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http://www.oregonlive.com/vikings/index.ssf/2010/08/portland_state_football_fall_c.html
The Portland State football offices remained a work in progress.
New wood flooring was in but the glass entryway to first-year coach Nigel Burton's office had yet to be installed and some wiring still needed to be worked out. New furniture sat in an unfinished conference room across the way and improvements on side offices had just begun.
But what had been completed far and away exceeded what had become rundown, dingy digs occupied by PSU's coaching staffs since 1995.
The new surroundings, funded by numerous private donations, won't lead to any touchdowns on the field. But they represent not only a cosmetic upgrade, but also a change in philosophy under Burton, who according to Vikings players has overhauled the team from the ground up with one goal in mind.
"I want to win championships," Burton, 34, said. "And I don't see why we can't start right now."
Such a trick would certainly be impressive. PSU, which opens practices Sunday, was picked to finish eighth in the Big Sky Conference by both the media and coaches' polls. And the reasons are justifiable.
Burton is working to repair the mess left behind after three seasons under coach Jerry Glanville, who resigned last fall. Hired for his cachet, the flamboyant former NFL coach certainly raised PSU's profile but not its win totals. The Vikings under Glanville went 9-24 (.273 win percentage), PSU's worst three-year run since 1981-1983 (7-23, .233).
High on Burton's agenda was changing the team's approach to just about everything -- from how the team practices to bringing back green as the dominant color in the uniforms. The team wore black under Glanville, known for a Johnny Cash-like affection for the color. The new uniforms will be unveiled after the Aug. 14 scrimmage at Stott Community Field.
Players have responded to the shift.
One big change, according to junior cornerback DeShawn Shead and quarterback Connor Kavanaugh, has been increasing team unity. Simple things such as team barbecues and players receiving information cards with coaches contact information has helped.
"Coach wanted to create more of a family atmosphere," Kavanaugh said. "And he's not just saying it, he's doing it."
On the field, Burton set out to restore a sense of pride in how the team prepared.
"Coach's big thing is integrity and accountability," quarterback Drew Hubel said. "He demands that from his players and his coaching staff."
Practices last spring were livelier than under Glanville, according to Shead. And all-Big Sky cornerback expects the intensity to be raised this fall. Shead said practices under Glanville lacked intensity resulting in a team developing a penchant for waning in the fourth quarters.
"In spring our offense was going no-huddle and we were trying to get in as many plays as we could and guys are yelling and keeping the intensity up," Kavanaugh said. "That's what you need at the college level."
Shead said the team, outscored last year by an average of 33.8 to 21.2, was rarely physically overmatched, just under prepared.
"I feel that our record did not reflect the team that we were," he said.
Hoping to see a Vikings' turnaround is former PSU coach Tim Walsh, Glanville's predecessor who went 90-68 in 14 seasons and is now the head coach at Cal Poly.
Walsh left PSU in 2007 to become the offensive coordinator at Army, thinking his protege, then-defensive coordinator Greg Lupfer, would take over what he thought would be a contending team coming off a 7-4 record that included losses at Pacific-10 Conference teams, California and Oregon. PSU chose to go with Glanville instead.
With that experiment now over, Walsh said he's glad to see a former member of his staff with roots in Portland and the Northwest take over his old job. Burton, who played safety at the University of Washington, coached defensive backs under Walsh at PSU (2001-02) taking the same position at Oregon State (2003-07). His most recent job was as defensive coordinator at Nevada (2008-09).
"I don't think there was any question Nigel would be a good choice," Walsh said. "Any time a former assistant gets the opportunity to become a head coach and revive a program, I think that's a great opportunity for him and the program. And I think his energy is going to be an outstanding thing for Portland State."
Burton said he's up for the challenge of not only returning the team to where it was under Walsh, but also exceeding it.
"We have to get back to raising the bar," Burton said.
The players can't wait to get started.
"I think most of the guys see this as a clean slate," Kavanaugh said.
Now the team must prove it can clean up as nicely as the new coaches' offices.
