Considering where Western Colorado football was when Jas Bains took over as head coach in 2011, it’s only fitting his office was in what he described as a “dungeon.”

Located in the basement of a since-demolished dorm, the space had no running water, no bathroom and cement floors.

The set-up paralleled the Mountaineers’ situation on the field: Western Colorado was coming off a one-win season in 2010, and won just four total games across Bains’ first three seasons on the job.

“We were hidden away down there,” Bains said. “Out of sight, out of mind it felt like. It was a tough situation for a rebuild.”

In the 15 years since Bains took the helm in Gunnison, the script has flipped. No longer can the Mountaineers be ignored on the field as Western Colorado, owner of a record 20 Rocky Mount

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