Forty-six years after coaching his first football team, Bob Griffin is still at it, still standing on the visitors sideline in the pouring rain at Brown Stadium, still sloshing through puddles in the pouring rain on the practice field at the University of Rhode Island, and, occasionally, still basking in sunshine and victory.

Griffin, a special assistant and tight ends coach now, is back at URI, where he was the head coach from 1976 through 1992, where he compiled the best record in the history of URI football (79-107-1), and where for two glorious years, 1984 and 1985, he fielded the most exciting, pass-happy football team in New England.

“I’ve enjoyed it,” the 69-year-old grandfather said of his return to the Rams. And what’s not to enjoy? He goes to the office in the afternoon, gets caught up with Chris Pincince, the offensive coordinator who worked under him at Holy Cross, teaches young athletes who are just as dedicated as his players from the ’60s, has dinner with his wife, Rosanne, and spends Saturday afternoons in the familiar surroundings of a football stadium.

He will be on the sideline Saturday when URI tries to snap a six-game losing streak against No. 5 William & Mary.

Griffin came out of retirement in 2008 when Darren Rizzi, the All-America tight end for him in 1992, got the URI coaching job and asked for help.

“Obviously I was honored by that,” Griffin said.

He had left the game in the winter of 2006 after six seasons as quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator at Holy Cross. He was being treated for cancer at the time, a motivating factor in his decision to retire. He continued to follow the Crusaders during the next two seasons and also attended a couple of University of Florida games.

“I was getting my fix of football, and it was plenty,” he said. “I wasn’t doing any work Monday through Friday, I got excited on Saturday, and I enjoyed it.”

Then Rizzi called with an offer his old coach couldn’t refuse: help rebuild a downtrodden program. So he coached in spring practice and returned for training camp in August. During the 2008 season he worked with the tight ends, no doubt reviving memories of Brian Forster, one of the stars of the 1984-85 teams and perhaps the finest tight end in the history of I-AA football.

The Rams struggled to a 3-9 finish, but there was some buzz around the program because Rizzi opened up the offense and threw the ball. Griffin went to Florida with his wife in February expecting to rejoin Rizzi for spring practice. That was until he read in the paper one Sunday morning that Rizzi was leaving URI for the Miami Dolphins. Rizzi had left a message for him the day before.

“I have a cell phone, but I don’t turn it on unless I’m making a call,” Griffin said with a chuckle.

Upon his return to Rhode Island, Griffin met with the athletics director Thorr Bjorn, Pincince and the new head coach, Joe Trainer.

“Joe asked me to stay on. We just got this thing started, and I want to see it through,” Griffin said. He added that Trainer was a great choice and in spite of the current 1-6 record, “he is doing a great job. ... Joe will make progress.”

Griffin’s coaching odyssey started in 1963, three months after he graduated from Southern Connecticut, where he played quarterback. Holy Cross High of Flushing, N.Y., desperate for a coach, hired him, and he transformed a losing program to a 7-1 conference champion. He won again in 1965, and in 1966 joined Jack Lilly’s staff at URI. In 1970 he became head coach at Bishop Hendricken and in 1971 headed west as offensive coordinator at Idaho State. He became head coach in 1972 and spent the next four seasons in Pocatello. In 1976 he answered athletics director Maurice Zarchen’s call and returned to URI.

Griffin’s Rams enjoyed the highest highs and endured the lowest lows. He won in his second season and was 7-3 in his third. After 1-9-1 and 2-9 seasons, the 1981 Rams tied Boston University for the Yankee Conference title and went to the I-AA playoffs. The 1982 and 1983 teams were winners, and the 1984 and 1985 teams were off the charts – 10-3 each season and Yankee Conference champions. The 1984 team will be honored Saturday at halftime.

In 1986 the bottom fell out, as if the gridiron gods were playing a cruel joke, and URI still has not recovered. Griffin had one winning season before he was dismissed after the 1-10 campaign in 1992. His successors have produced only two winning seasons.

Griffin spent two years as head coach of a professional team in Germany and four years as wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator at Syracuse before joining Dan Allen’s staff at Holy Cross. He remained when Tom Gilmore succeeded Allen.

Griffin just turned 69, feels great and doesn’t see any reason to stop coaching any time soon.

“I don’t feel any older,” he said. “If and when I feel that I’m not assisting, then it will be time to walk away. Right now I feel fortunate to be involved with the young men I’m coaching.”

mszostak@projo.com