Head football coach Tim DeRuyter, who was hired last spring to replace Pat Hill, will usher in a new era Sept. 1 when the Fresno State Bulldogs take the field against the Wildcats of Weber State.
DeRuyter preaches a very physical style of play stemming from days when he was the defensive coordinator at Texas A&M.
“I want our guys to play with fanaticism that is really going to be our benchmark. So our goal is to compete for a conference championship, and I expect us to be in the hunt,” DeRuyter said.
Last season under the guidance of Hill, the Bulldogs finished with a record of 4-9 and 0-2 against Top 25 college teams. This was Hill’s worst season record since 1997 when he started as head coach for Fresno State. DeRuyter was brought in to specifically do one thing — steer the football team back on track for a winning season.
“What we have asked him to do is stabilize the program, and get it back on a winning track while maintaining a positive component for the culture that we have; which is a good academic performance by student athletes,” Fresno State Athletic Director Thomas Boeh said. “But our expectation is to build toward a conference championship that will always be our first goal.”
DeRuyter looks to set goals for the Bulldogs, and is very confident in the quality of talent that anchors the offense, and defense of the team. With returning starters in senior running back Robbie Rouse, junior quarterback Derek Carr, senior strong safety Phillip Thomas, senior defensive end Anthony Williams, and red shirt senior outside linebacker Shawn Plummer, the Bulldogs look to improve on offense, and stay solid on defense.
“I like some of our veterans coming back like Robbie Rouse, and Derek Carr on offense. Defensively, Phillip Thomas, Anthony Williams, and Shawn Plummer, any of those guys could have a great year,” DeRuyter said.
During the spring, and in December of last year when DeRuyter was first hired, he declared that he’d bring a different style of game play. Instead of Hill’s mantra of “Anytime, anyplace, anywhere,” DeRuyter has brought a new mantra, and has redefined the culture of the athletic department at Fresno State.
“In the half a year that Tim’s been here, he’s made a positive impact on the culture of the program, and the enthusiasm of the athletes. I think that they have very much bought into the system he’s implemented,” Boeh said.
This system has yet to be truly seen by the public, and will remain a mystery until the Dogs’ first game of the season against Weber. But so far there has been lots of positive reaction to DeRuyter’s introduction as head coach for the football team.
“I think he’s going to bring something different to the team this year. He’s going to bring a more hard-hitting team. And I think he’s really going to improve our defense,” said fifth-year student Michael Foley, who plans to major in enology.
DeRuyter plans to take the Bulldogs all the way to the top of the Mountain West Conference, and his confidence will boost not only himself, but his assistant coaches, and players as well. The offense will feature a 4-reciever set to spread the field against the Dogs’ opponent, and the defense will run a 3-4 scheme in which they hope to stop the run game, and limit any big plays from the opposing team’s offense.
“As far as teaching our game plan, and schemes, I like where we’re at,” DeRuyter said. “Our number one goal is to go out and win the west! We’re going to do it in a little bit different way than what has been done in the past.”