Bailiff named ‘Coach of the Year’

A tribute to the whole team
Bailiff named ‘Coach of the Year’

BY JESSICA STARK
Rice News staff

After a season for both the record books and storybooks, Rice head football coach David Bailiff has been named the C-USA “Coach of the Year.” It’s more than a personal and professional achievement for Bailiff: It’s high praise for the team as a whole.

“‘Coach of the Year’ is a tribute to this whole football team,” Bailiff said. “It lets you know how hard the players have worked and how much everyone has given — from the assistant coaches to the Athletics Department to the staff that keeps our building in shape. It might be my name on it, but it represents Rice and Rice Athletics.”

	DAVID BAILIFF

This year, Bailiff has led the Owls to a 7-1 conference record, a share of the West Division title, a 9-3 overall record and a berth in the Texas Bowl against Western Michigan Dec. 30.

“With this Texas Bowl and Rice’s wining season, you can feel a sense of pride on campus and in Houston,” Bailiff said. “It gives others exposure to this great university.”

Rice’s nine wins on the year are the most for the school since 1953, and a victory in the Texas Bowl will allow the Owls to match the school record of 10, set in 1949. Bailiff’s team enters the Texas Bowl on a six-game winning streak as it prepares for its second bowl game in three years.

Bailiff’s 2008 Rice squad has set a total of 30 school, conference and NCAA team and individual records. The Owls’ offense ranks 10th in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in total offense, fifth in passing offense and eighth in scoring offense.

“You break records when you don’t worry about records,” Bailiff said. “You break them when you’re not concerned about yourself. You’re not trying to get more touches or yards for you. You’re doing it for your team. You break them when you realize there’s enough glory in this game for everyone on the football field.”

Players’ honors

Under Bailiff’s guidance, five Rice players earned All-Conference USA recognition by the league’s coaches, including three first-team selections. Included are quarterback Chase Clement and wide receiver Jarett Dillard, who became the NCAA’s most prolific scoring duo. Dillard, Rice’s record-setting receiver, has been named to the Football Writers Association All-American team, the first Owl to earn the honor since Buddy Dial made it in 1959. Clement, the team’s standout quarterback, was recognized as the C-USA Most Valuable Player. Both expect to be chosen in next year’s National Football League draft. Additionally, four Rice players earned ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District recognition this fall, with sophomore tight end James Casey being named an Academic All-American.

“If you ask Chase how he did it, he’ll credit the offensive line,” Bailiff said. “If you ask Casey, he will give praise to Dillard. It’s the whole football team that contributes, and I’m so proud of them. You watch the work they put in. It’s nice when good guys work hard and get rewarded.”

Since taking the reigns in 2007, Bailiff has demanded hard work and dedication from his players on and off the field. When he first arrived at Rice, he didn’t have the players’ names put on the back of their jerseys.

He said he told them, “If you want your names on the back of these jerseys, you will have to earn them.” At the time, he was thinking that his players would earn them on the gridiron. But when his players achieved the program’s highest cumulative GPA, he had the names put on the jerseys.

“That was an accomplishment that had to be significantly marked and honored,” Bailiff said. “Being a student-athlete is not just about winning, it’s about being involved in the community. It’s about graduating. It’s one thing I like most about Rice. Academics are valued. Student-athletes are expected to be students.”

The coach that has most influenced Bailiff — Jim Wacker at Southwest Texas State — had a similar approach to student-athletes.

“He was the first coach I had who would sit us on the bench if we skipped class,” Bailiff said. “He’s the first coach who really put us first. I hope to do the same for my players. I am in this to serve them. They’re not here to serve me.”

A Texas treasure

The team has served Rice well under Bailiff, posting a six-game improvement in 2008, which ties with Minnesota for the largest improvement among all FBS schools. Its 7-1 C-USA record marks the school’s top league ledger since the 1949 Southwest Conference champions went 6-0 in conference play.

But the football accolades are just part of the glory.

“When you leave a hotel and the staff says what a class act your guys are, that means something,” Bailiff said. “People always stop to tell me that they’ve never seen such character in football players.”

Bailiff said he saw that character when he took the job at Rice. He also believed that the Owls could be a winning team athletically and academically. 

“Growing up in this state, I always thought Rice was a Texas treasure. But it’s not just a Texas treasure. This is a school that is known from coast to coast as one of the best. I just hope it will soon be known as one of the best for athletics too.”

To ensure that the football program continues down that successful path, Bailiff and his staff are working hard to recruit top talent. They are looking for players who want to excel in football and school. Bailiff said they have some great commitments from players who will be great fits at Rice.

“Our players are smart. They can look 50 years into the future and see what that Rice degree can do for them — they’re not just thinking about the next four or five years on that field,” Bailiff said. “We tell every recruit that five years after graduation, we expect them to be the boss. In 10 years, we expect them to have paid back their scholarship. And in 40 or 50 years, they should have a building named for them.”

While Bailiff’s players strive for those goals, he strives for another one. He wants to instill in each of his players a love for Rice and their team.

“I hope they leave with a love for Rice and a love for each other. I hope they always stay involved and are there for each other. I want them to rely on each other in the good times and the bad, just like they’ve done on the field.”  

Get your game tickets

The 2008 Owls will take the field for the final time when they meet Western Michigan Dec. 30 in the Texas Bowl at Reliant Stadium. Tickets are selling quickly. To get yours, contact the Owls Athletics Ticket Office 713-522-Owls or at www.riceowls.com.