This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The September sun beat down hard on the Taylorsville football team as it prepared for a Tuesday practice. Large linemen huddled under the shade and helped each other with their pads as Warriors coach Rod Wells rolled into practice driving a golf cart with a familiar-looking passenger.

Former University of Utah and Weber State coach Ron McBride sat next to Wells. On this sweltering afternoon, he took charge of Taylorsville's offensive line. Warrior players suddenly seemed to perk up and things got serious quickly.

As he has done for more than 50 years, the 74-year-old McBride gathered the linemen around him for a pep talk. Players listened intently to this part-preacher, part-drill sergeant, part-artist, as he began the day's drills.

"He means a lot," said Taylorsville guard Weylin Jackson. "You can already tell the difference when he comes. He gets our line started. When Coach Mac isn't there, everyone is sluggish. When he is there, he gets us fired up. I love having Coach Mac here."

The Warriors' other guard, Danny Poleki, offered similar sentiments.

"It helps a lot for a high school team like us," he said of McBride's regular visits. "It impacts us in a big way. He teaches us a lot of college things. It all makes sense when he cracks jokes because of our mistakes. We have a lot of respect for him."

"Instant credibility"

When Wells took over a struggling Taylorsville program three years ago, McBride was one of the first people he asked for help. Wells played football at the University of Utah for McBride.

Wells is one of dozens of coaches in Utah and around the country who receive help coaching, watching film and analyzing from McBride on a regular basis. That list includes San Diego Chargers head coach Mike McCoy, University of Wisconsin head coach Gary Andersen, and Weber State head coach Jay Hill.

"It's like having a guru to take time and be with you," said Wells about his former Utah coach. "Just his presence alone means the world to the kids and me. I always looked at Mac as a father figure. Since my own dad passed away, it's like having my dad out there. It is a real blessing to have him around. … He has forgotten more about football than most of us will ever know."

Murray coach Mike Richmond and his team get regular visits from McBride. The former Ute quarterback asked his mentor for a letter of recommendation when he applied for the Spartan job.

"He is one of the first guys I go to with football questions, such as blocking schemes and passing programs," said Richmond. "His caring for all of his former players is out of this world. He would do anything for anybody. He is a great mentor. His network is so deep."

McBride consults with medical doctors Lonnie Paulos and Russ Toronto, who help him sponsor camps for athletes. When Richmond's son hurt his shoulder recently, he said McBride got him an appointment the next morning to be checked and showed up to check on the Spartans' star player.

Corner Canyon coach Don Eck, who played for and then coached with McBride, said his old friend worked his linemen out every Wednesday and Saturday morning in the offseason.

"It's huge," he said. "With the players, Mac has instant credibility. They tend to work a bit harder when he is around. I love having the guy around. There is no better line coach around that I know."

Earlier in the year, McBride spent three weeks at Wisconsin during two-a-days helping Andersen and line coach TJ Woods. He watched film and made recommendations.

Weber State's Hill is among the hundreds of former players who regard McBride as a person who will do anything for him.

"I owe everything to Mac," said Hill. "He gave me my shot at the Division I level, and he gave me my first coaching chance. He let me know he trusts and believes me. He gave me the motivation to grow. This summer, he came up two times a week, working kids out and volunteering his time just because he loves the game. There aren't many willing to give to youth like he does. He is willing to give of his valuable time. It is a tribute to what kind of a man he is and how much he loves the game."

Simple motivation

Last Thursday morning, McBride sat down at a Sandy diner near his home where he seemed to know most of the staff by name. He brought with him a legal pad with a list of the coaches who played for him that was five pages long. And he knew and worried that he was probably forgetting many more.

He talked about helping coaches from Davis County to Lehi. He speaks to teams, talks to coaches and watches practice. On Fridays, he tries to watch a half of two different games. He helps Paulos and Toronto with their Saturday morning clinic for injured players. He watches a lot of film, offering advice to coaches on where their teams can improve. The former college coach helps with preparation.

McBride's motivation is simple.

"I like to watch the kids get better." he said. "I like to see what they can accomplish, particularly at the schools where I know the coaches."

Because of his reputation, Mac usually finds instant credibility with the players. And he tries to help them by stressing the importance of being successful on and off the field. Players who are a second or two late to a meeting get a stern verbal warning. When he is coaching, the slightest detail gets noticed. At Taylorsville, for example, a player took off his helmet for a minute and was promptly told to get it back on.

"The harder you work at success, the easier life becomes," said McBride. "I try to make it fun for them, but they have got to live within the system and the rules. I try to get them to be disciplined in what they are doing. The more you are invested, the bigger the return."

His help seems to be paying off. Taylorsville went from being a doormat to a league champion. Murray, which has struggled in recent years, is enjoying one of its best seasons in a long while. Brighton is expected to challenge for the Class 5A title again. —

The McBride coaching tree

Some of the coaches who either played for or coached with Ron McBride in his 50-year career:

Professional football • Mike McCoy, San Diego Chargers; John Fox, Denver Broncos; Brad Childress, Kansas City Chiefs; Bob Landsee, Milwaukee Arena Football; Fred Graves, San Diego Chargers; Craig Ver Steeg, Baltimore Ravens; Joe Kenn, Carolina Panthers strength coach; Joe Paopao, B.C. Lions; Steve Cox, Utah women's pro team assistant.

College football • Gary Andersen, Wisconsin; Kyle Whittingham, Utah; Jay Hill, Weber State; Derek Mason, Vanderbilt; Pat Hil, ex-Fresno State; John Baxter, USC assistant; Morgan Scalley, Utah assistant; Sharrieff Shaw, Utah assistant; Jason Kafusi, Weber State assistant; Sam Moore, Utah; Alexs Gehrke assistant; Darnell Arcenceneaux, Whittier assistant; Sean McNabb, Utah assistant; Steve Pepita, Idaho State; Randy Gomez, San Mateo JC assistant; Shawn Harper, Weber State graduate assistant; Chad Kaua'aha'a, Wisconsin assistant; Golden Swan, Weber assistant; Charley Dickey, Kansas State assistant; Inoke Breckterfield, Pitt assistant; Jake Cookes, Montana assistant; Jason Beck, BYU quarterback coach; Kevin Coombe, Hawaii assistant; David Kotelski, Vanderbilt assistant; Lewis Powell, Hawaii assistant; Tim Davis, Florida assistahnt; Derek Odom, SMU assistant; Lewis Powell, Hawaii assistant; Vince Guinta, Wisconsin recruiting; Steve Kafusi, BHU assistant; coordinator; Chris Doyle, strength coach Iowa; Bobby Garcia, Devlin Junior College; Kevin McGiven, Utah State assistant; TJ Woods, Wisconsin assistant; Justin Walterscheid, SUU assistant; John Collins, Weber State assistant; Vincent White, Southeast Missouri State assistant.

High school football • Rod Wells, Taylorsville; Mike Richmond, Murray; Andre Dyson, Clearfield; Ryan Bullet, Brighton; Don Eck, Corner Canyon; Cecil Thomas, former coach; Luther Ellis, Judge assistant; Dustin Pearce, Herriman; Fred Fernandes, Roy; Brad Burtenshaw, Maple Mountain; Scott Lieber, Viewmont; Kamal Ahmau, Granger assistant; Greg Reynolds, Murray assistant; Vincent White, Southeast Missouri State assistant; Jeff Kafusi, Brighton assistant; Everest Matagi, Bingham assistant; Todd Jackson, Springville assistant; Adolph County, Judge assistant; Quincy Watkins, East assistant; Matt Hammer, Weber.

Administration • Keith Embry, Central Florida.

NBA • Dwight Duab, Oklahoma Thunder strength coach.

Professional athlete agent • Jill Baxter (McBride's daughter).