When Bob Colbert was hired in 2006 to put together a football program at Saint Vincent College, he sought out his friends and colleagues for some helpful hints on how to do the job.

But he often got something else.

"They questioned my sanity," he said with a smile. "They asked me, 'What the heck are you doing?' I told them I wanted a challenge."

He started with nothing but his unwavering optimism and willingness to work long hours.

"We didn't even have a football," he said. "We had to buy equipment, design our uniforms, find players, make a schedule and urge the college to build a stadium on campus. One of the first things I did was make sure I hired some good coaches who I feel comfortable with. People told me to keep pushing for everything you need because this is the best time to do it because enthusiasm is high."

Saint Vincent will resume playing football after a 45-year hiatus when the Bearcats open the 2007 season against Gallaudet University at 1 p.m. Saturday at newly constructed Chuck Noll Field, located on the southwest corner of their campus in Latrobe.

"Our preliminary schedule had Washington & Jefferson as our first game," Colbert said, laughing. "I said, 'That's not going to happen.'"

Colbert quickly replaced perennial Division III power W&J with Gallaudet, a Washington, D.C., school for the deaf and hearing impaired that is in its inaugural season in NCAA Division III after being a club team.

Colbert, 60, who graduated from North Catholic High School and the University of Maryland, was the head coach at Gallaudet for two years while in college. He was 23 at the time and the youngest college head coach in the country.

Before taking the job at Saint Vincent, Colbert was associate head coach and offensive coordinator for six years at Bridgewater College (Va.), which reached the Division III playoffs each of those seasons. Colbert's younger brother, Kevin, is the director of football operations for the Steelers, who hold their training camp at Saint Vincent.

"It can't hurt us with Kevin's reputation around here. He's been a mentor to me. I wouldn't be here without his help and guidance. But Bob hasn't done anything yet," Colbert said. "We sell our association with the Steelers as much as we can. We've been able to spread the word about Saint Vincent football."

The bulk of Saint Vincent's 108-man preseason roster is from Western Pennsylvania, but there are players from California, Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, New Jersey, New York and Ohio. The breakdown by class: 59 freshmen, 30 sophomores, 13 juniors and six seniors.

Approximately 50 players enrolled in 2006 and participated in 29 practices last fall but didn't play in any games.

The squad practiced the maximum of 16 times without pads this spring under NCAA Division III rules.

Saint Vincent will play a 10-game schedule against Division III opponents but its games against teams from the Presidents' Athletic Conference won't count in the standings because the Bearcats will be a provisional member of the PAC for at least this season.

Saint Vincent, which discontinued the program after going 1-6 in 1962, including a 25-21 victory against Carnegie Tech (now Carnegie Mellon), has a 155-118-26 record in 37 years of football. In 1949, the Bearcats posted a 9-0 record for their only perfect season, capped by a 7-6 victory against Emory & Henry in the Tangerine Bowl in Orlando, Fla.

"Saint Vincent has a football tradition," Colbert said. "I wanted the opportunity to affect this program for the next 15-20 years. This is just a new beginning for Saint Vincent football."