Fairchild is a 1981 graduate of Colorado State, where he spent three seasons as a quarterback and earned All-WAC second-team honors behind BYU's Jim McMahon.
[1] Fairchild initially attended and played football for San Diego Mesa College, where he was named an All-American.
[2] After graduating from CSU, Fairchild returned to San Diego Mesa Community College where he held the head coaching job for a number of years.
[3] In January 2013, Fairchild was hired by Mike London at the University of Virginia as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
Fairchild returned to the NFL in 2012 and was with the San Diego Chargers as Senior Offensive Assistant/Special Assignments before moving to the University of Virginia in January 2013.
[5] In December 2007, Colorado State University announced that Fairchild would be returning to his alma mater to serve as head coach.
[3] During Fairchild's tenure as an assistant, CSU had been a mid-major power, but upon his arrival their fortunes had slipped, as the program went 17–31 in Lubick's final four years.
After a 38–17 loss to Colorado in his debut, Fairchild won his first game with CSU, a home victory over Sacramento State 23–20 thanks to a Ben DeLine field goal.
In 2010, The Rams finished with an identical 3–9 record with their lone wins home victories over lowly Idaho, New Mexico and UNLV.
Despite a 28–14 loss to rival Colorado, the Rams started 3–1 highlighted by a dramatic 35–34 comeback win in double overtime at Utah State on September 24.
Fairchild was fired by new athletic director Jack Graham on December 4, 2011, one day after his Rams lost to the Wyoming Cowboys in the Border War.
[6] Currently Fairchild is a Football Player Development instructor for the online sports-career training school Sports Management Worldwide.