Taylor: Babich's job not in jeopardy

By Jeff Kolpack

October 13, 2002 at 11:00 PM

Although disappointed at the football team's 1-4 record, North Dakota State athletic director Gene Taylor is standing by his head coach. Taylor said Bob Babich's job is safe no matter what happens the rest of the season.

"I'm not happy about it but there's no reason to make a change now," Taylor said Sunday. "I'll revisit with Bob (after the season) and see what we can do to get better. We have to get better."

The Bison fell 12-6 to the University of North Dakota Saturday. It was NDSU's fourth consecutive loss this season and fourth in five games versus the Sioux.

The last time NDSU started 1-4 was 1975. The coach, Ev Kjelbertson, was forced to resign before the season was over. That won't happen this year, Taylor said.

Babich is in the first year of a three-year contract extension worth $100,000 annually. Taylor said one reason he offered the extension was because the prospects for a championship season were not promising.

"I knew it was going to be a tough year. I knew it," Taylor said. "I knew we could struggle this year. That's why I did (the contract extension). I wanted them to coach this year knowing they were secure."

Taylor said rumors of Bison boosters potentially buying out Babich's contract are unfounded.

"It's not what we do," he said. "If we're going to spend that kind of money, let's spend it on scholarships, endowments or facilities. I made a commitment to Bob last year and I'm sticking to it. I still feel he can get it done."

Taylor pointed to NDSU losing 21 seniors from last year's team, including 16 starters, and several injuries suffered this year.

"We're not where we want to be and it's not where the Bison program should be," he said.

NDSU hosts Minnesota State, Mankato next Saturday in a matchup of two 0-3 last-place North Central Conference teams. NDSU still has tough games remaining at home against Northern Colorado and St. Cloud State and on the road at South Dakota State and Nebraska-Omaha.

It means NDSU's streak of 26 consecutive winning seasons is in jeopardy.

But despite this season's struggles, Taylor said he has not received much criticism from fans.

"It seems people understand to this point what they've been facing all year," he said. "I know people out there are not happy. They're not happy being 1-4, but I think they understand some of the battles we've gone through."

Taylor said he and Babich meet once a week to discuss anything about the football program.

"We'll do it the rest of the year and at some point at the end of the year, we'll do it again," he said.

Readers can reach Forum reporter Jeff Kolpack at (701) 241-5546

By Jeff Kolpack

Jeff would like to dispel the notion he was around when Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press, but he is on his third decade of reporting with Forum Communications. The son of a reporter and an English teacher, and the brother of a reporter, Jeff has worked at the Jamestown Sun, Bismarck Tribune and since 1990 The Forum, where he's covered North Dakota State athletics since 1995.
Jeff has covered all nine of NDSU's Division I FCS national football titles and has written three books: "Horns Up," "North Dakota Tough" and "Covid Kids." He is the radio host of "The Golf Show with Jeff Kolpack" April through August.