Rod Paschke is a college coach who not only talks the talk, but walks the walk.

Paschke isn't afraid of getting dirty in the arena when helping one of his student-athletes on the Dawson Community College rodeo team.

"Oh yeah, I'll go right in and show them,'' said the large cowboy from Terry. "I tell them there is no 'Can't.' I don't take the word can't for an answer.''

Not when their coach is doing well himself.

The 39-year-old Paschke - he celebrated his birthday Wednesday - was up in steer wrestling Saturday night during the final performance of the PRCA NILE Rodeo at Rimrock Auto Arena. He was joined by two of his three summer traveling partners, Worden's Beau Fanzen and Will Stovall of Roberts.

Paschke got to his steer plenty quick, but the animal was slow to fall over.

"He got hollow legs on me,'' said Paschke, who settled for a time of 4.4 seconds.

Franzen and Stovall both would have finished in the money but 10-second penalties took them out of the running. Franzen did place second in the first round.

The NILE was the rare Montana rodeo where the steer wrestling group - which includes Henry Hollenbeck of Billings - didn't leave with the bulk of the cash.

The foursome of Franzen, Stovall, Hollenbeck and Paschke sit 1-2-8-9 for the Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit steer wrestling standings and have all qualified for the MPRC Finals this January in Great Falls.

"We're all set up pretty well for the Finals,'' said Paschke, who has been the DCC coach for nine years. "We figured that we've won a combined $50,000 from July 4 to September.''

Paschke credits his and the group's success to his horses - 14-year-old Boone, used for bulldogging and 11-year-old Will, used for hazing.

"I've got some great horses,'' he said.

Paschke isn't afraid to take money away from the younger competitors, some of which include his former athletes. Franzen, a two-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier, is a former DCC rodeo athlete.

"I still consider myself one of the younger guys,'' he said with a smile. "Sometime's its hard not to say something to them. You're always coaching. I learned more from Beau this year than I helped him. He just helped me with a lot of little things to improve my game.''

Paschke said the hands-on approach during practice helps with recruiting at DCC and it paid off this past year. Paschke was chosen the Big Sky Region Rodeo coach of the year for 2008-09.

"It was big,'' he said of the honor. "I was tickled with it. There are a lot of good coaches in the region.''

And Paschke was quick to credit his wife Julie, a teacher Terry, for his success.

He related a story how it was his wife who picked up the group at the Home of Champions Rodeo in Red Lodge and got them to the Livingston Round-Up in time to compete.

"She drove 110 the whole way. We got there just in time,'' Paschke said. "She does so much for us. She helps keep my horses ready. Julie is the biggest reason I can go out and do all this stuff.''

In other events:

- One event winner emerged from Saturday's performance. Canadian Kyle Daines scored 83 points on Surprise Package to win the saddle bronc riding.

John Addison of South Dakota used an 80-point ride aboard Mony to finish second in bareback riding, while Seth Glause's 78 was the top score among the bull riders. Glause, a NFR qualifier last year, is from Rock Springs, Wyo.

- Ashland's Walker Small was 3.7 seconds in the steer wrestling to place fourth in the around, while Olin Hannum of Utah used a 4.6 to finish tied for second in the average.

- Sam Levine of Wolf Creek posted a time of 9.4 seconds in tie-down roping to earn money in the round and the average, while team ropers Ross Wagner of Fromberg and Joliet's Kyle DeSaveur placed fourth in the round with a time of 4.6 seconds.

- Theresa Walter, who leads the 2009 MPRC standings, went 14.18 seconds in barrel racing and placed seventh overall.