SDSU Coach Knows His Craft
by Johnny McDonald

Listening to Aztec head coach Tom Craft, you know where he intends to take his future football teams. Obviously, he’d like to emulate the
success of Don Coryell, for whom he quarterbacked in San Diego State’s glory days.

From Air Coryell to Air Craft: Frankly, he considers himself on an even playing field for
recruiting new talent with UCLA and USC. Also, he is determined to not only play but to beat some of the major schools.

He admits his job hasn’t been easy.

"If I only had last year’s offense with
this year’s defense, we’d be 8-1," he told an audience last month at the Hall of Champions’ Sports At Lunch in Balboa Park.

"This was more of a challenge than I had expected, both on and off the field," said the man who had been so successful at Palomar College. "It’s more difficult with the current climate and times to resurrect a program.

"Had no idea what I got myself into. It takes time to build and restructure. Forget what you read in the papers."

He stressed the importance of beating Wyoming 25-20 with a banged-up team (particularly his linebackers), which defensively was able to bottle up the Cowboys for most of the game. At the time, the Aztecs were still 15th nationally in defense, and Craft believes they will finish higher.

"They’re dynamic," he said."It took six years to build a good team at Palomar and it won 31 of its last 32 games. We can recruit 25 people each year, but we have a dynamic
redshirt team — a top wide receiver and big offensive linemen."

Redshirt players often scrimmage against the varsity, and Craft said he has been impressed with wide receiver Chaz Schilens and defensive end Antwan Applewhite. He praised freshman running back Lynell Hamilton, who is near Marshall Faulk’s freshman yardage mark. He was especially happy about four top players who have committed to playing for San Diego State, particularly a linebacker and
an outstanding 6-foot 5-inch quarterback who threw for 25 touchdowns in Arizona.

Craft cited the need for a more creative marketing program to build community interest in the program. Scheduling has hurt, and "the Aztecs didn’t need any more of those 11 a.m. starting times," he said.

Craft said he’d like to see the conference expand so there could be four home games and four away. The Aztecs have scheduled Michigan and UCLA next year and Ohio State returns in 2005. Confidently, he said the Aztecs can beat those teams.