For a 13-year span, however, it was the other way around for the coaching tandem.
Teaff stood watch on the sideline as Baylor head coach for 21 seasons (1972-92), 13 of which Fredenburg helped guide as an assistant coach then defensive coordinator for the Bears.
While Fredenburg is not a carbon copy of Teaff, both men built successful programs with the same blueprint - tenacious defense, a punishing ground game and a remarkable ability to recruit.
“I believe I learned something from everybody I served with,” said Fredenburg, whose Crusaders are ranked No. 2 in NCAA Division III. “I was with Coach Teaff for 13 years, so there are certainly a lot of things I learned from him.
“The thing that he really taught me is that it’s not necessarily how fast a guy is. More importantly, it’s what kind of person he is. Coach Teaff was a master at it, and when I was there we recruited kids who had great character. We try to do that here, also.”
With Teaff at the helm, Baylor won the Southwest Conference title for the first time in 50 years in 1974, claimed the crown again in 1980 and appeared in eight bowls.
Now the executive director of the American Football Coaches Association, Teaff understands the importance of recruiting the right type of student-athletes and getting them to stick around.
“Our philosophy, and it certainly worked well for us, was that you of course need athletes. In Texas, there are plenty of those,” Teaff said. “Then you add in character and a probability for academic success, and you’re able to keep kids in school.
“What you see a lot of times is people recruit blue-chippers, who don’t get in school or don’t stay in school. It’s not brain surgery at all. It’s real simple.
“You get the kind of kids you want to coach, who are already athletic because you can’t create an athlete, then you mold that athlete and nurture that youngster and he will stay around.”
Teaff won 54 percent (128-105-6) of his games at Baylor and can see the similarities between his Bears and the Crusaders, who are 79-25 (76 percent) in their 10-year history under Fredenburg.
“He has used the same philosophy,” Teaff said. “It shows not only in the number of wins, but also the number of youngsters they continue to have in the program.
“And it’s not surprising, because Pete has always had the capacity to lead.”
With the lofty expectations the UMHB program carries these days, the Crusaders know exactly what kind of players they are looking for.
“We want kids who can help us win a national championship,” Fredenburg said.
And according to Teaff, UMHB has a chance to do exactly that.
“I was very, very impressed with what I saw Saturday,” he said. “I believe - without writing any checks Pete can’t cash - that this is the best team he has had there.”
Rivalry week
Every year since their inaugural meeting in 1998, the winner of UMHB’s annual clash with Hardin-Simmons has won at least a share of the American Southwest Conference title. This season’s matchup should be no exception.
The Crusaders (4-0, 3-0 ASC) and Cowboys (2-2, 2-0), who square off at 2 p.m. Saturday at Shelton Stadium in Abilene, are two of only three league teams with unblemished conference records. East Texas Baptist (3-2, 3-0), which plays at McMurry this week, is the other.
After HSU won the first four installments of the rivalry series, UMHB has won six of the last seven meetings.
Radical ratios
Through four games, UMHB has more than doubled its opponents’ output in six statistical categories, including scoring. The Crusaders have posted 215 points while giving up only 52.
The statistical mismatches are rushing yards (1,275/313), total yards (1,994/978), pass efficiency rating (177.7/81.1), third-down conversion percentage (43.9/15.6) and sacks (13/5).
edrennan@temple-telegram.com
