Canzano: Bruce Barnum breaks his silence
Fired Portland State coach sounds off.
Bruce Barnum knew it was coming.
His athletic director had stopped talking to him. Matt Billings hadn’t even bothered to travel to road games after the middle of last season. If you’re a struggling football coach looking for indicators of job security, these were a doozy.
Nevermind that Billings had apparently assured Barnum early in the season that he had nothing to worry about.
“I saw it coming every day,” Barnum told me.
After 11 seasons, Barnum was unceremoniously fired by Billings on the airport tarmac last December. It was a sobering reminder of the cruelty of the college athletics.
“Best job in the world,” Barnum said. “Worst profession in the world.”
Portland State went 1-11 last season. The Vikings play their home games miles from campus, in Hillsboro. They also schedule a series of virtually impossible “payday” games to start every season. And their scholarships aren’t fully funded, leaving them at a recruiting disadvantage against even their Big Sky peers.
“They have to stop playing those money games and give themselves a chance,” he said.
Last season, Barnum’s team faced BYU, North Dakota, Hawaii, and Tarleton State in games they were paid to play.
They went 0-4, of course.
Cumulative score: 184-23.
This season, PSU will play Oregon, San Diego State, and North Dakota in non-conference “payday” games under new coach Chris Fisk.
Said Barnum: “I’ll root for those guys.”
However, Barnum says, unless Portland State changes how it schedules and how it funds football scholarships, the cycle will just repeat itself. Will Billings listen? Will University President Ann Cudd?
Dumping the payday games might create a bigger gate and more momentum, but it would add more than $1 million to a cash strapped athletic department budget. Beefing up the scholarships would result in additional expenses. And what about the conundrum of the home stadium?
Donors and the current football staff have renderings for a cozy, 8,000-seat on-campus stadium built where the practice field sits. But it remains to be seen if university administrators will dedicate resources and energy to the project.
Barnum stared down a mountain of obstacles. His job was seemingly impossible. How did he try to approach it?
“You’re stubborn,” he said. “You’re a coach. You’re going to beat the odds.”
PSU went 9-3 in his first season. Barnum finished 39-75 overall.
Barnum broke his silence this week, talking about the meltdown of his Big Sky football program and his feelings after the dust has settled. Barnum said he received a text message from his friend, ex-Penn State coach James Franklin, after the firing.
Franklin was fired midseason.
The note read: “Sorry to hear what happened. I can relate.”
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