MOSCOW - Rebuilding projects are nothing new to former Sandpoint High School Bulldog football great Jeremy Thielbahr.

As an all-state running back at Sandpoint, Thielbahr contributed to a major turnaround after the school had suffered years of losing on the football field. He then endured three losing seasons as a player at Washington State University before the Cougars had a 10-win season that included a Sun Bowl win over Purdue.

The most recent rebuilding project for Thielbahr has come as the running backs' coach and special teams' coordinator at the University of Idaho.

Through all of these challenges, Thielbahr said one constant element has eventually led to success.

"Good leadership within the team; that is the main thing," said Thielbahr, who will be in the coach's box Thursday when the Vandals host North Dakota in their season opener at 6 p.m. in the Kibbie Dome. "Every place I have been where there (is) good leadership we have had good years."

Thielbahr has helped develop that leadership spirit at Idaho. The Vandals turned from also-rans in the Western Athletic Conference to media darlings last year after an improbable 43-42 victory over Bowling Green in the Humanitarian Bowl, capping off the program's first winning season in a decade. Idaho won the bowl game on a two-point conversion with four seconds remaining.

Thielbahr, however, admitted recently that his role as a special teams coach led him to lobby head coach Robb Akey to play for the tie and send the game into overtime.

"I won't lie, I said, 'Kick it,'" Thielbahr quipped. "I am the special teams coach. I thought we would get (the extra point) and win it in overtime. But I knew (Akey) was going to go for it. He wanted to win it, and that is how coach Akey is ... he is going to take some chances."

Akey also took a chance on Thielbahr at what might have been the lowest point for the Idaho program following coach Dennis Erickson's departure after the 2006 season. That period just happened to be the lowest point for Thielbahr in his young coaching career too.

Before being hired at Idaho, Thielbahr served as assistant head coach, recruiting coordinator and defensive line coach at Montana State. The Bobcats had success on the field under head coach Mike Kramer, including a high-profile victory over Colorado and trips to the FCS playoffs. A series of off-the-field incidents involving former players, however, led to the dismissal of Kramer and his staff in 2007. Montana State recently settled a lawsuit by Kramer related to the firing.

Thielbahr stressed that none of the former players involved with the illegal activities had joined the program during his tenure as recruiting coordinator. Despite that, he was left searching for a job at a time of year when most programs had filled out their staffs.

"It was a bad situation," Thielbahr said. "We got fired really late, which made it hard for us to get jobs afterward. I was lucky enough to get on with coach Akey."

Akey has joined a growing list of coaching mentors for Thielbahr, which includes Mike Price, Kasey Dunn and George Yarno. But he credits former SHS football coach Satini Puailoa for his decision to pursue a coaching career.

"I love what he did at Sandpoint," said Thielbahr, who rushed for more than 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns in two seasons at SHS. "The energy level he brought to practice every single day.

"The way he motivated kids, not just through football but through other activities just to get them into the weight room to get the numbers up," he added. "That excitement level [Puailoa created] really translates into how I try to coach - to make it fun for the kids."

The Vandals' senior safety and punt returner Shiloh Keo says Thielbahr has accomplished that same brand of leadership at Idaho.

"He brings intensity and enthusiasm to this team," Keo said. "He brought in kind of like a 'Wild Bunch' atmosphere and basically he always wants us going full speed. He always wants us riled up. There is never a dull moment in our meetings."

Now 31 and recently married to his longtime girlfriend, Meredith, Thielbahr is building a resume that could eventually lead him to an offensive coordinator position and possibly a head college coaching job. With experience coaching on both sides of the ball and special teams, Akey describes Thielbahr as a throwback.

"That is great exposure for a young coach to get," Akey says. "That doesn't happen as much in this day in age, not like it did in the older days where coaches might coach on either side of the ball. So that experience has been a very good thing for him."