Doba dimissed as Cougars coach

Published 11:46 pm Monday, November 26, 2007

PULLMAN — Two days after possibly his greatest on-field triumph, Washington State University head football coach Bill Doba was dismissed Monday by the university, in what was labeled a mutually agreed upon decision.

A national search will begin immediately to find Doba’s successor, though just how the position came to be open is still somewhat of a mystery.

Doba met with athletic director Jim Sterk Monday morning, then again later with Sterk and WSU president Elson S. Floyd. At the second meeting, the decision to let Doba go was agreed upon.

Sterk would not label the action a firing, saying in an afternoon press conference “coach Doba, president Floyd and I met today and we agreed that it would be best for the future of Washington State football that we make a transition starting today with our head coaching position.”

Doba insisted at the same conference that he didn’t resign, saying when asked if it was truly mutual, that “did you hear ‘em? They said mutual agreement.”

Senior quarterback Alex Brink, who finished his career Saturday by guiding WSU past Washington 42-35 in the 100th Apple Cup, wasn’t buying it. He said he believed Doba’s ouster was Floyd’s decision and that it came without knowledge of the situation.

“It’s frustrating in my mind, having been here for five years, in those four years president (V. Lane) Rawlins was a part of this university, he was in the locker room after games, he was on team flights, he was a clear supporter of Cougar football win or lose,” Brink said.

“I didn’t see the same thing from president Floyd in his few months here. He wasn’t in locker rooms after the games, he wasn’t on the team flights, that was disappointing, especially considering the way it ended.”

Floyd, who replaced V. Lane Rawlins as WSU’s 10th president in June following Rawlins’ retirement, said Monday evening he attended each home game this season, but did not travel with the team because he was too busy.

“That’s a time for players to decompress and to focus on what they did well,” Floyd said about not going into the locker room after games, “and in some cases, what they did not do well. And I just don’t think that’s a role that I will play as president of the university.”

Floyd also added “I have been a strong supporter of Doba. I will continue to be a strong supporter of Doba. There is no animosity associated with the decision that was reached.”

Doba said after Saturday’s victory he would like a show of support from the administration, telling reporters “I think you need something to say you’re going to be around for a few years anyway, just for recruiting purposes. Maybe I shouldn’t say that.”

Sources within the athletic department said, when Doba asked for such support in the morning meetings in the form of an extension, he was turned down. When asked about this at the press conference all Doba would say was “we had a discussion, but you got to be realistic too.”

Doba will receive an estimated $1.8 million dollars, what the university is contractually obligated under the terms of his contract that would have run through 2009.

All the assistant coaches have been retained, according to Sterk, until a new coach is in place and can make decisions concerning the staff.

Doba mentioned recruiting as playing a part of the decision.

“Basically I felt with all the negative press and Internet and all the rumors and stuff, and with my age,” he said, “it was difficult to go out and recruit. In recruiting, a kid wants to know if you’re going to be there and our opponents, not all of them, but many of them, used that and my age against us.”