BUY NOW AT THESE LINKS:
Friesen Press Site
Amazon.com

MOORHEAD, Minn. -- Long-time sports information director Larry Scott had one of the best seats in the house to witness the Ross Fortier football coaching era at Minnesota State University, Moorhead (then known as Moorhead State).

He witnessed all 236 games that Fortier coached MSUM (from 1970-92) in what turned out to be the golden age of Dragon football. And it was that first-hand perspective that inspired Scott, who retired from MSUM in 2009, to write a book about that era, which saw the Dragons go 152-80-4, win nine conference championships and make seven appearances in the postseason.

The book is titled "The Fortier Years: A Coach's Story" and is available for purchase at the links above at friesenpress.com and amazon.com. It takes a detailed look back at the highly successful Fortier era in Dragon football from 1970-92.

Ironically, at least part of the idea for the book came from Ross Fortier's wife, Ann, who knew of Scott's knowledge of Dragon athletics history.

"Ann Fortier thought I had a book in me and that I ought to write a book," Scott said. "Once I retired I was looking for another adventure. The book is a tribute to Ross. I admired his coaching style and enjoyed working with him. I thought I owed him something and that this was a way to pay him back…and in some way I wanted to chronicle that era of Dragon football."

The 272-page book includes a foreword by former Dragon quarterback Ed Schultz, a long-time national radio talk show host who now hosts an hour-long daily program on MSNBC, and an introduction from Fortier himself. It also includes dozens of player interviews and more than 40 photos.

"I did a lot of interviews with players," Scott said. "Many talked about the influence and impact Coach Fortier had on them. That legacy is still there. Even 20, 30 or 40 years later, they still have loyalty to their coach."

That loyalty is a key part of the book's theme, and how Fortier's coaching principles took hold with the players. That ultimately led to success on the playing field.

"My football philosophy was winning was certainly important, but we needed to accept losing, too and move on. I learned early on we had to find ways to be successful without much help. An important aspect of our success was develop a good freshman or junior varsity program and build a good coaching staff. A successful recruiting program was necessary, too, and was helped by the solid academic programs and decent facilities at the college. Every decision concerning football had to be balanced with the thought: 'Will it help us win more games?'"
-Coach Ross Fortier, in book's introduction

"A lot of it goes back to his coaching philosophy," Scott said. "It was very methodical…the book explains what made him special. It was never about him. He was not emotional and not a cheerleader. That was not his style. His players appreciated how organized he was. And he had the critical ability to adapt. Ross said it was easier for him to change than for a whole bunch of guys to change."

With limited scholarship dollars, recruiting the right kind of athletes to come to MSU was at a premium. But not only did Fortier have the ability to mold that talent -- he also had the ability to "coach" his staff.

"He was a very efficient recruiter," Scott said. "He knew where to find kids and he knew how to coach them up. He was able to find kids that fit…and nobody could coach coaches better than Ross."

Scott said that the book also reflects a different time in athletics. Even with a top-flight team, Fortier often went to the school administration trying to get a boost in scholarship dollars and an increase in financial resources, but often was turned down.  Despite that obstacle, Fortier and his staff made Dragon football flourish anyway.

"A master of the Xs and Os, Fortier was a marvelous game-planner and football tactician and developed players who became great coaches and leaders of the next generation; his bookish approach and tempered communication skills signaled the right direction for countless players and students to follow.
"Despite the shortage of fundamental institutional resources, Fortier achieved unparalleled success to build one of the finest football programs in the country. There was no season in which he didn't meet the test of greatness…"
-Excerpt from the foreword written by Ed Schultz, former Dragon quarterback and now national talk-show host.

The book focuses on the success of the Dragons and the relationship between Fortier and his players, but also takes a close look at some of the significant games and events during those years.

"We highlighted some watershed moments," Scott said.

Scott said the upswing of the current Dragon program under Head Coach Steve Laqua is exciting and has renewed interest in MSUM football -- and its history.

"Anytime a program has had a successful past, that is something that is irreplaceable," MSUM head coach Steve Laqua said. "That is one thing we have tried very hard to tap into. A successful past has given us a lot of engaged and involved alumni which is priceless to a program. Scotty's book captures the spirit of the competitive greatness of the past of Dragon football."

Many hours of research went into the book, Scott said, in addition to the numerous interviews conducted with players and Coach Fortier. That's not to mention the proofreading and editing time as well.  But all of the hours and time put into the book seem to be well worth the time.

"The program was almost ahead of its time," Scott said. "I hope it conjures up old memories for the players and gives them a trip down memory lane. That was a pretty good run."