BLOG 74: Ferris-Hillsdale rivalry has had interesting twists

By Sandy Gholston

Ferris State receiver Mike Ryan hangs onto the football at Hillsdale College on Saturday (Photo/Sandy Gholston)

HILLSDALE – Ferris State University and Hillsdale College are quite familiar with each other on the football field.

Current Hillsdale College head coach Keith Otterbein was the head coach at Ferris from 1986-1994 (his record was 60-39-3 at FSU) and was a 2008 inductee into the Bulldog Athletics Hall of Fame. Otterbein served as head coach at Ferris when current FSU head coach Jeff Pierce was on his staff as was current Bulldog defensive coordinator and assistant head coach Duane Wilson. Additionally, Otterbein’s current offensive coordinator at Hillsdale, Barry Fagan, was a member of that staff that brought Ferris to national prominence during the 1990s.

That familiarity adds a little extra spice to what has been a solid rivalry in recent seasons between the Bulldogs and Chargers.

“We’re definitely very familiar with their staff and they know our staff, but we’re all out here trying to win a football game,” said Pierce, who now owns a 4-3 record against Otterbein since the former FSU head coach took control of Hillsdale’s football program. “We’re serious competitors on the field and we’re friends off of the field, but there’s no question there is a lot of familiarity.”

If you have any questions, ideas or comments feel free to contact Sandy Gholston at sgholston2@netzero.com