Page 22 - Wallingford Magazine Issue 53 Early Spring 2025

Mike Part

2

Cavanaugh

by Bob Burghardt

Hi there! In the last issue of Wallingford Magazine, I referred to Mike Cavanaugh
as “The Very Colorful Mike Cavanaugh.” Well, guess what folks! The colors are
changing again. It’s back to orange as Cavanaugh was named head offensive line
coach of the Oregon State University Beavers. Mike was with Oregon State for
ten years with head coach Mike Reilly. With Mike Reilly as head coach, Oregon
State was a family. I was fortunate enough to attend two of the Bowl games. Cavanaugh at Nebraska

y first was the sun bowl in El Paso, Every pro I talked to praised Mike for
MTexas. The Sun Bowl was sunny his ability to teach technique. This
but far from warm. I sat with Mike’s included thinking on your feet and
wife, Laurie, who at that time need- drills to enhance your technique. A
ed a kidney. Quarterback Matt Moore big heart is in the frame. My friend,
brought the Beavers down the field Darrell Neilander told me that after
with seconds left on the clock. The last he spoke with Cavanaugh at halftime
minute drive put the Beavers within of the Sheehan/Lyman Hall game, he
one against Missouri. The question was went out on the field and became lit-
“Do the Beavers go for one or two?” erally a tackling machine. It was Nei-
One ties it and forces overtime. Two Mike at OSU. Notice the size difference lander’s last game and he will never
wins the game. During a time out, star forget Cavanaugh’s motivating words.
running back Yven Bernard told Coach
Riley that if he ran a Guard wrap back- The Cavanaughs have a protection
side that he would score. Reilly agreed gene. Rich Cavanaugh was a head
and they scored and I had the pleasure coach at Branford High School and
of seeing one of the best college games then moved on to Southern Con-
ever played. necticut University. John Cavanaugh
chose basketball and he has coached
The other game was OSU versus Mary- on many levels. Sister Meg is a nurse
land in the Emerald Bowl 2007. The and a very sweet and caring person.
Beavers beat the Terrapins 21-14. Les- This came from their parents. I told
son learned as far as cities go. I will take Mike Cavanaugh that in order to fully
the city by the bay over the city by the tell his story I would have to do a book
Rio Grande. with lots of pictures of Shane and Blair
and, of course, the toughest one in the
Technique: A way of carrying out a par- family, Laurie Gilbride Cavanaugh. He
ticular task, especially the execution or laughed. Walingford Magazine is your
performance of an artistic work. Similar true Mike Cavanaugh source. I Goo-
skillfulness. gled Mike Cavanaugh and I got a pic-
ture of Mike Cavanaugh, the UConn
When Mike Cavanaugh went the Uni- hockey coach. My Michael Cavanaugh
versity of Hawaii, radio commentator was born on December 19, 1962. Our
Bobby K. was in a Waikiki Hotel waiting president was Irish John F. Kennedy.
for Mike to attend a meeting. Bobbi K
was looking for a big man. He talked to So, I’m near the end of this story but
Cavanaugh for an hour before he real- wait. Oregon State is playing Appala-
ized that Mike Cavanaugh was the man. chian State in Boone, North Carolina
on October 4th and I’m goin’!!
When Lyman Hall coach Phil Ottochian
and his wife, Pat, visited Cavanaugh in
Hawaii, he was excited to see that Mike
was putting a large emphasis on tech-
nique. Mike Cavanaugh, son Blair, and Mike, Blair, Shane, and Rich. Oldest
Kyle Langdorf. Kyle gave Mike’s wife Cav.graduate from Lyman Hall in
1972, Bob Burkhardt’s class. Mike
a kidney was the head coach at S.C.S.U. for
22 Wallingford Magazine - Early Spring 2025