Former Washington football coach Owens dies at 82

BIGFORK, Mont. — Jim Owens, who led a resurgence of West Coast football during his 18 seasons as University of Washington coach, has died at age 82.

Owens died Saturday at his home in Bigfork, Mont., Washington athletics spokesman Richard Kilwien said.

Owens, who played at Oklahoma for Bud Wilkinson, coach at Washington from 1957 until his retirement in 1974. He went 99-82-6 in his nearly two decades as Huskies coach, including three Rose Bowl trips. He also served as athletic director at UW from 1960-69.

His accomplishments at UW were honored in 2003 when the university dedicated a statue of Owens outside one of the entrances to Husky Stadium. But that honor came with protests about his treatment of black players during his time at Washington.

“To my players, I thank them and apologize for any hurt they may feel. I hope today we can begin to heal the wounds of the past,” Owens said the day his statue was dedicated.

While having a successful playing career, Owens was better known for his efforts as a coach, quickly raising the profile of West Coast football in his early years at Washington.

Owens spent six seasons as an assistant to Paul “Bear” Bryant before taking over the Huskies program in 1957 from Darrell Royal at age 29.

It took only three seasons for Owens to get Washington to the Rose Bowl.

The Huskies capped a 10-1 season in 1959 with a 44-8 win over Wisconsin on Jan. 1, 1960. It was Washington’s first Rose Bowl appearance since 1944 and the first of three Rose Bowl trips for the Huskies under Owens’ watch.

Washington went 10-1 again in 1960 and beat No. 1 Minnesota 17-7 in the Rose Bowl. The Huskies’ only loss that season was 15-14 to Navy.

Owens also took Washington to the Rose Bowl in 1964, losing to Illinois 17-7.

But his tenure at Washington wasn’t without controversy. In 1969, Washington was winless entering the yearly Apple Cup showdown with rival Washington State and Owens had weathered accusations of racism for suspending four black players who declined to pledge loyalty. That move led to boycotts and calls for his resignation.

Owens retired five years later, but met with two of his former suspended black players and apologized in 2003 before the university dedicated the statue. Leaders from the NAACP protested the school honoring Owens in 2003, saying his actions hurt black athletes at Washington and the black community of Seattle.

“That was a painful time, especially for some of the black athletes we coached,” Owens said the day before his statue was unveiled. “Some of the decisions I made during that time were decisions I felt would be the best for the team. It was never my intention to single out the black athletes in any way.”

One of the players Owens apologized to was Greg Alex.

“I don’t think anyone wants to cause pain. He apologized. And he wanted to do that,” Alex said in 2005. “Does that make up for what happened? No, it doesn’t. A lot of people were hurt, a lot of families were hurt, by what happened … .”

“He asked each of us to support him. I said, ‘We support the team, but I have to tell you that you are wrong,’” Alex said. “In those days, you didn’t tell a coach or anyone in a position of authority, ‘You are wrong.’”