"You’ve been here.....’’ I started saying..

"A long time,’’ Ash said, starting to laugh.

Then I continued.

I mentioned that Ash is in his 14^th season as Drake’s football coach, which matches Vee Green in longevity at the school.

"Did you ever think you’d be here that long?’’ I asked.

"I never think about it that way, I guess,’’ Ash answered. "I’m glad they decided to keep me.’’

Obviously, it has seemed to be a very good fit.

Then I asked what kind of changes Ash has seen in Drake football since his first season in 1989 produced a 7-3 record.

"I was mentioning this to my team the other day,’’ he said. "It’s fascinating to look back. I told them that when I started coaching here, the Knapp Center was not built. We still had some houses and businesses on Forest Avenue. We shared our locker room with the wrestling team.

"We shared our practice facility with the softball team, practicing on that dirt softball diamond. We weren’t in a conference. We were Division III. Now we’re I-AA, we have spring ball, we have a league, we have the Knapp Center, we have a brand-new weight room, a beautiful locker room that’s been expanded and new offices.

"Dave Blank (the athletic director) has done a great job of helping all the staff here in the athletic department get better facilities to work in. We have the new meeting room—the Warren Gaer room. There have been tremendous positive changes. Our schedule has gone to more of a national schedule, the (Pioneer) league has been developed and expanded—so it’s been exciting. One of the reasons it’s been fun to stay here is because we’ve always moved forward. Plus, we’ve been successful.’’

Green had a 66-59-8 record from 1933-46, but played such teams as Ohio State, Notre Dame, Army, Navy, Kansas, Illinois, Iowa State and Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State).

Drake now awards no football scholarships, but plays teams that do.

The Bulldogs open their season Aug. 29 at Western Illinois, a member of the Gateway Conference.

It’s been rumored that the Bulldogs may schedule Northern Iowa, another Gateway Conference member, sometime in the future.

"We’re still playing one Gateway team a year—that’s our philosophy,’’ Ash said. "Whatever team seems to match up the best for us and fits the best into our schedule and whatever terms of the contract work out the best, that’s the team we’re going to play.

"Northern Iowa is certainly in the mix every year, and we’re going to go one year at a time and see which game works out the best. But we will play one Gateway team every year.’’