Ex-Vandal returns as visiting coach

After starring at Gonzaga Prep in Spokane, Tim Lappano went on to play running back at Idaho, graduating in 1983, returned as an assistant coach in 1984 and ’85, and went on to make several stops as an assistant coach in college and in the NFL.

Paul Petrino was an assistant coach at Idaho from 1992-94, then went to his own series of stops as an assistant in college and the NFL.

But Lappano and Petrino never quite crossed paths. Until now.

“I always heard his name,” Petrino recalled earlier this week. “I worked with a whole bunch of people, and his nickname was “pup.” I coached with different people who either coached with him or played with him, but we were never actually at the same place at the same time. I was a year or two away a couple of different times.”

They’ll be on opposite sidelines today, when Georgia State (3-8, 2-5 Sun Belt), with Lappano in his second game as head coach, takes on Petrino’s Idaho Vandals (7-4, 5-2) at the Kibbie Dome.

Lappano was wide receivers coach, then promoted to head coach when Trent Miles was fired on Nov. 13, after going 9-38 in nearly four seasons. With Lappano in charge, Georgia State beat Georgia Southern last week.

“Coach Lappano’s a great coach, and I’m sure he’ll be fired up coming back home,” Petrino said. “He was a great football player here.”

There’s little secret what Georgia State wants to do on offense. The Panthers have passed for 2,689 yards this season, and rushed for 960.

“They’ll run it just enough so you have to defend the run,” Petrino said. “They’ve got very good receivers. No question, the No. 1 thing they want to do is throw the ball.”

Petrino also said Georgia State is a better team than its record shows.

“Yeah, they scare you,” he said. “If you just watch cut-ups, which is kind of how you game plan, I said it to our coaches (Monday) night, if you just watch their cut-ups, and didn’t know their record, you would think they were 8-3. ... Not many people have scored a lot of points on them. And offensively, they’ve just got playmakers all over the place. They’re definitely a team that scares you.”