They call Mike Kramer the “Big Human” in Montana. An ode to his personality. He’s a natural storyteller with a booming voice.

Bill Lamberty, the assistant AD of media relations at Montana State, saw Kramer’s charisma up close for seven years when he coached the Bobcats. Lamberty watched as Kramer transformed a team that went 0-11 in 2000 into a three-time Big Sky Conference champion.

“His energy is unsurpassed,” Lamberty said of Kramer. “His belief in himself, it’s just as high and as strong as anyone I’ve ever been around.”

What has stuck with Lamberty about Kramer over the years is how football was never everything to the coach. Kramer had perspective. Football was his job. His wife, daughters and grandkids were always more important.

Lamberty and Kramer hardly ever talked football. It was always baseball (Kramer roots for the Cardinals; Lamberty the Royals) and World War II history.

But let’s be clear. Kramer may have interests in a number of things, but he’s also as competitive as a riled up badger. Smash Kramer’s team on the field and he’ll never forget it.

Several of Idaho State’s eight wins last season seemed personal for Kramer. They got payback in a 31-13 road win over Portland State — the same place where the Vikings beat the Bengals 77-10 in 2012.

And remember Jakori Ford’s 9-yard touchdown scamper against Weber State with 37 seconds left in the fourth quarter? The Bengals didn’t need those six points. They were leading 39-28 at the time. But it was Kramer’s way of reminding WSU that he never forgot when the Wildcats went for two four times in a 40-14 Weber State victory in Holt Arena two seasons prior.

“We haven’t beaten Weber State for 11 years,” Kramer said at the time in the postgame press conference. “They went for two on every touchdown. They can have it back. And they had it back on that play. We’re even.”

Kramer’s fiery roots and life outside football are a study in contrast. He has diverse diversions beyond his day job. But he’s a man whose livelihood has revolved around football his entire adult life.

In 18 years as a head coach in the Big Sky, Kramer’s 91 conference victories are third most in league history. He’s the only coach to be named Big Sky Coach of the Year at three different schools, including last season at Idaho State.

What Kramer has accomplished, however, isn’t enough. He has some colossal dreams. He’s labored the past four years to lay the groundwork to take Idaho State football to a place it’s never been in recent decades.

A consistent winner.

One Big Sky title won’t be enough.

“We will not be satisfied until we can hang two consecutive banners,” Kramer said in July at the Big Sky media days in Utah. “Not a one-year wonder. Two. Two banners. Then you’ve established the level of performance that becomes an expectation.”

***

How exactly have Kramer and the Bengals reached this point? They open fall practice Wednesday and will enter the 2015 season nationally ranked and a darkhorse pick to take the Big Sky title and reach the FCS playoffs — breaking a 32-year playoff drought if it happens.

As for how, Kramer’s methods of resuscitating Idaho State have followed similar paths to what he did at Montana State and Eastern Washington, his other two head coaching spots. Kramer has used elements from both and applied them to his overall goals at Idaho State.

At Eastern, for example, where Kramer coached from 1994 through 1999, there wasn’t a fan base or wealthy boosters to lean on. Kramer called EWU’s facilities at the time “woeful.” But Eastern was able to tap into the state of Washington’s population base for most of its recruits.

By concentrating on high school recruits in their own state, EWU and Kramer built a powerful team that went 12-2 and reached the national semifinals in 1997.

At Montana State, Kramer said he couldn’t construct a team with in-state talent. Montana’s relatively sparse population was a problem, and so too was the powerhouse University of Montana. The Grizzlies were entrenched and drawing in the Division I players that were available.

But what Montana State did have was booster support. Money wasn’t an issue. The Bobcats recruited from a wide area and went wherever they had to for players.

In Kramer’s estimation, ISU has been a combination of both his first two stops.

“At Idaho State, because Boise State and the University of Idaho refuse to recruit in-state, we’ve been able to go back to (my philosophy at) Eastern and recruit in-state,” Kramer said.

To buttress his point, Kramer pointed out that of ISU’s six players named to the preseason all-conference team, four hail from the Gem State.

So Idaho State has access to quality in-state players and enough funding to compete with the rest of the Big Sky. But the road to this moment — to the place where the Bengals are entering a season with high aspirations — hasn’t been smooth.

Before going 6-2 in the Big Sky last season, Kramer had two conference wins during his first three years in Pocatello.

The Bengals were hindered by NCAA sanctions from violations by the previous coaching regime. ISU had to throw young, inexperienced players on the field for major minutes. Many times, those players weren’t ready to compete. Losses piled up. Ugly losses. Fans grew impatient. Ten straight losing seasons can do that.

“The normal guy might start to doubt himself and start to make changes and make overhauls,” said Cal Poly coach Tim Walsh in July. “I think Mike never had that sense that he was going to change. He was going to get the guys to believe in what he did. And if he had to weed a few guys out, he’d weed a few guys out. And he would stay with the guys who believed. And he would have one message: If you believe, before you finish, we’ll be Big Sky champions.”

***

What is it exactly about Kramer’s personality that’s allowed him to take on reclamation projects like Montana State and Idaho State? Kramer has won wherever he’s gone. It’s been a matter of when, not if.

“Mike is a problem-solver. He is able to marshal the assets that he has and the people and resources and build a winner,” said Northern Arizona coach Jerome Souers. “That’s what he’s done at Idaho State. Tremendous. So many people have struggled there. And to have the success that he did last year just speaks volumes about his abilities as a head coach.”

From Souers’ perspective — he’s known Kramer since 1986 — taking on a project like Idaho State and flourishing isn’t about succeeding in one area. A coach has to do everything well. It’s creating a synergy within the program and university. Souers said Kramer understands the process. He’s become good at it.

“We all get frustrated and I’m sure Mike has his frustrations,” Souers said. “He doesn’t accept anything short of excellent. … When things are tough, that’s when Mike gets tougher.”

***

A man who loves history wants to make some of his own at Idaho State. Kramer, 61, wants a legacy.

That doesn’t mean he intends to take the Bengals to a national championship, either. Is that a goal? Sure. But a legacy, Kramer said, goes deeper. It’s about fielding a team the rest of the Big Sky doesn’t disregard as a blip on the schedule anymore.

Since 1963, the Bengals have had 13 winning seasons. Four times in 52 years, they’ve posted back-to-back winning records. Never in that span has ISU had three straight winning seasons.

Kramer expects to abolish that sort of history.

“There is no other job in America I want. There is no other place to go than to make this the legacy,” Kramer said. “To make this, not for Mike Kramer, but for Idaho State University. ... This needs to be a place in the conference that takes care of its program. It’s appropriate in its community. And it’s going to be good for a long time. We’re not going to go back to less than mediocrity.”