Gene Bourdet (41) in Montana State's 1947 Harbor Bowl tie against New Mexico
BOBCATS 125: Gene Bourdet
5/12/2022 2:00:00 PM | Football
Gene Bourdet left Bozeman once as Montana State's all-time best passer, and again as arguably its most influential athletics administrator
Leading to the 2022 season, the 125th anniversary of Montana State's first football season, we will look at 125 of the greatest Bobcats. You can find details here and a directory here.
Gene Bourdet, QB, 1946-47
ALL-TIME TEAM: None
HONORS: 1st Team All-Rocky Mountain Conference in 1947
A CLOSER LOOK: Like many men in the Greatest Generation, a World War II assignment changed Gene Bourdet's life. That brief period of time spent in Bozeman as part of his flight training also permanently and positively changed the course of Bobcat Athletics.
A distinguished high school athlete at Hollister (California) High School, he worked at the shipyards in Oakland following a brief period at Salinas (California) Junior College, then entered the service in 1943. Pilot training brought him to Bozeman, where he met his future wife Eileen Olson. He was part of the U.S. Army Air Corps 302nd transport wing, and later volunteered for the Army's 5th Division 11th Infantry serving under General George Patton.
Following his service Bourdet returned to Bozeman to marry Ms. Olson and enroll at Montana State. In the fall of 1946 he became the Bobcats' starting quarterback and led the team to its first-ever post-season appearance. MSC tied New Mexico 13-13 in the Harbor Bowl following the season, with Bourdet throwing a touchdown pass, and the next year Bourdet and the Bobcats beat the Grizzlies for the first time in 15 years. He earned All-Rocky Mountain Conference honors in 1947, finishing fourth in the nation in touchdown passes and 12th in completion percentage, and after graduating from Montana State with a physical education, health and recreation degree he coached and taught in Fairfield and Livingston.
Bourdet returned to his alma mater in 1956 as backfield coach with duties co-track and field coach, as well. His return coincided with Bobcat football's greatest chapter to that point, as Montana State marched through an unbeaten regular season and tied St. Joseph's (Indiana) in the Aluminum Bowl to claim a share of the school's first football national crown. After an 8-2 season in 1958 head coach Tony Storti resigned his position as head football coach and director of athletics, and Bourdet was elevated to the role of Athletic Director by President Roland Renne. Working in concert with Renne and his successors, Bourdet oversaw the most prolonged stretch of balanced athletic success the school had known to that point. He led Montana State into the Big Sky Conference in 1963, hired coaches such as Jim Sweeney and Tom Parac to lead the football program, and Roger Craft to coach the men's basketball team. Montana State won Big Sky all-sports trophies in 1965 and 1967, and under Bourdet's direction the Cats won four Big Sky football titles and two on the hardwood. In 1970 Bourdet accepted the position as head of the Aztec Club at San Diego State University, and one year later became athletic director at Fresno State. He remained there until 1979, when he returned to San Diego State as athletic director. In 1984 he left that position and after serving as an assistant to the president for a year returned to his hometown of Hollister to enter private business in 1985.
Bourdet likely felt right at home in Bozeman's cowboy culture of the mid-20th century. He grew up team roping with his brother Len, a hall of fame baseball coach at Fresno City College.
Bourdet and his wife Eileen were married for 62 years until her passing in 2008.
FROM THE OCTOBER 9, 1947 EXPONENT: "Quarterback Gene Bourdet, however, hasn1t left the paper and quarterbacks without something to talk about. Not too many days ago Gene was named by several excellent sources of gridiron (knowledge) one of the outstanding passers of the nation. The Bourdet-Clawson combo has been definitely on.
"On the human interest side comes mention of the fact that Bourded, Californian by nationality, came to us through a matrimonial match. yes, it was the erstwhile better-half of the Bourdet family that enticed Gene to M.S.C. A noble asset to the College (...)."
Gene Bourdet, QB, 1946-47
ALL-TIME TEAM: None
HONORS: 1st Team All-Rocky Mountain Conference in 1947
A CLOSER LOOK: Like many men in the Greatest Generation, a World War II assignment changed Gene Bourdet's life. That brief period of time spent in Bozeman as part of his flight training also permanently and positively changed the course of Bobcat Athletics.
A distinguished high school athlete at Hollister (California) High School, he worked at the shipyards in Oakland following a brief period at Salinas (California) Junior College, then entered the service in 1943. Pilot training brought him to Bozeman, where he met his future wife Eileen Olson. He was part of the U.S. Army Air Corps 302nd transport wing, and later volunteered for the Army's 5th Division 11th Infantry serving under General George Patton.
Following his service Bourdet returned to Bozeman to marry Ms. Olson and enroll at Montana State. In the fall of 1946 he became the Bobcats' starting quarterback and led the team to its first-ever post-season appearance. MSC tied New Mexico 13-13 in the Harbor Bowl following the season, with Bourdet throwing a touchdown pass, and the next year Bourdet and the Bobcats beat the Grizzlies for the first time in 15 years. He earned All-Rocky Mountain Conference honors in 1947, finishing fourth in the nation in touchdown passes and 12th in completion percentage, and after graduating from Montana State with a physical education, health and recreation degree he coached and taught in Fairfield and Livingston.
Bourdet returned to his alma mater in 1956 as backfield coach with duties co-track and field coach, as well. His return coincided with Bobcat football's greatest chapter to that point, as Montana State marched through an unbeaten regular season and tied St. Joseph's (Indiana) in the Aluminum Bowl to claim a share of the school's first football national crown. After an 8-2 season in 1958 head coach Tony Storti resigned his position as head football coach and director of athletics, and Bourdet was elevated to the role of Athletic Director by President Roland Renne. Working in concert with Renne and his successors, Bourdet oversaw the most prolonged stretch of balanced athletic success the school had known to that point. He led Montana State into the Big Sky Conference in 1963, hired coaches such as Jim Sweeney and Tom Parac to lead the football program, and Roger Craft to coach the men's basketball team. Montana State won Big Sky all-sports trophies in 1965 and 1967, and under Bourdet's direction the Cats won four Big Sky football titles and two on the hardwood. In 1970 Bourdet accepted the position as head of the Aztec Club at San Diego State University, and one year later became athletic director at Fresno State. He remained there until 1979, when he returned to San Diego State as athletic director. In 1984 he left that position and after serving as an assistant to the president for a year returned to his hometown of Hollister to enter private business in 1985.
Bourdet likely felt right at home in Bozeman's cowboy culture of the mid-20th century. He grew up team roping with his brother Len, a hall of fame baseball coach at Fresno City College.
Bourdet and his wife Eileen were married for 62 years until her passing in 2008.
FROM THE OCTOBER 9, 1947 EXPONENT: "Quarterback Gene Bourdet, however, hasn1t left the paper and quarterbacks without something to talk about. Not too many days ago Gene was named by several excellent sources of gridiron (knowledge) one of the outstanding passers of the nation. The Bourdet-Clawson combo has been definitely on.
"On the human interest side comes mention of the fact that Bourded, Californian by nationality, came to us through a matrimonial match. yes, it was the erstwhile better-half of the Bourdet family that enticed Gene to M.S.C. A noble asset to the College (...)."
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