Kolpack: 13 Bison football title rings was the lucky number for Margie Trickle

The best seat in the North Dakota State football house is on the second floor of the Fargodome, a chair where Margie Trickle has been doing her thing since 1985. Every morning, in front of her, are the rows of Bison national football championship trophies.

It’s her Amen Corner. Her Grand Canyon National Park. Her oceanside condo.

“Best view ever,” Margie said this week.

Of the 17 NDSU titles, Margie has been a part of 13, meaning somewhere in the Trickle house is a collection of 13 national championship rings. That has to be in the running for some sort of unofficial NCAA record for most football finger bling.

Her amazing run as administrative assistant for the Bison football program is ending today with her retirement. It had been in the thought process for about a year before it became official. Her husband, Gerald, retired on a Leap Day and she thought why not?

Certainly, it’s not easy simply walking away from this program.

“It’s so impressive, she has been absolutely the mainstay in this program,” said Bison assistant coach Nick Goeser, who also has enough national title rings to fill two hands. “She solidifies the football staff, keeps us in line, she’s kind of the rock behind the whole program.”

Margie’s first year was 1985 when Earle Solomonson was the head coach, and there was nothing like starting off with a bang. NDSU went 11-2-1 and won the NCAA Division II title in Florence, Ala.

The Bison repeated in 1986 and won titles again in 1988 and 1990. For a while, Margie jokes, she figured she was the reason for the success. Six years. Four titles.

That is the supreme pun considering the humble nature of her and her position. It requires the highest degree of confidentiality and trust, which in her position is a requirement.

“Very important,” Margie said. “You learn things, people coming and going. Something with a player. You can’t tell everybody everything and I guess I take some pride in that I know a coach could share something with me that’s not going further than my desk.”

Whatever the job description reads to replace her won’t do it justice. Goeser says “utmost confidence” when talking about it. This is no telephone job. Margie deals with parents, alumni, former players, current players, players’ families, coaches' wives among anybody else.

“I honestly don’t know what we’re going to do without her,” Goeser said.

If she had her way, Margie would have walked away this week without a single soul knowing she’s retiring. She clued former head coach Rocky Hager in on her secret when Rocky was back on campus in August. The role call of head coaches Margie has worked for reads Earle, Rocky, Bob Babich, Craig Bohl, Chris Klieman, Matt Entz and until Leap Day Tim Polasek.

“Being part of the team and kind of staying in the background,” she said. “Do my job, try to do it as well as I can so they can do their job.”

The job is anything and everything. When the Bison football office at the dome was constructed in the Bohl era, national title years were monogrammed into the black tile floor. Then the Bison went on their FCS run of nine titles in 11 years, which brought a new set of problems to the office: where to engrave those other years into the tile?

It had to be done quickly, mind you, with recruits showing up right after those Frisco, Texas trips.

“When they designed this, they didn’t plan on going any further,” Margie said. “Now what do we do? I thought I would fill up the floor before I left but it’s fine.”

The 13th and final ring Margie has at home caused a momentary thought of panic. She didn’t put it with the others and wondered what happened to it. Relax, it was located.

And, relax Margie, you put in your time. Perhaps it’s time to find another view somewhere else, if you can find something better.

“I should probably put this in a frame on my desk at home,” she said, looking at the wall of trophies.