The Buffalo Bulls of the Mid-American Conference currently boast a 4-0 record with an average margin of victory of over 26 points per contest. As it turns out, a former Minot Magician football player has been an integral part of the club’s success.

Scott Fuchs, a member of Minot High’s graduating class of 1989, is now in his second season as offensive line coach at the University of Buffalo. While Buffalo’s next contest against Ohio on Dec. 5 was canceled due to the pandemic, the Minot native remains confident his squad has given themselves an opportunity to compete for the MAC title later this month.

“It’s unfortunate, we really can’t do much about the situation since it is out of our control,” Fuchs tells the Minot Daily News. “The only thing we can do now is prepare for the next scheduled game against Akron on Dec. 12, and if all goes well, we expect to be playing for the conference championship in Detroit on the 18th.

As Fuchs, 49, hopes to guide his current team to a conference crown in the coming weeks, he recalls the humble beginnings of his gridiron journey back in Minot. After graduating from Edison Elementary, and then Jim Hill Middle School, Fuchs decided to play football for Minot High School. The eventual college coach admits he did not possess an early aptitude for the game he loves.

“I don’t think I was anything spectacular as a player, I just kind of kept at it because of my size. I feel like I developed physically a little later on in my career,” Fuchs adds. “At that time, I never thought in a million years I would end up coaching college football.”

Following his time at Minot High, which included a WDA championship in his junior season, Fuchs received offers to play at both North Dakota State, as well as the University of North Dakota. Thrilled at the opportunity to play for a national championship, the 6-foot-6 lineman chose to sign with the Bison. Eventually, the Minot High graduate got to realize his national title aspirations as NDSU went on to win the championship in 1990.

By his third year at North Dakota State, Fuchs says that was the point where he seriously decided to consider coaching football as a possible career. Not coming from a family where football was a huge influence, the ex-Bison guard says he looked at other career paths prior to focusing on his favorite sport. “I started college with an interest in architecture, but found out I didn’t like it, then I tried business and didn’t really like it either. Once I started studying physical education and social sciences, that is when it really clicked for me.”

Prior to reaching the Division I level, Fuchs reveals his coaching career included stops at Valley City, Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Minnesota Crookston, and Nebraska-Omaha. Once he began coaching Division I, Fuchs had five year stints at both NDSU and the University of Wyoming prior to landing his current role with the Bulls. Content with his role preparing players to do battle in the trenches, Fuchs says he has no desire to coach in any other capacity. “I don’t really want to become a coordinator or head coach at some point, coaching offensive lineman is what I do, and this is who I am,” the Bulls football mentor says.

Married to his wife of 15 years, Emily, the couple has three sons, Hank (15), Jack (13) and Gus (11). With all three boys having the requisite size to play offensive line like their father, Fuchs stresses the importance of having fun while his sons enjoy the small window of time available to play interscholastic sports.

“I have nothing but fond memories of high school because it is a crucial time to bond and create life long friendships,” the position coach continues. “I still have great memories of playing against Bishop Ryan because that was a big rivalry game for us back then. It really wasn’t about winning and losing, it was just a great experience playing under those Friday night lights and bonding as a team.”