Fairchild Returns to San Diego State to Lead Recruiting

Steve Fairchild, a former San Diego State assistant football coach who has pent the past three seasons as an assistant coach at the University of New Mexico, will return to the SDSU football program as a recruiting coordinator.

Fairchild will replace former SDSU assistant Steve Devine and said he will not officially start until Feb. 15--when Devine’s contract expires. But Fairchild already has an office in the Aztec football complex and is ready to go to work.

“Actually, I’ve just kind of observed and seen what goes on here,” Fairchild said. “I’m not sure what my duties will be. I know the emphasis will be on recruiting first and foremost.”

Devine, the SDSU offensive line coach in 1989, took a job as offensive coordinator at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Fairchild was the tight ends coach under Denny Stolz in 1986, when the Aztecs made their only Holiday Bowl appearance. He was New Mexico’s offensive coordinator for the past two seasons but was fired along with two other assistants after the team went 2-10 last year.

“When I started looking for a job, I wanted to find any capacity in which I had a chance to win,” Fairchild said. “With (Coach) Al Luginbill, the new facility and all the other things that have been in place, I know we can have a winning program.”

Fairchild, 31, played football at Patrick Henry High School and Mesa Community College. From there, he went to Colorado State University, where he passed for 2,578 yards during his senior season--the fourth best single-season total in CSU history.

Four more players have orally committed to play football at San Diego State, including Mark Roberts, a 6-feet-2, 210-pound linebacker from West Bakersfield High School who was named second-team all-state by Cal-High Sports. A total of 16 players, including three community college players, are known to have publicly committed to SDSU. The first day high school players can sign a national letter of intent is Feb. 14.

Also committing to SDSU were offensive tackle Burton Ewert of Grace Davis High School in Modesto, offensive tackle Shane Griffis of Exeter (Calif.) High School and wide receiver Curtis Shearer of Silver Creek High School in San Jose.

Roberts, who was named second-team all-state by Cal-Hi Sports, played defensive line during his sophomore and junior years before moving to linebacker for his senior year.

“He is a natural linebacker,” West Bakersfield Coach Kevin Sneed said. “He has got good speed; he is awfully strong and he has the ability to knock you off your feet.”

Roberts is awaiting the results of his Scholastic Aptitude Test, which he took two weeks ago. He is the second high school linebacker known to have orally committed to SDSU.

Ewert, 6-7, 240, cancelled a visit to the University of Utah after visiting SDSU.

“Basically, their tutoring service for athletes was one of the main considerations because there are so many things to do and so many distractions in your spare time in San Diego,” Ewert said. “Also, they’ve got one of the most up-and-coming football programs in the nation, a beautiful facility and a great town.”

Ewert will likely redshirt his freshman year while trying to bulk up to 275 pounds.

“He is extremely coachable,” Modesto Coach Don Lanphear said. “And with his body-type and size, he will get bigger as he gets older. His best asset now is his ability to pass-block.”

Griffis is 6-7, 240.

“I was really impressed with the school,” Griffis said. “They have a nice program in both academics and athletics.”

Shearer, 5-11, 175-pounds, also visited Cal, Oregon and Oregon State.

OTHER SIGNINGS

San Pasqual High’s Eric Olson, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound wide receiver, has verbally committed to Colorado State. Olson, a first-team Times all-county selection, caught 20 passes for 326 yards and seven touchdowns. He also ran for 52 yards and one touchdown.

Olson picked CSU over CS Long Beach and San Diego State. He will join former San Pasqual quarterback Andy Loveland, who was red-shirted this year by Coach Earl Bruce.

Oceanside linebacker Junior Faave has verbally committed to the University of Hawaii. Faave, a 6-0, 205-pound second-team all-county selection, was also recruited by Brigham Young, Utah and San Diego State.

Oceanside Coach John Carroll said Faave should prosper in the pass-happy Western Athletic Conference.

“A scheme that covers up people and lets him flow to the football is what he was looking for,” Carroll said.