Hedberg: There is no real good time to retire, but it was time

FARGO The start of the coaching career for Randy Hedberg was a little bit of everything.

One year, he was the head football coach and assistant mens basketball coach at Minot State University.

But after the basketball coach was fired in January, Hedberg was elevated to the head position.

The hoops coach was also the head baseball coach, so Hedberg got that job, too.

One season, three sports as a head coach.

Has to be a rarity in college athletics anywhere in the country.

On Monday, Hedberg, 70, put behind 46 years in the business, with the last 11 at NDSU.

Theres no real good time, there really isnt, he said.

Hedberg said he wanted to return this season and mentor returning Bison senior quarterback Cole Payton, but at some point there has to be an end to a career.

Im going to miss that part of it, working with those guys, Hedberg said.

I just decided it was time to do it.

He leaves behind coaching three Bison quarterbacks who are in the NFL in Carson Wentz, Easton Stick and Trey Lance.

Graduating senior Cam Miller appears to be on the NFL draft radar and at the least will get an NFL shot of some sort.

Wentz was part of one of the highlights of Hedbergs career, his first game at NDSU in 2014 at Iowa State.

The Bison, down 14-0, scored 34 straight in a 34-14 win in Ames, Iowa.

I remember going into the locker room after the game and the guys didnt even think anything big about it, they just expected to win and that was pretty impressive, Hedberg said.

Another highlight came two years later in the same state, when the Bison rallied to beat the University of Iowa 23-21 on a last-second field goal.

Thats why you coach, to coach in those big games, Hedberg said.

As Bison, we play in big games.

He leaves on top with seven Division I FCS national title rings including last month in Frisco, Texas.

Hedberg said he thought about retiring last season, but with the way the season went and the fact Miller was returning for another season made him rethink that.

I made a vow to myself that I wanted to come back and right those wrongs that happened in 23, he said.

We did that.

We as a staff did that.

Its nice to go out as a national champion, thats for sure.

Bison head coach Tim Polasek said offensive coordinator Jake Landry, who handled the running backs last season, will shift to coaching the quarterbacks.

He held that same position at the University of St.

Thomas for two seasons prior to coming to NDSU with Polasek and before that was the quarterbacks coach at Temple.

As a player and a quarterback, Landry led Grand Forks Central to a North Dakota state high school championship and was a two-year starter at the University of North Dakota.

I think Jake has had a good base with the quarterbacks, Polasek said.

Im sure Randy wont be going anywhere if we need him, hell be here for advice if we need him.

We need to make sure were calling him and dialing him up on what made him successful.

Among Landry's titles last season was running backs coach, which will be removed.

Polasek will hire another person for that position.

There is also the recruiting component with Hedberg being in charge of North Dakota high school prospects.

A native of Parshall, North Dakota, Hedberg spent 24 of his years coaching college in the state.

There probably isnt a highway he hasnt driven.

A North Dakota legend, a man thats really passionate about NDSU, Polasek said.

I think his legacy is going to be how he treated each and every person he came across with the same amount of respect..

This article has been shared from the original article on inforum, here is the link to the original article.