Sunday Conversation: Dave Guffey's Grizzly memories

Editor's Note: Dave Guffey is retiring soon after nearly 37 years as the University of Montana's Sports Information Director. The California native came to Missoula in the fall of 1978 and has been a consistent presence at Grizzly football and basketball games ever since. From Dornblaser to Washington-Grizzly Stadium, from Mike Montgomery to Travis DeCuire, and throughout the amazing career of Robin Selvig, Guffey has been there, writing stories, compiling statistics and keeping order at press row. There have been more than 450 Grizzly football games since Dave was hired, and he's missed only three. Now 64, he is working for a few more weeks at his office on the UM campus, which is where Scott Mansch caught up with him last week for our Sunday Conversation.

Q: Congratulations David. I'll bet you're really looking forward to retirement.

A: Thank you. Yes, I am. It will be very different. And you know this too, Scottie, from the type of work you're in: What will it be like to have weekends and nights off? (Laughs) I have no idea. It'll be a good thing.

Q: You were a sportswriter in Fresno, Calif., before coming to Montana, correct?

A: Yes, I was a prep writer at the Fresno Bee. Then I became the sports editor of the Fresno Guide, which is where I was when I took a position here back in 1978.

Q: Did you have to think hard about moving to Missoula? You must have liked being a sports editor, didn't you (laugh)?

A: You know, I loved it. But I liked the idea of working for a school. Then you can root for them and be a homer. It becomes more personal and more fun. I was a student assistant at Fresno State for a few years and I really liked it, too. So I knew what I was getting into.

Q: Did it take you awhile to get used to Missoula and the state of Montana?

A: No, not really. The first time I drove across the Madison Street Bridge in October of 1978 I said 'Wow. This is beautiful and I could live here.' I was pretty excited about that possibility.

Q: Who were the main head coaches at that time?

A: Mike Montgomery had just been elevated to head coach in men's basketball. Robin Selvig had just been hired a couple of months earlier (with the UM women's basketball program). Gene Carlson, former Great Falls High coach, was our football coach. And the athletic director, the guy who hired me, was Harley Lewis. He was a former trackster at Montana and a native of Butte.

Q: Where was your office in those days?

A: I was in the third floor of Main Hall. Right before lunchtime every day during the week a music professor would walk through my office and up to the carillon and play it. I was literally right under the carillon. Then I moved over to athletics a few years later. When I started, Jiggs Dahlberg was still alive and keeping the "Red Book." Naseby Rhinehart was still working (as athletic trainer). So I got to know those two guys and I count myself lucky in retrospect.

Q: What is the "Red Book," Dave?

A: We have a book, about 900 pages, that's a handwritten history of the University of Montana athletics in every sport. Jiggs Dahlberg started it. And it's still the bible that I use constantly. It's here in my office. It's something Jiggs started writing in the 1940s. We call it 'The Red Book.' It's pretty phenomenal. A cool thing.

Q: So what are you up today?

A: Well, they're doing a story for Montana Magazine and they were up taking a picture of my (championship) rings. I've never counted them before, but I have 28 rings (laughs). Todd (Goodrich) just took a picture of the Red Book and my rings.

Q: Wow, all football and basketball?

A: Football rings, basketball rings, Lady Griz, a couple from tennis, a couple from soccer … It's a potpourri. Mostly football and men's basketball, though. It's pretty cool, actually.

Q: What do you remember about old Dornblaser Stadium and the football games there?

A: I remember how cold it was. The press box was made out of plywood. And you couldn't use space heaters in there because it would blow fuses. I remember sitting in the press box covering football games in November wearing my down coat because it was so darn cold (laughs). And of course we didn't have much success in football. We were a basketball school when I started here. Micheal Ray (Richardson) had just graduated, Mike Montgomery had just taken over from Jim Brandenburg, and of course Robin Selvig was just starting to get things going with the Lady Griz. It really wasn't until 1986 with Don Read and Washington-Grizzly Stadium that we started the incredible roll in football and of course continue to be pretty darn good. And in men's basketball and Lady Griz basketball, too.

Q: Did you ever have any second thoughts about the job? The football success wasn't really forthcoming at first. Did you ever wonder if you were really going to enjoy it?

A: No. I enjoyed the work. I got here in October, but that December was one of the coldest on record. It did not get above zero for about two weeks in a row. I could not get my car started and I was beginning to wonder what I was doing here (laughs). As far as the job and the people and Missoula, I loved it. But that first cold winter was a reality check.

Q: Did you realize right from the get-go when they hired Don Read that it was going to be a good deal for Grizzly football?

A: I know when I first met Don and talked to him, I fell in love with the guy as a person. But frankly, no, I wasn't that convinced that he would turn things around like he did. He never had a losing season and never lost to the Bobcats from 1986 to 1995. And capped it off by winning the national championship. But no, to reach the heights that we rose to and continue to be at, I would have never envisioned that.

Q: What were your thoughts of first hearing about Washington-Grizzly Stadium?

A: I never thought it would really happen. Back in those days there actually were drawings of the proposed stadium. It was going to be around Fort Missoula here in town. Dornblaser was a temporary facility that they played in for like 20 years. To actually think that we were going to get a stadium around campus, I wasn't buying it (laughs). Of course it did finally happen and that changed everything.

Q: That stadium is certainly one of the highlights in University of Montana history. And really the history of our state, wouldn't you say?

A: Oh, definitely. Absolutely. You think about 25,000 for almost every home game. It's phenomenal. With a population base of Missoula (about 70,000), to have that many people at a football game and to be first or second in attendance at our level the last several years, that's an awesome thing.

Q: I know there have been many great Grizzly football players that you've seen. Any few that come to mind?

A: Well, the first one that comes to mind and always will is a guy named Dave Dickenson, who you're very familiar with. He gets off the bus with those glasses on (laughs) and they're probably thinking he's our team accountant, then he puts No. 15 on … The way he saw the field, his touch and his leadership was unparalleled. I mean, all he did was win. Of course he was a great student and person, too. He pretty much started everything as far as football at the national level here.

Q: How about your favorite Grizzly football coach?

A: Oh boy. I loved Don Read, Joe Glenn … Bobby Hauck was great to me and all he did was win. Mick Dennehy from Butte, America. I was lucky. I got along great with every head coach except for maybe one back in the early 1980s.

Q: You worked for so many great basketball coaches, too. Of course Robin Selvig is one of the winningest coaches in the nation and I don't know if men's basketball has had but a few losing seasons since you've been there, right?

A: That's right. Of course Jud Heathcote started it all back in the mid-70s, followed by Brandenburg, Montgomery, Stew Morrill, Blaine Taylor … Larry Krystkowiak, Wayne Tinkle .. It's unbelievable the history we've had. It's been an incredible run in hoops. And of course Robin Selvig. What can you say about a Hall-of-Fame coach from Smalltown, Montana (Outlook) who's been to the NCAA Tournament a ridiculous amount of times? A great person.

Q: How about your favorite basketball player over the years, Guff?

A: It has to be Krysko. And Shannon Cate for the women. So you think about that: Dicky from Great Falls, Krysko from Shelby-Missoula and Shannon Cate from Billings. They're all three Montana products. Great athletes and great representatives and they've all gone on to do great things as well.

Q: What are your immediate plans upon retirement?

A: My wife, Mea, and I are staying in Missoula. We'll be celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary in November. We both love living here and I don't plan on going anywhere except maybe in January or February (laughs). Somewhere a little warmer.

Q: Wow. 40 years. Congrats on that.

A: Yes. Thank you, Scott.

Q: I know baseball has been a big part of your life too, hasn't it?

A: Yes. I played high school baseball and I coached a lot of Little League (while sons Patrick and Matthew played). I was on the board for the Missoula Mavericks for several years. I still go to Legion games and Osprey games occasionally. I love baseball, but it's still No. 3 behind college football and basketball.

Q: One thing I want to tell you, David, is that I've always been so impressed with your class and dignity. And losing your son (Patrick died in a swimming accident in 2003), that had to be so hard. Would you have any advice for folks in dealing with tragedy?

A: No. But one of my biggest memories when that happened was how everyone around here in the athletic department and the city helped me and Mea through those times. You know, you've got to keep living. Everyone is so busy living their lives that you don't realize that this kind of thing happens a lot to people. Until it happens to you. I think you've just got to keep plugging away. It really made me that much fonder of people around here in the department and Missoula for how they treated us and took care of us. It's a bittersweet memory. But it's another reason we're lucky that we live where we live.

Q: I've always felt the same way. Like our entire state is one big little town. And that people care for each other. I'll bet you feel the same way, right?

A: Yes. The people in this town and state, they're just great people. They're sincere. And they don't big-time you. They're just down-to-earth people. It's a great place to live.

Q: The old Cat-Griz rivalry is pretty great too, isn't it? I know you've got friends in Bozeman, too.

A: Yes, well, we're friends every year except for three or four times (laughs). It's an intense deal and of course Bill (Lamberty, Montana State's SID) and I have known each other a long time and I really like him. But I know he doesn't like the Grizzlies and I don't like the Cats. And that's not going to change (laughs). But that doesn't mean that there's not a lot of great people that work at Montana State. And I believe that.

Q: Who were the other Sports Information Directors at Montana State that you knew?

A: Ken Nicholson, Arnie Sgalio, Bruce Parker and now, for a long time, Bill Lamberty.

Q: What will you miss the most about the job, Dave?

A: I'm going to miss getting to know the athletes, especially in football because I traveled to all those games still. Working around athletes and coaches. Because they're highly motivated, focused people. They've got two jobs: sports and school. Just the intensity and focus and work ethic of all these athletes and coaches. And staff people, because they work so hard too. I'm going to miss that. The stress? I won't miss that. Similar to what you do, man. It's stressful. But it's rewarding, too.

Q: I'm sure you'll still be a familiar figure at Grizzly games.

A: I'm not going to miss too many games, I know that. But I'll just be in the tailgate area instead of the press box (laughs).

Q: Nobody's got more Grizzly memories than you, David, and I hope there's a lot more for you sir.

A: Me too, Scottie, and I hope to see you down the road soon. Say hi to my old friend George Geise. And thank you.

Scott Mansch is Great Falls Tribune Sports Columnist and has covered prep, college and pro sports in Montana for 32 years. He can be reached at 791-1481 or smansch@greatfallstribune.com. Follow him on Twitter @GFTrib_SMansch