘nice guys’ do finish first
Jump head—
Just winning was never Ad’s only goal
Three years ago, in the aftermath of a car accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down, Jim Winston would lie in a Los Angeles hospital bed and think back to his football days at Linfield College. Back to playing on the 1982 NAIA Division II championship team. But, mostly, back to his coach, Ad Rutschman.
“Tomorrow, you will face adversity on every single play,” Rutschman would often tell his players on the eve of games. “How you react to that adversity will determine who wins. It will be that way tomorrow, five years from now – every single day of your life.”
Rutschman speeches no longer resound beneath Memorial Stadium this fall: after 24 years, he retired as football coach prior to the 1992 season. But Rutschman leaves behind one of the premiere small college programs in the country - the Wildcats have the longest consecutive string of winning seasons, 37, among the 669 National College Athletic Association and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics schools with football programs - his legacy runs deeper.
“In theory, all colleges talk about teaching values and building character,” says Mike Riley, a former Rutschman assistant coach, who was the Wildcats’ defensive coordinator before leaving for the Canadian Football League after the 1982 championship season. “But at Linfield it’s actually done.”
Within days of Winston’s accident, Rutschman was on the telephone to his starting defensive tackle on the 1982 championship team, encouraging him not to quit.
“I’ve never forgotten how he told the team that self pity leads to self destruction,” says Winston, who works on the television series "Golden Girls" and recently got married.
For Rutschman, 61, the game always meant more than X’s and O’s and W’s and L’s.
Oh, he knew his football.
“He’s the finest teacher of sports technique I’ve ever been around,” says Riley, who played for the late Paul “Bear” Bryant at the University of Alabama, twice coached the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to the Canadian Football League Grey Cup title and is now an assistant coach under head coach John Robinson at USC. Riley was head coach of the San Antonio Riders of the defunct World League before joining Robinson’s staff.
And Rutschman knew how to win. His Wildcat teams won national championships with unbeaten seasons in 1982, 1984 and 1986, finished among the top 25 ranked teams every year but once since 1972 and never had a losing season. But, what Rutschman loved most about coaching was being the professor of a 100-yard classroom whose students, he knew, would soon face of test stuff than any nickel defense; life as an adult.
"Getting letters from my former players who have found success in life is more important to me than winning three national championships," says Rutschman. “I found that if you can change someone’s personal attitude, it might just change their entire life.”
Born in Hillsboro, Rutschman has lived his entire life in a 30 mile niche of the Willamette Valley. He met his wife of 40 years, Joan, at Hillsboro High School. Later at Linfield he earned 12 letters, was a Little All American on the football field and set school rushing records. His career rushing record still stands.
Rutschman passed up 3 offers from professional football and baseball teams to coach at his high school alma mater.
Then, after 14 years, he moved to McMinnville, where he first coached the Wildcat football and baseball teams. His 1971 Linfield baseball team won the national championship. Coupled with his football championships, Rutschman is the only collegiate coach to win national championships in both sports.
Rutschman’s coaching philosophy was an uncommon blend of hard nose and soft heart. He told players that if they got beat it was their fault. He demanded that when Wildcat coaches went to clinics, they sit in the font row.
In 1973, running back Drake Conti arrived at Linfield from San Fernando, Calif. With a knife in his pocket and what Rutschman perceived to be a chip on his shoulder. But, when Conti showed an interest in clothes design, Rutschman didn’t dampen the young man’s enthusiasm. Instead, he allowed Conti to spruce up the Wildcats’ game pants with stripes. Conti became a Northwest Conference all star and after college designed the uniforms for the 1980 U.S. Winter Olympic bobsled and luge teams before becoming a product developer and designer for Levi Strauss in San Francisco.
Rutschman hated excuses, cheap shots and big egos.
If you have to tell the world you’re great, you’re probably not, he says.
Rutschman preached ethics, humility, teamwork. On road games he was like a kid on his first camping trip. He liked a good practical joke and routinely had his trademark Linfield hat stolen after practice.
It’s an educational experience and kids can learn from it, so why not let them play?
Winning alone was never the goal; winning with class was.
“Ad’s from the old school of thought – the (Joe) Paterno school – he teaches values that go beyond the field,” says Randy Mueller, who quarterbacked the 1982 championship team. After graduating, Mueller, because of an injury, still had a year’s eligibility left when the National Football League Seattle Seahawks offered him an entry-level position. “Take it,” said Rutschman. “A thousand coaches would kill for that job. Now, at 32, Mueller is director of pro scouting for the organization.
“People are what counts for Ad Rutschman, says Ed Langsdorf, a 12-year Wildcat assistant who succeeded the man and promptly led Linfield to a 12-1 season and runner-up finish in the NAIA Division II playoffs last year.
Over the years, Rutschman was offered more than a dozen jobs and was even eyed by a number of NCAA Division I schools, including the University of Oregon, Washington, Michigan and California. Says Riley, “Had he decided to climb the ladder, I could see him as a Don James at Washington, had he gone the NFL route, a Chuck Noll (former Pittsburgh Steelers’ head coach) or Don Shula (present Miami Dolphins’ head coach). But, Rutschman never seriously considered leaving Linfield. “I establish roots easily.”
That made for a good fit in McMinnville – population 17,891, which is no bump-and-run town. Linfield is one of the oldest colleges in the West, founded in 1858. Although nationally recognized for its academics, the college is hardly an elite sanctuary featuring a football factory. Instead, it’s the third smallest school in the Columbia Football Association. It’s a place where the assistant athletic director lines the football field, the dean of students (Dave Hansen) does radio play-by-play and the coach’s wife, a.k.a. Mama Cat – not only serves as her husband’s secretary as he continues to fulfill the role of men’s athletic director – but sells football tickets when the Wildcats play at Maxwell Field.
Joan is a major reason why Ad retired. For the last two years she had suffered from a respiratory infection and the best way for her to cut back was for Ad to cut back. "She has been an unbelievable help to me," says Rutschman. “It’s time for me to help her.”
Rutschman is quick to praise players, assistant coaches, fans and Linfield’s academic program for the Wildcats’ success. And he points out that he inherited a strong program. His predecessor, Paul Durham, began Linfield’s winning record streak in 1956 and pushed it to 12 years before leaving to become athletic director at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu. But the only one who understands Ad Rutschman’s contributions to Linfield is Ad Rutschman.
“For Ad’s sake, I hope we carry on the win streak,” says Langsdorf. “My worst fear is that after he put his heart and soul into the school, we would allow his accomplishments to slip.”
That won’t happen – because Rutschman’s real accomplishments are now spread out across the world, raising families and remembering the lessons they were taught. Following his retirement, letters arrived from U.S. senators to a student manager, from game officials to opposing players. “Your legacy is not the many championships or countless wins,” wrote ex-player Gary Stautz, “but all the former players who are living productive and successful lives due to your extra efforts and caring.”
Not all Wildcat players have gone on to greatness. Among Rutschman’s few regrets is a freshman player who committed suicide in the spring of 1991. “To some degree we failed,” says Rutschman. “But, to some degree, I’m almost angry that we didn’t have four years to work with him.” Trey Dean ended his life after playing one season for Linfield.
On the other hand, Linfield alumni, many of whom played for Rutschman, have coached 63 station high school championship teams and 10 college national championship teams. His former players are now sitting in state legislatures, flying commercial jets, running companies, pastoring churches and volunteering overseas. From Rutschman’s 1982 national championship team alone, Steve Lopes is the business manager for the University of Southern California athletic department, Kent Bostick is a nuclear engineer for the State Department, Steve Boyea is a doctor in Utah and Winston, when blindsided by adversity, refused to do down, even though it means life in a wheelchair.
“Thinking of coach Rutschman’s pep talks still give me chills,” says the 33-year-old Winston. "Here I am paralyzed and yet I still feel like I did when I was so strong and as and playing for him. I’ve been winning since that 12-0 season, all because of that man.”
…………..
Photos:
Two of the three submitted photos which appeared with the Argus article are posted here. The photo of Ad Rutschman wearing a white shirt and tie has the cutline, “Ad Rutschman was Mr. Football at Linfield College.” The photo of Ad Rutschman wearing glasses (wonder if this photo was from when he was coaching at Hillsboro High School?) has the cutline, “Ad Rutschman watched the action during a practice session.” Not shown here is a photo with this cutline, “Paul Durham (left) and Ad Rutschman get together at Rutschman’s retirement party.”
