Asked what it’s like to coach a good football team, Kent State’s Dean Pees answered immediately.
“It feels great.”
Not surprising. Pees doesn’t get asked that question very often. The Golden Flashes haven’t finished with a winning record since going 7-4 in 1987 and have had three winless years in the last 13 seasons.
One of those years included an 0-11 mark in 1998, Pees’ first season. After getting two victories in 1999 and one last year, there didn’t seem to be much for the coach to look forward to. Others didn’t see it that way.
“I felt all along Dean is a good coach,” said Northern Illinois coach Joe Novak, whose team lost to Kent State 44-34 on Oct. 13. “He’s gone in there and been patient, and he was able to get those skill position players in there. They’re going to be something to be reckoned with.”
In other words, these aren’t the same old Golden Flashes. Beating Marshall (6-1, 5-0 Mid-American Conference) at home Saturday would give Kent State (4-4, 3-2) its first five-victory season since 1988 and its first four-game winning streak since 1976.
The Golden Flashes haven’t had more than three wins in the MAC since going 5-3 in ’87.
“Right now I feel like I’m coaching a team, not coaxing a team,” said Pees, who has one more win this season than in his first three seasons combined. “That’s what I was always doing before.”
Pees said winning has affected his coaching style.
In last week’s 24-14 victory over Ohio, he decided to settle for a field goal that pulled the Golden Flashes within 14-10 late in the third quarter.
Figuring he’d get another chance to pull out the victory, Pees decided Dave Pavich’s 23-yard kick was better than not converting on fourth down and coming away without any points.
“Maybe in year’s past I might have gone for it,” Pees said. “Now you’re making decisions in a game when you have a chance. It’s a lot more fun coaching that way.”
And a lot scarier for the opposition.
Marshall coach Bob Pruett said don’t bet on the heavily favored Thundering Herd coming away with an easy victory Saturday.
Pees, a former defensive coordinator at Michigan State, “has always done a great job of scheming us,” said Pruett, whose team beat the Golden Flashes by scores of 28-16 and 34-12 the last two seasons.
“The scary part of it is, this is the best Kent team we’ve played,” Pruett said. “This is a team that’s on a roll.”
Pees wants freshman quarterback Joshua Cribbs to watch how Herd QB Byron Leftwich always seems to be able to find open receivers. He wants his defense to see how Marshall runs down ballcarriers and hits hard.
“I use Marshall as an example all throughout the year as how you play football,” Pees said. “It kind of tells us where we’re at when we have a chance to play a team like that.”
Most teams that beat Marshall have to score a lot of points. Kent State has put up at least 35 points in three of four victories this season after not scoring more than 24 points in a game last season.
