Portland State Head Coach Bruce Barnum Says An Opposing Head Coach Sat Right Behind His Bench At Last Game

Portland State head coach Bruce Barnum watches as his team competes against Oregon during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, in Eugene, Ore. Oregon beat Portland State 81-7. (AP Photo/Andy Nelson)

By STEVEN VAUGHAN, 750 THE GAME

Stealing signs has taken over the college football world. With more and more information coming out about Michigan stealing signs, John Canzano got curious.

On the Bald Faced Truth, Canzano was talking to Portland State football coach Bruce Barnum for his weekly visit. Canzano asked what Barnum thought of the Michigan situation where a member of the coaching staff was at other team’s games in the crowd and was recording signs. Barnum gave an answer from personal experience that happened to his program just a week ago.

“The head coach of the team I just played’s (Idaho State) father (Dan Hawkins), who is the head coach of a team in my league who I haven’t played yet, he was at the game behind my bench, watching his son coach because he was on bye week,” said Barnum. “I thought that was total bull—.”

Dan Hawkins is the longtime head coach at UC Davis, a team Barnum’s Vikings will face on Nov. 4th on the road.

Dan’s son, Cody, is in his first season as the head coach at Idaho State, who beat Portland State 38-24 over the weekend.

Barnum was not pleased that he had to see a current head coach in his conference behind his bench during the game but said he didn’t know what to do.

“What am I going to do? He sat back there the entire game watching my whole operation,” Barnum told Canzano.

Stealing signs and gaining an advantage happens in sports. But it usually happens during the game, not at an upcoming opponent’s game. Barnum said he could have understood that a head coach was at his game if his son was playing in the game. Not just coaching.

“I didn’t know he was going to be there,” continued Barnum. “And I’m thinking – your kid’s not playing, he’s coaching. Now if he was playing I might say ‘Alright Hawk (Dan Hawkins), sure come watch your kid play’ and yada yada, but really? You want to come watch your son coach? Are you sh— me?”

Barnum doesn’t know exactly what was learned on Saturday or if anything was learned by head coach Dan Hawkins sitting behind his bench in Portland State’s 38-24 loss to Idaho State on Saturday. But with everything happening at Michigan, it seemed very curious that a coach would want to sit right there behind Barnum’s bench.

Listen to the entire interview with Portland State head football coach Bruce Barnum by clicking the podcast below. Catch the Bald Faced Truth with John Canzano weekdays 3-6 p.m. in Portland exclusively on 750 The Game.