ST. PAUL, Minn. – On paper, the record books will always reflect a pair of 2-9 campaigns to start the second tenure for Concordia-St. Paul head football coach Shannon Currier. It's not a mark that Currier is pleased with, but it also doesn't paint the full picture of the progress the Golden Bears have made in those two seasons.
 
Currier and the Golden Bears will not only look to prove they made big progress a year ago despite the stagnant record, they'll look to take another leap from those gains in year three under Currier in 2018.
 
It starts on Thursday, August 30 with a 6 p.m. kickoff at Bob Young Field against #20 Sioux Falls, the league's third-ranked team overall and in the South Division according to Northern Sun coaches. It's a tough test on opening week for the Golden Bears, picked 14th overall and seventh in the division. Not only are the Cougars third in the NSIC and #20 in the AFCA DII Top-25 Preseason Poll, they are #18 in the D2Football.com Preseason Top-25 poll conducted by national DII beat writers.
 
The game can be watched online (free) and also features a free live audio stream (KWSN AM 1230 & FM 98.1). The broadcasts can be supplemented with live stats, as well. Keep an eye on all the league scores at the NSIC scoreboard.
 
All Northern Sun games are available to watch via numerous streaming devices: Roku, Amazon FireTV, Apple TV and Android TV. Simply search for NSIC to find the Stretch Internet application to view all contests streamed by league members on your TV, and in high definition (where available).
 
Rewind to 2016 when Currier and his staff entered their first year with the program facing a truncated recruiting period following the coaching change in the offseason while trying to mold a football program not only to new offensive and defensive sets but also a new way of conducting daily business – not uncommon in a coaching change but also not an easy change for student-athletes to undertake in the middle of their college tenure.
 
The Bears had momentum and energy behind a rejuvenated Currier. The alumni were buzzing and excited to come to games and the campus community was ready for CSP football to return to the winning ways established when Currier led the charge in his first run at the school from 2000-03. In those years, the Golden Bears quickly learned how to compete for league titles, culminating with a conference championship as Currier was named 2003 NSIC Coach of the Year, leading the program to its first-ever postseason game with a Mineral Water Bowl berth.
 
Concordia won its first two games, and had a nationally-ranked and perennial playoff team Minnesota Duluth on the ropes in the fourth quarter, ultimately falling short despite having the ball late with a chance to go-ahead.
 
"When I think back to that, I wasn't really surprised by the fast start. I felt like we played a couple of teams that were similar to us at that point. That first game was a battle (17-0, vs U-Mary) but it created a bit of confidence and provided something new for the guys. It was great to get a good result early in the process," Currier reflected. He continued, "Then we went up to Crookston, got ahead early and played well on offense but I felt like that was a beatable team for us that year. We used those two successes to generate confidence and enthusiasm into week three and it was just one of those nights when things went well. We had a pick-six early, executed a big fake punt and things worked out – we played them well which led to a competitive game until the end."
 
The Bears ended up falling in a shootout 52-49 at Sea Foam Stadium but Currier had grabbed the league's attention. Unfortunately, the momentum quickly subsided, then turned against CSP the rest of the way. Concordia lost its final nine games of the 2016 season.
 
"We just didn't respond after that, and played poorly the rest of the year. We didn't show much life after that game – at least on the field. And that's the indication of where we were at. It also shows just how critical momentum is in football – both in a game and over the course of a season. Having it (momentum) sure makes you a lot better, but when it's against you, it impacts you in negative ways. Our true identity came through when we lost that momentum and weren't able to turn it around."
 
The team played 13 true freshmen that season, which featured an abbreviated recruiting class with Currier and his staff starting fresh after the New Year – well behind the curve of its competitors who had been recruiting throughout the fall (and in most cases, earlier).
 
Additionally, the staff had to continue to stay the course on its long-term plan, which meant keeping the players focused during a losing streak.
 
"It's really a tribute to the players in that first year. The guys just kept responding and I felt the team got closer as the year went on. The adversity brought the players closer together, I don't recall the players bickering, pointing fingers or blaming coaches. We were in the process of building an environment where people enjoyed being here, and that's where it all starts. We had a lot of youth in the program, which provided that optimism and motivation and people could start to see the big picture – that it takes a while to get where you want to be but there was a lot of talent in that first class."
 
In year two, Concordia was able to recruit on a full calendar and the players on the team now had a year or more of experience in learning what it took to be a Golden Bear with Currier leading the charge.
 
While over a dozen freshmen gained experience in year one, Concordia would play double-digit freshmen again in year two as 23 players saw action in their true freshmen campaigns in those two years.
 
The energy and talent with the young team showed signs of a breakthrough but three losses by less than a touchdown kept the program with just two wins. All three of those losses came on the road, and in all three the Golden Bears either led or had a chance to take the lead in the fourth quarter, putting them essentially three plays from finishing one game under .500.
 
"Even though the win total didn't increase or reach where we wanted it last year, I do consider it a step forward for the program. It's a big picture, and we were more competitive. Even outside of those three games that came down to the end, we were more competitive in some of the other losses, too. We played better defense with a group of young players."
 
And while Currier considers last season a step forward for the program, he stops short of concluding that expectations are being met.
 
"Honestly, we aren't meeting expectations just yet. We expected to win more games in year two, so I'm disappointed that we didn't win more (last year)," he stated. He continued, "But the main thing I'm focused on is the process. Doing the right things, 'Building on the Rock' and not trying to get caught up on the end result of a game. We have to find ways to do things better to allow for more success but not to focus on the outcome. Sometimes things happen out of our control, but it's our job to remain focused on those things that we can impact and control on a regular basis and execute those things correctly in all phases – not just football."
 
Currier's message is clear and consistent, and that is to continue to improve at all times.
 
"I've never experienced a time in my career where we didn't get better. We've always improved over the previous year. We may not have won more games last year, but the product was better and we did improve. I believe if we focus on that continued process every day, that the results we are seeking will come."
 
When breaking down his team's play between those first two seasons, Currier sees evidence of improvement despite the back-to-back two win results.
 
"Last year we played better defense and we had better overall special teams. Perhaps most importantly, we were better on both the offensive and defensive lines. We closed the gap last year, we were more competitive."
 
The big question will be what Currier and his staff, which features full continuity among full time assistant coaches for the first time in years for the program, are able to do to take the next step forward – getting the result at the end of close games they were seeking last year and perhaps creating the kind of momentum that they opened the 2016 season with – and keeping it.
 
"There are a lot of ways to improve the program (on the field), and we need to," he stated flatly. He added, "We need to score more touchdowns, play better in the red zone and start converting those opportunities, we need to be more productive in short yardage and goal line situations and I'm confident we will do those things. We also need to run the ball more effectively and consistently and possess the ball. Good teams establish the run, and our goals are for a higher yards per rush attempt."
 
While he opened by focusing on the offense, he didn't limit his call for improvement, adding, "We need to stop the run better, too. A lot of it comes down to what we can do up front. And while we were better on special teams last year, we need to make more plays happen on special teams this year, it's an area we need to win every week and be consistent. As a team we are bigger and faster and we have more depth, so winning special teams is a key component.
 
He concluded, "We need fewer negative plays and to be more fundamentally sound. Last year, 10 percent of our plays were backwards on offense. We need to eliminate those. Doing these things will lead to more wins."
 
Having played over 20 freshmen the last two years gives the program a unique combination of experience, continuity and youth which sets them up for a strong outlook not only this year, but well into the future.
 
"We enter the season without any starting freshmen on either side and we may only have three, at most, make the travel squad. Just like in life, we don't control the events that happen to us, but we are learning how to respond appropriately and by continuing to have the proper response will lead us to the outcome we are looking for."
 
"Our leadership has grown, and time has allowed us to grow as a program. We are establishing a player's culture and with our leadership we have all of the essential ingredients to be successful."
 
Next up in the preseason preview series, part 3: Schenderlein leads special teams unit