Idaho State head coach Mike Kramer walked around a hotel in Park City, Utah in mid July, mouth stretched from ear to ear as he flashed the unmistakable smile that Bengal fans have grown to associate with his passion and love for the game as well as his unique and often funny personality.

    It was apparent during his time spent at the Big Sky Conference Kickoff event that as his second year at the helm of ISU’s program approaches, the man is excited for what will come next.

    “We’re closer. We’re closer, but we’re not 100 percent there yet,” Kramer said of his team. “We’re a lot better at being able to see the vision that our coaching staff envisions.”

    The team begins fall football camp today and with it, expectations for the upcoming season. In this case, the Bengals know exactly what they want to do — buck the past and start their own legacy.

    “We can’t look at the desolation of a one-win or two-win season ever again,” Kramer said. “We just can’t. Our fans don’t deserve it and our university doesn’t deserve it. That begins with me as a head coach. We have to run a program that’s able to survive all of the pitfalls that a season can provide. Yet, we still have to have a modicum of success so that our fans can develop some consistency about how good we are going to be.”

    Kramer has already built a foundation on which he will build his team for years to come, and it all begins with academics.

    The first step for Kramer and his staff in their rebuilding process at Idaho State was to fix the Bengals’ APR issues. That was checked off the list in June as the team was recognized for its improvement in that category. Subsequently, the postseason ban was lifted while its full allotment of scholarships and practice times were returned.

    “It began with a really good plan,” Kramer said. “We sacrificed a coaching position for it and hired Quinton Freeman, who has spearheaded a tremendous turn-around for our entire organization academically. We’re really just trying to keep pace with volleyball and some of the other sports at ISU.”

    Now the team just has to keep it going.

    “What we’ve done is we’ve attended to it and the players have responded to it,” Kramer said. “We continue to really safeguard the success we’ve made by putting guys at the study table in the afternoon and then again at night to make sure they’re able to get what I think should be automatic — a college degree.”

    With only nine scholarship recruits left over from the John Zamberlin era at Idaho State, Kramer had to restock the shelves. A host of incoming freshmen and one junior college transfer will join the team as either scholarship athletes or walk-ons, some of which are expected to contribute this year.

    “It obviously enhances our physical ability,” Kramer said of his recruiting class. “But it also increases our pride of ownership.”

    There are former walk-on players that have earned scholarships as well.

    “There are, I think, 13 walk-ons who are now scholarship guys for us,” Kramer said. “Many of them have now eased themselves into starting positions. I consider those guys new as well even though they were in the program, guys like Luke Austin, John van Vliet and David Forester. They were not part of any money situation, but they are now because we believe that they can be successful at this level.”

    Returning at quarterback is senior Kevin Yost, someone who put up some big numbers in just one season under the tutelage of Kramer and offensive coordinator Don Bailey.

    “I’m excited. It’s going to be a great year I think,” Yost said. “We’re getting better and it’s going to be fun. Everybody is there and ready to go.”

    When asked what will be the biggest difference between last season’s squad and the one that takes the field this year, Yost answered in a way that will have many Bengal fans agreeing.

    “Everybody has been in the system for a year, they’ve bought in and I think everybody is ready to play,” he said. “Mentally we’re ready and physically it’s going to be completely different.”

    “It will be a night and day difference between the two years.”

    Fall camp begins today at 3 p.m. in Holt Arena. It is open to the public every day until Aug. 23. The first scrimmage will be Aug. 15 at 3 p.m.