The Legacy of Dick Biddle

In the days leading up to the 1999 Patriot League championship game against Lehigh, Colgate Head Football Coach Dick Biddle often talked about his desire to fight the opponent’s coach.

As alarming as that may sound today, it was simply Dick Biddle being Dick Biddle. He was an old school coach who symbolized toughness and walked the walk. The ultimate competitor, Biddle was tenacious in his pursuit of victory. 

Colgate was up against a bitter rival in Lehigh with the title on the line. And it was a rivalry Biddle took personally. 

So, when the Raiders defeated the Mountain Hawks in a 28-24 clash, those in a maroon-and-white jersey couldn’t help but watch as Biddle went to shake hands with his coaching counterpart.

“He told us all week that he wanted to fight their head coach,” said Ameer Riley ’02, who was a safety under Biddle and is an assistant coach at Colgate today. “When he shook his hand after the game we were not sure what he'd do. He didn't beat him up but we all were watching closely because as crazy as it seems we weren't sure what to expect.”

The stories of Biddle are endless. From his days as a linebacker at Duke to his 18 years at Colgate, Biddle had a reputation that inspired awe from his student-athletes. 

“By the time I played for Coach Biddle, there were dozens of legendary stories, beginning with his playing career at Duke. You never knew fact from fiction because a story you'd never believe about him would turn out to be 100 percent true when we would fact check it,” said Brendan Walsh ’15, who was an offensive lineman for Biddle and is an assistant coach for the Raiders today.

Biddle is the winningest football coach in Colgate history. He led the Raiders from 1996 to 2013 and compiled a record of 137-73, which includes going 81-27 against conference opponents. It’s the highest win percentage (.750) of any Patriot League football head coach.

When the Raiders went 0-11 in 1995, Biddle was hired in the offseason and guided Colgate to a 6-5 record the next year. The remarkable turnaround won Biddle the first of his five Patriot League Coach of the Year awards.

Across his career, he won seven conference championships. He was a National Coach of the Year finalist in 2003, when the Raiders went 15-1 (and 8-0 in the conference) and marched all the way to the NCAA championship game. To this day, Colgate is the only Patriot League program to play in the national championship.

Now, on the 20th anniversary of that historic year, the 2003 team will be honored on Saturday when Colgate hosts Penn for its home opener. Kickoff is at 1 p.m.

Biddle passed away in August at 75, but his legacy lives on as a demanding coach who pushed his student-athletes to reach new limits. To play for Biddle, you had to give it everything you had. He made Colgate a winner, and gave the Raiders a reputation as a team that fought to the final snap.

“Coach Biddle believed in the oldest tenets of football: physicality, effort, pursuit and running the football,” said Pat Friel ’13, a linebacker at Colgate. “And I think you could ask any opponent during his 18-year run … Dick Biddle teams would never lay down.”

Stan Dakosty, the Fred ’50 and Marilyn Dunlap head football coach, summed up his former coach perfectly.

“He led with a sense of toughness and grit. He was Colgate Football personified,” Dakosty said.

While Biddle was tough on his student-athletes, he was fair, too. He made an enormous impact on their lives. Among the many lessons student-athletes received was how to tackle adversity. 

“In my opinion, Coach Biddle preached and proved that regardless of what you do, you have to be mentally and physically tough and overcome,” said Tem Lukabu ’04, the outside linebackers coach for the Carolina Panthers. He was a linebacker for Colgate. “Those who can persist will ‘win’ at the end. Persistence and toughness are not words; they are actions.”

Riley said playing for Biddle helped to prepare him for life after Colgate.

“Biddle helped in life because life is hard and so was football under Biddle. If you could survive his program you'd be ready to survive most situations in life,” Riley said. 

In his unapologetic pursuit for victory, Biddle’s success drew student-athletes to him and inspired them to win. Biddle, however, never took credit for the success on the field. He attributed each win to his players and assistants, said Ryan Vena ’99, a quarterback and three-time Patriot League MVP under Biddle.

“Coach Biddle was a winner,” Vena said. “He got it, and tried to pass his knowledge along to the players. He never took credit and always gave it to us and his assistants. He was humble, selfless — all about the team.”

Biddle built his legacy through wins and a punishing style of football. But there are other things that made him a compelling figure in the locker room — things that his former players stressed when speaking about him.

For instance, Biddle cared for every single person who worked and played for him. He had a sense of humor. He was a great story-teller. He took chances on teens who were dismissed by other programs.

Lukabu said his former coach always had a good pulse on the team and what the team needed at the time. 

“He was more measured than people realized,” Lukabu said. “He chose his words and vocabulary precisely and I identified with that. He knew the right buttons to push at all times. He did not speak much but he was in control. He allowed you to be yourself as a player and person. He understood being a young athlete in college.” 

Walsh said Biddle had a quiet demeanor. But he knew how to draw recruits and ignite excitement for the program.

“He made all of us feel like playing for Colgate was as important as any place in the country, regardless of size, speed or other schools that were interested in recruiting us,” Walsh said. “You never thought Coach Biddle knew anything about you, but when it came down to it, he cared immensely for his players and the team.”

And like countless others who played for Biddle, the coach had a tremendous impact on Walsh. 

“I wouldn't be where I am without Coach Biddle,” Walsh said. “I'm thankful he took a chance on me as an average 18-year-old offensive lineman and I am proud to have played for him and been able to be part of his final title here.”

“Biddle helped in life because life is hard and so was football under Biddle. If you could survive his program you'd be ready to survive most situations in life,” Riley said. 

Vena arrived at Colgate itching to prove the critics were wrong. He drew little interest from other D-I programs. But Biddle gave him a chance, and Vena didn’t let him down. 

The quarterback was part of the team that went 6-5 in Biddle’s first year as coach. Vena threw touchdowns in record numbers. He was named Patriot League MVP in his rookie year. 

“Coach Biddle was an amazing man and he took a chance on me very early in his head coaching career,” Vena said. “It obviously worked out and we went on to do some unthought of things. So for that, I’ll be forever grateful. He always pushed me to be better.”

When Biddle retired at the end of the 2013 season, he discussed in a Colgate Maroon-News article the factors behind his success.

“It comes down to having the right combinations of players and coaches and it all fell together,” Biddle said. “We had a program that we stuck by but I would really attribute it to all the players and the school.” 

PLAYERS SHARE MEMORIES OF BIDDLE

Pat Friel ’13 — “I will never forget the smile on his face after a win. I’ll never forget the smile he had after winning the Patriot League. I will never forget the smile on his face when I said bye to him after graduation. Coach was a tough man, but his sense of humor and smile were indescribable. I’ll never forget walking in from the practice field after a tough Wednesday practice, exhausted from the gassers or up-downs, and getting a piece of cake. Every Wednesday. I know the story has been told before those types of things stick with you.”

Brendan Walsh ’15 — “There are a million different sayings that I'll always remember coach using, but I think my favorite memory of Coach was during our 2012 Championship Game against Lehigh. We were down at half and our offense wasn't playing up to standard. We expected a fiery speech from Coach Biddle. He walks in, looks around and shouts ‘If you want to win, you'll win.’ It wasn't anything we expected, but it was exactly the assurance we needed.”

Tem Lukabu ’04 — “A few memories come to mind. On my official visit exit meeting he didn’t try to sell me on the program. There was no ‘sales’ pitch, just facts and a short direct conversation. It was what I wanted and needed in a head coach. His honesty and direct communication sold me.

I spent a whole day with Coach in the car traveling to and from media day in the summer of senior year. I expected it to be awkward and silent. The complete opposite happened. He was engaging, forthright, and a superb storyteller. He spoke to me like a life-long friend. I loved our conversations. He let me into the mind of the man behind the facade. It was eye-opening. He made it clear to me why he was a successful college player and later head coach. I will never forget that one on one time.”

Ryan Vena ’99 — “So many great memories. Many victories celebrated and discussed. One story that stands out, and it's something I get made fun of for all the time …. It began to storm and rain. The thunder and lightning was on its way into the valley, and we were stretching and Coach yelled out to everyone, ‘Vena, you get inside, everyone else, keep practicing!’ And of course, it was hilarious and I got teased for it for years and still do to this day.”