George Ferguson: Mark, you made football in Montana better; Enjoy retirement my good friend

He did it kind of quietly. Which is exactly how he wants it. I know him well enough to know, he doesn't really want anyone to make much of a fuss about it. But, sorry Mark, I'm going to make at least a little fuss about you retiring.

My good friend, and one of the best coaches I’ve ever known, Mark Samson announced last week he was retiring. And that’s a bittersweet announcement.

First off, Mark Samson is simply one of the best football coaches in the modern era of Montana football, at all levels. He did at the high school level, at more than one school, and he did at the Frontier Conference college level, where he completely transformed the Montana State University-Northern Lights.

And that’s where I was lucky enough to get to know Mark the football coach, but more importantly, Mark the friend.

I became the sports editor in the fall of 2005, about two months into the Frontier football season. And in that season, the Lights really started to show signs of things to come. And that’s when I got to know Mark. We built a friendship out of football, out of hours spent in his office taking about the Lights, about the Grizzlies and Bobcats, about the Blue Ponies, about his old Capital High Bruins, about his kids’ athletics, and perhaps just as importantly, we talked about life. I might have gone in his office for a 10 minute interview about Northern’s upcoming game that week, but I would end up staying there for an hour or more, just talking, and I have said many times since, I miss that.

Of course, I will also ways consider Mark to be a friend, and now, even as he moves away from the game of football, I also consider him to be one of the best coaches I’ve ever met.

I may coach two completely different sports, but, I learned a ton from Mark about coaching over the years. I also got a very first-hand look at just what a quality coach, and even more importantly, what a quality leader Mark is.

At practice, in meetings, and on Fridays and Saturdays I witnessed just what Mark Samson can do with a football team. Whether it was at Helena Capital, or his stint with the Havre Blue Ponies, and now the Great Falls High Bison, there can be no arguing that Mark is one of the most successful and influential high school coaches Montana has ever produced. At this point, his high school coaching tree has too many branches to count.

But for me, I got to witness the true genius of his coaching abilities during his tenure at MSU-N.

I had a front row seat to basically watch a college football program being shaped and molded. Mark took over for the late, great Walt Currie, and brought Northern to new heights in the Frontier Conference, culminating with the 2006 victory over then No. 1 Carroll College, and MSU-N’s only trip to the NAIA playoffs. That season is one I’ll never forget as long as I live. As a sports writer, it’s arguably still one of the most enjoyable falls I’ve ever known.

But, it wasn’t just one season. Mark made Northern football a consistent and important part of the Frontier. During his time on the MSU-N sidelines, the Lights were never, ever a pushover. They were a tough, defensive-minded football team that could also be explosive offensively, and they gave the blue bloods of the league all they could handle for all those years Samson was at the helm. And that’s why, in my humble opinion, Mark NEEDS to be in the Northern Athletics Hall of Fame. But that’s a column for a different day.

On this day, in this column, I just want to congratulate my friend on his upcoming retirement. It’s well-deserved. Mark has given so much to the game of football, and to the state of Montana. His influence on the game, at both the high school and college level, reaches far and wide, and will be felt for many years to come.

At the same time, he will be sorely missed. It’s hard to imagine Mark not coaching football anymore. And while I know he will learn to enjoy retirement, all of us who have loved watching him coach and watching his teams play over the years, will have to adjust to not seeing him out there anymore.

So again, congrats on retirement Mark. You have certainly earned it. And please know that, football in Montana is so much better off because you were a part of it all these years. So thank you for that. Thank you for your dedication, your commitment and your passion for the game. Thank you my friend!