Fresh WSU staff makes difference

By Craig Hill

The News Tribune

Last season Washington State coach Mike Price didn’t realize what was happening to his coaching staff, and even now he only admits it begrudgingly.

“Maybe we were getting a little stale,” Price said. “I sure didn’t feel that way at the time, but we’d been together for a long time.”

Price’s staff gained three new coaches for the offense this season. One old coach, Mike Levenseller, was promoted to offensive coordinator and Price is again taking a large role in coaching the quarterbacks.

It is a mix that has clicked, which was evident in the Cougars’ Pacific-10 Conference victory over Cal on Saturday.

In the first half, Cal gave WSU fits with blitz after blitz. The Cougars held a 16-13 lead but struggled to find a consistent rhythm while Jason Gesser was under constant pressure.

During halftime, the Cougars’ coaches decided to add a tight end to the blocking scheme to counteract the Bears’ pass rush. During the past three seasons, one of the Cougars’ weaknesses was making halftime adjustments.

The move Saturday paid off. With the rush muted, the Cougars scored 35 second-half points and wound up beating the Bears 51-20.

In three games, the Cougars have averaged 546.3 yards a game, fifth best in the country.

“Our new coaches have given us a little more spice, a little more pizzazz, Price said.”

Price has nothing bad to say about the coaches who are gone – former offensive coordinator John McDonell and recruiting coordinator Jim Zeches – because “they laid the groundwork that made us successful.” Both came to WSU in 1989 with Price.

But after a third straight losing season, there had to be changes. McDonell was nudged out and took a job at Stanford as an assistant offensive line coach, and Zeches took a job as a scout for the San Francisco 49ers. Additionally, Eric Price, Mike Price’s son, took a job as an offensive assistant with the New York Jets.

The changes that followed in Pullman made the Cougars (3-0 overall, 1-0 in the Pac-10) as good as they’ve been since 1997.

When Zeches departed, Price hired Robin Pflugrad and put him in charge of recruiting and tight ends. Eric Price was replaced by his younger brother, Aaron.

Aaron Price is coaching special teams and helping his father with Gesser and Matt Kegel. Kicker Drew Dunning credits Aaron with the dramatic improvement in his performance this season.

Levenseller and new offensive line coach Bob Connelly, who came from San Jose State, have made the most dramatic impact on the offense.

Levenseller, who had always challenged Price the most when developing game strategy, has made the offense more disciplined, Price said.

“He is a great teacher,” Price said. “Levy has been around for a while, too (since 1992). He’s like an old shoe; he’s a real good fit.”

Connelly’s influence on the offensive line, which has been hit by injuries, has improved it drastically.

“He gives us a lot of confidence,” center Tyler Hunt said earlier this season. “I don’t know, after he got here things just started to click during spring practice.”

Price isn’t surprised the offensive line is more confident this season.

“If you know Bob Connelly,” Price said, “you know he exudes confidence.”

And Price seems to do the same when he talks about his remodeled staff.

He has always tried to downplay the effect of the coaching – “It’s not the X’s and O’s, it’s the Jimmys and Joes,” he says – but he can’t dispute the changes to his staff, which have made things less stale this season.

“The new guys,” Price said, “they’re the icing on the cake.”

Former Kentwood running back Russell Dokken left the Arizona football team during the spring and is now a reserve at Pacific Lutheran University. … WSU players started drinking extra water on Monday to prepare them for temperatures that will likely be near 90 degrees for the game Saturday night in Tucson, Ariz. … Saturday will be the first time this season WSU and Arizona play a team with a winning record. In fact, none of WSU’s opponents have even won. … Price was so impressed with the play of freshman running back Allen Thompson against Cal, he recently named him “the definite No. 2” behind David Minnich.