PUEBLO, Colo. (KOAA) — Former University of Southern Colorado (Now CSU-Pueblo) football coach Mike Friedman, who helped turn the Pueblo program into a regional powerhouse during a decade-long tenure, has passed away.
Friedman coached the Indians from 1974 to 1983, compiling a 60-38-2 record, including a 39-26-1 mark in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
His biggest accomplishments came in the early 1980s. In 1980, Friedman led the Indians to their first RMAC championship with a 9-1 record. Two years later, the team went 9-2 and earned the program's first NAIA national playoff berth, advancing to the Division I quarterfinals. Friedman took over the program on March 2, 1974, bringing an energetic approach to recruiting and building a culture that helped put the university's football program on the national stage. His influence extended beyond the field. He coached several All-Americans, including Bill Gower, John Trahan and Jeff England. He also mentored John Wristen, who later became CSU Pueblo's longtime head coach.
"Coach Friedman was a special man in my life. He gave me a great opportunity. I can never ever repay him for that opportunity," Wristen said according to a news release. "He touched a lot of people's lives. I've always wanted to say thank you and rest in peace."
Former Friedman player Herman Heard went on to be selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the 1984 NFL Draft. Friedman was inducted into the CSU Pueblo Athletics Hall of Fame in 2023 in recognition of his contributions to the program. A 1962 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Friedman began his coaching career in Wisconsin before serving as a head coach at Watertown High School and later joining the coaching staff at St. Norbert College and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Friedman and his wife, Mary Anne, had four children: Jannette, Steven, Julie and Jodi.
Funeral arrangements and memorial information are pending.
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