LORAN SMITH: Rich Brooks now living the good life

EUGENE, Ore. — Rich Brooks grew up in Grass Valley, California, and earned a degree from Oregon State at Corvallis. However, he coached his alma mater’s bitter rival, Oregon, to such success that the Ducks named their field for him. Can you imagine that?

Most college fans who know about intense rivalries in college football can’t fathom that. Even Brooks himself did not consider it likely, but a funny thing happened on the way to a 47-year coaching career. After graduating from OSU, his coaching career began at the high school level, but he soon would be back in Corvallis where he worked for the colorful Dee Andros—who, at 5-foot-10, 290 pounds and dressed in orange from head to foot, was known as the “Great Pumpkin.” When the Pumpkin retired, Rich had his eye on replacing Andros, but the Beavers hired Craig Fertig.

When Rich was an assistant at San Francisco in 1977, Oregon offered him its head coaching job. He eagerly accepted with the passion to make his alma mater pay for passing on an opportunity to hire him. In his 18 years in Eugene, Rich lost only three times to Oregon State. He also won the Pacific Coast championship and took the victory-starved Ducks to the Rose Bowl. Exactly the kind of stuff that will get a field named for you.

Living in the Eugene suburb of Springfield has always been seductive to Rich and his pretty wife, Karen, who has the greenest of thumbs, which is confirmed by the verdant landscaping around their attractive home, the centerpiece of a 62-acre plot that they share with abundant wildlife. From his mountain property, Rich can enjoy a sweeping view of a valley that features the refreshing McKenzie River.

As he points to a spot where the McKenzie flows by a grain field, he said to a friend, “That is where we will be fishing tomorrow.” To one who lives on the opposite side of the country, those were uplifting words and they brought about a “can’t wait” sensation. The next day, with his son, Brady, managing the oars of a wooden boat—the way they do it in Oregon—the dry flies were attracting plentiful rainbow. Even a walk-on fisherman had collected a dozen rainbows in short order.

It was chilly on the river, an overcast day with the sights and sounds of nature bringing about deep emotions for the Great Outdoors. A skillful fly fisherman, Brooks has always found a way to enjoy life, even when he coached at too many places where the talent was in short supply. With an abiding love for golf and fishing, it appears unlikely that any coach has enjoyed time away from the game more than Brooks, who always spent his vacation time in Eugene.

The view has always been good wherever he has coached, meaning that he has enjoyed his stops even if down times were unavoidable. “Life here is so much fun if you like the outdoors,” Rich said as his fly danced down stream on the McKenzie. “But I have to tell you, you can’t enjoy a better place to live than Lexington, Kentucky. The horse farms, the distilleries, and the Kentucky Derby! We enjoyed our time in the Bluegrass State. Like everybody else, I fell for Kentucky basketball. Kentucky’s hard to beat.”

While he was an assistant with the Falcons, he closely observed SEC football, especially the University of Georgia. “When I got the Kentucky job,” he said, “I quickly realized that the Bulldogs couldn’t sign every player in the state. We signed some players who really helped us.” It doesn’t take much success to gain affection from the Wildcat football aficionados, as Brooks proved. His bowl record in Lexington is better than Bear Bryant’s. During Rich’s time in Lexington, he coached Kentucky to four straight bowl games, winning three of them. That got him a raise, widespread Wildcat affection, and, among other things, his photo on a Maker’s Mark bottle.

Long term, he knew that the recruiting challenge would be difficult for him, but he accomplished what he set out to do—make Kentucky competitive in football. All along, he knew that when he retired, he would return to his home on the mountain in Eugene.

As the sun was setting on the sparkling McKenzie River, the gentlemanly and hospitable Rich Brooks said, “You should come back after the first of the year when the fishing for steelhead trout is unforgettable.”

His invitation was accepted on the spot.