From WSU
Insider 12/22/2017
https://insider.wsu.edu/2017/12/22/color-your-wsu/
Color your WSU
December 22, 2017
Try your hand at adult coloring with this image by Seattle artist and WSU
alum Tarah Luke.
Take a break and color your own Bryan Hall. Download the Bryan Hall
coloring page here:
https://magazine.wsu.edu/documents/2016/04/summer-2016-wsu-coloring-page.pdf/
Seattle artist and 2005 WSU grad Tarah Luke found her niche in the
rapidly growing adult coloring book industry and, at the request of Washington
State Magazine, drew this abstract version of the iconic clock tower last year
for her fellow Cougars and Cougs at heart.
Read more about her work in coloring books for adults, which appeared in
the magazine’s Summer 2016 issue:
https://magazine.wsu.edu/2016/04/29/color-my-worlds/
Download the coloring page (PDF) and give it a try.
https://magazine.wsu.edu/documents/2016/04/summer-2016-wsu-coloring-page.pdf/
////////////
Why a great RBs
coach hire may already be on staff
COMMENTARY: Already in Pullman, Eric
Mele would make a great running backs coach 'hire'
- By Barry Bolton,
Cougfan.com
A
GREAT CANDIDATE
to fill the last opening on Mike Leach’s assistant coaching staff -- the
running backs coach -- might already be in Pullman.
We don't have anyone telling us Leach might be thinking this way. But in simply considering the possibilities, once can make a strong case for Eric Mele to move to running backs.
Why go with the current special teams coach to replace Jim Mastro, who recently moved on to Oregon after six years at Wazzu? Here are five reasons:
1. A seamless transition.
Mele is very similar to Mastro in both coaching style and personality. He's a player's coach who engenders strong loyalty, and he also won't hesitate to have that tough love conversation if needed. If Mele took over the running backs, the amount of RB upheaval would be minimal to nonexistent.
I happened to be in Pullman shortly after Mele had been named interim special teams coach in 2014, sitting down for interviews with the coaches over a few days' time. In pulling up some old notes, here's what Mastro said when I asked him about Mele; "He's a lot like me. He's a young me, although I'm not saying I'm old (laugh). But really, he reminds me a lot of myself when I was his age: coaching, recruiting, the whole thing," said Mastro.
2. The RBs room would stay the same.
Coaches will tell you the meeting room dynamic, where a position group spends untold hours with their position coach, is crucial to success. Unhappy player or players, things tend to go downhill. Happy room: happy, productive players. Mele's room would strongly trend toward the latter, with his personality, offensive coaching acumen and the relationships he's already built with the Cougar RBs through recruiting and their work on his special teams.
The Cougar RB corps has racked up both 1,000 yards on the ground / 1,000 hashes in the receiving game each of the past two seasons. Before 2016, such a feat had never been accomplished once by a Mike Leach-coached team, or in the history of WSU football. With the familiarity Mele would bring to the role of running backs coach, Leach and WSU would have a great shot to make it three in a row.
3. For Max Borghi, it could be the next best thing.
Mastro, Borghi has said, was a huge reason the Colorado running back signed with the Cougs. Less well known is that while Mastro most assuredly ran the point, Mele had a significant role in Borghi's recruitment. Borghi during told CF.C on more than one occasion that he and his family liked Mele a bunch -- it wasn't by accident that Mele was with Mastro and Leach on the big in-home WSU visit.
Borghi, who ultimately signed with WSU over Stanford, was no doubt unhappy when it became clear Mastro was leaving. Replacing Mastro with someone Borghi and his family already know and trust could go a long way to ensuring Borghi -- whom CF.C and others have compared to having a college football ceiling akin to Christian McCaffrey -- ends up running wild on Saturdays at Wazzu for years to come.
4. Mele knows the Air Raid extremely well.
Mele has mentioned in various interviews over the years he loves hanging out, talking and texting with Leach.
Sometimes, as you might expect, the conversations are off the topic of football: a TV show about Vikings, for example. But other times, the topic is offense, and Mele in his time under Leach has assimilated a great deal of knowledge on the Air Raidl. And that's also in part because:
5. Mele is an offensive coach.
His first position at WSU was offensive quality control, a job he landed after doggedly pursuing Leach, and one he spent 2 1-2 years in before being promoted to special teams coach. Mele was also hugely involved in recruiting Luke Falk, and even ran the recruiting point this past class on QB Cammon Cooper. That's a testament to how much Leach values his evaluation skills and opinion when it comes to the guy the Air Raid is most dependent on: the QB.
Mele told CF.C back in 2015 he loved coaching special teams but that he also thought of himself as an offensive coach -- and that the ability to learn under a guy like Leach was the key reason a New Jersey guy and his family came to Pullman.
IF MELE WERE to become the running backs coach, Leach still has one more assistant coach hire to make. So how might that work?
One option would be for Leach to hire a special teams coach and that would be that.
Or, Leach could go the route a lot of teams do: hire another position coach (outside linebackers? nickels?) and also have that new coach take on the responsibility of special teams coordinator, but with other assistant coaches pitching in and each taking a piece on special teams.
LEACH GENERALLY TAKES his time when it comes to assistant coaching hires, so we might know for a while. And Leach might well go outside the program, and hire a RBs coach who ultimately proves to be nails.
Then again, a home-run running backs coach hire might already be on staff at Washington State.
We don't have anyone telling us Leach might be thinking this way. But in simply considering the possibilities, once can make a strong case for Eric Mele to move to running backs.
Why go with the current special teams coach to replace Jim Mastro, who recently moved on to Oregon after six years at Wazzu? Here are five reasons:
1. A seamless transition.
Mele is very similar to Mastro in both coaching style and personality. He's a player's coach who engenders strong loyalty, and he also won't hesitate to have that tough love conversation if needed. If Mele took over the running backs, the amount of RB upheaval would be minimal to nonexistent.
I happened to be in Pullman shortly after Mele had been named interim special teams coach in 2014, sitting down for interviews with the coaches over a few days' time. In pulling up some old notes, here's what Mastro said when I asked him about Mele; "He's a lot like me. He's a young me, although I'm not saying I'm old (laugh). But really, he reminds me a lot of myself when I was his age: coaching, recruiting, the whole thing," said Mastro.
2. The RBs room would stay the same.
Coaches will tell you the meeting room dynamic, where a position group spends untold hours with their position coach, is crucial to success. Unhappy player or players, things tend to go downhill. Happy room: happy, productive players. Mele's room would strongly trend toward the latter, with his personality, offensive coaching acumen and the relationships he's already built with the Cougar RBs through recruiting and their work on his special teams.
The Cougar RB corps has racked up both 1,000 yards on the ground / 1,000 hashes in the receiving game each of the past two seasons. Before 2016, such a feat had never been accomplished once by a Mike Leach-coached team, or in the history of WSU football. With the familiarity Mele would bring to the role of running backs coach, Leach and WSU would have a great shot to make it three in a row.
3. For Max Borghi, it could be the next best thing.
Mastro, Borghi has said, was a huge reason the Colorado running back signed with the Cougs. Less well known is that while Mastro most assuredly ran the point, Mele had a significant role in Borghi's recruitment. Borghi during told CF.C on more than one occasion that he and his family liked Mele a bunch -- it wasn't by accident that Mele was with Mastro and Leach on the big in-home WSU visit.
Borghi, who ultimately signed with WSU over Stanford, was no doubt unhappy when it became clear Mastro was leaving. Replacing Mastro with someone Borghi and his family already know and trust could go a long way to ensuring Borghi -- whom CF.C and others have compared to having a college football ceiling akin to Christian McCaffrey -- ends up running wild on Saturdays at Wazzu for years to come.
4. Mele knows the Air Raid extremely well.
Mele has mentioned in various interviews over the years he loves hanging out, talking and texting with Leach.
Sometimes, as you might expect, the conversations are off the topic of football: a TV show about Vikings, for example. But other times, the topic is offense, and Mele in his time under Leach has assimilated a great deal of knowledge on the Air Raidl. And that's also in part because:
5. Mele is an offensive coach.
His first position at WSU was offensive quality control, a job he landed after doggedly pursuing Leach, and one he spent 2 1-2 years in before being promoted to special teams coach. Mele was also hugely involved in recruiting Luke Falk, and even ran the recruiting point this past class on QB Cammon Cooper. That's a testament to how much Leach values his evaluation skills and opinion when it comes to the guy the Air Raid is most dependent on: the QB.
Mele told CF.C back in 2015 he loved coaching special teams but that he also thought of himself as an offensive coach -- and that the ability to learn under a guy like Leach was the key reason a New Jersey guy and his family came to Pullman.
IF MELE WERE to become the running backs coach, Leach still has one more assistant coach hire to make. So how might that work?
One option would be for Leach to hire a special teams coach and that would be that.
Or, Leach could go the route a lot of teams do: hire another position coach (outside linebackers? nickels?) and also have that new coach take on the responsibility of special teams coordinator, but with other assistant coaches pitching in and each taking a piece on special teams.
LEACH GENERALLY TAKES his time when it comes to assistant coaching hires, so we might know for a while. And Leach might well go outside the program, and hire a RBs coach who ultimately proves to be nails.
Then again, a home-run running backs coach hire might already be on staff at Washington State.
/////
On
Tyler Hilinksi’s death, and battling depression
It’s
easier to hide mental illness than you probably think. And while being kind to
one another is good, doing more is better.
By
Craig Powers Coug Center Jan 24, 2018, 9:00am PST
It’s
been both heartwarming and heartbreaking to watch the outpouring of love from
the Washington State University community and beyond in the days since Tyler
Hilinski took his own life. Thousands upon thousands of people expressing love
for a young man who, in most cases, they had never met. “If he only knew,” many
have asked, and that makes it even more tragic.
In
my case, Tyler’s death has hit me harder than I expected. I was away on work in
Chicago the day it happened, and I got the news while I was at a friend’s
house. I gave them the details, they understood the gravity of the situation,
but eventually I spared them from further conversation on the topic.
As
I ventured back to my hotel room, I was glued to social media, watching the WSU
world react. Every tweet brought tears, every picture of a smiling Tyler was a
shot to the heart. I couldn’t help but think of Tyler’s parents, who would
never see their son again, the unimaginable pain they must feel. My thoughts
drifted to my two-month-old baby girl—it was the first night we were apart. I
wanted to hold her, see her smile, feel the rhythm of her breathing.
The
second night I cried more—triggered strangely enough by a beer label from Drie
Fonteinen Brewery. Drie means three in Dutch, and the bottle featured a
prominent number “3.” I drank that beer.
Part
of the sadness that I, and many others, have derived from Tyler’s death
originates at what we assume was a severe struggle with depression he faced. By
all accounts, that struggle was silent—he was all smiles, all jokes, among the
happiest guys on the WSU football team.
While
it’s natural to be shocked by the fact that even those closest to Tyler don’t
recall seeing warning signs of his depression, those who have experienced
mental health challenges know hiding the disease is often the easy part.
Six
years ago, I attended grad school at the University of Vermont. I was
challenging myself, seeking a degree in an area that was about as far away from
my previous studies as one could get. To succeed, I needed to assert myself, to
study hard, to be completely focused.
As
the school year went on, I found it increasingly difficult to do that.
Eventually, I was in a place where it wouldn’t make sense to go back the next
year.
Depression
can be a product of a lot of things—maybe a series of stressful events that
weigh on a person so much that it eventually changes the way their mind
processes. For me, I made two big moves in a two-year span. I went from a job
where I had purpose, autonomy and authority to a new city that hadn’t found my
previous experience all that interesting. There was unemployment and
underemployment followed by jobs where I was undervalued, underpaid and
unfulfilled. All while being far away from immediate family members who were
dealing with their own problems.
By
the time I made it to Vermont, emboldened by an assistantship that would pay my
tuition, my mental health was far from ready to handle the rigors of grad
school in an almost completely new (to me) subject.
I
knew at some point that I didn’t feel right, after the excitement and newness
of school wore off. I didn’t show it to anyone though—I was all smiles, all
jokes and always willing to lend a helping hand. I never thought about
committing suicide, but I did think about the act itself and felt more empathy
for victims of suicide.
I
didn’t keep it a secret forever, though. I had witnessed struggles with
depression in my family and friends, and I knew there were ways to treat it. I
finally told my girlfriend, then I called up the University of Vermont student
health center and, through tears, made an appointment with a psychiatrist.
Anti-depressants
and anxiety medications followed. The drugs helped, the counseling helped even
more. Eventually things got easier. It’s a never-ending battle, but through
treatment there become far more good days than bad days, and you learn how to
retrain your brain to think in non-destructive ways.
For
Tyler, that resolution never came. He never got to the point where he admitted
to anyone what he was going through, even as he may have been planning the
suicide for several days. Tyler bore all the burden of depression on himself,
which is an impossible burden to bear.
One
sentiment I’ve seen over and over again with suicide is that we should treat
each other well, because we never know what someone else is going through. I
don’t disagree with this, having endured plenty of bullying when I was younger.
Treating others well is a goal to which everyone should strive. Unfortunately,
with depression, there is much more that we need to do to prevent tragedies on
the level of Tyler’s death.
We
have to look broader, and ask why Tyler felt the need to keep his struggle from
those around him. It’s something that is repeated, but still has yet to really
take hold: There is a stigma around mental illness, and it makes it very
difficult for those suffering to come forward and get treated.
I
know this: I hid my depression for years. First, by trying to convince myself
that it didn’t exist. Then, failing that, trying to convince others. I think I
was pretty good at the latter, because the idea of silently suffering sounded
far better than being pegged as someone with mental illness or forcing my
problems onto others. I didn’t even tell my immediate family until years after
my diagnosis and treatment. It’s likely Tyler felt the same way, and that’s why
those close to him are finding it hard to explain the tragedy.
So,
yes, be nice to people. Always be nice to people.
But
also do more.
If
you’ve suffered from depression, don’t be afraid to share. I know it’s hard.
This was hard to write; it took me a week to summon up the courage. I hope it
helps in some way, though, to tell my personal story, and the more people that
do, the better. If you are currently suffering silently, please seek help.
Reach out to someone you love, reach out to a mental health professional or
even reach out to me if you don’t know where else to go (my e-mail is in the
masthead).
If
you haven’t dealt with depression and find it hard to comprehend how suicide is
even possible, do some research and find your way to an understanding. Read
about mental illness, talk to those around you who have suffered (more than you
realize).
Eventually,
you’ll discover that depression is illogical, and that suicide can’t be a
selfish act when the victim is waging a war with common sense itself. A
depressed person’s view on many things won’t align with what is obvious in a
healthy mind. Severe depression cannot be treated by simple friendliness—the
sufferer needs help, because their own brain is working against them.
Creating
an environment where the depressed feel safe to speak about their struggles and
seek help requires effort from everyone. Education on mental health, its causes
and symptoms are important, as is access to mental health services. I don’t
have all the answers, but I do believe that information is powerful and can
change both thoughts and actions.
If
we never want another family to go through what the Hilinski family has had to
endure, if we never want another person to bear the burden that Tyler carried
on his own, we have to change the way we approach mental illness. There must be
no stigma, because the stigma is actively hurting those afflicted.
If
you feel like you are suffering from depression, tell someone and don’t be
afraid to seek out help. It can get better. If you or someone you know is
having thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at
1-800-273-8255.
/////////////////
After college
football’s first-ever early signing period, who’s left? The recruits who
benefit from it the most
Originally published
January 29, 2018 at 6:00 am Updated January 28, 2018 at 6:40 pm
Many
recruits not bound for schools in Power Five conferences are often waiting to
sign their letter of intent and hoping a more attractive offer falls to them.
By Jayda Evans Seattle Times
National
signing day has a different look this year.
The option to sign during the new three-day period in December changed the
signing-day landscape. Instead of tracking where the top players will land, the
traditional February signing date is more about the college prospects not going
to the Power Five conferences.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Top
100 football recruits in state of Washington
https://projects.seattletimes.com/2018/sports/washington-state-high-school-football-recruits-chips-list/
::::::::::::::::::::
Of
ESPN’s top 50 recruits, 34 signed early. Washington and Washington State signed
their recruiting classes last month.
It
cleared a path for players such as Sumner senior Tre Weed, who has five
Division I offers.
“It’s
a gamble,” said Brandon Huffman, the national recruiting editor for 247Sports.com.
“But I think it’s a gamble that’s going to pay off and that he made the right
decision. When it gets to signing day and schools are striking out with guys on
their board that are a little higher, I would not be surprised if they turn
him.”
Weed
had 2,054 all-purpose yards, including 228 on eight interception returns, with
33 touchdowns for the Spartans. His high-school career warranted looks from
Syracuse, Hawaii and BYU, and Eastern Washington popped up late.
But
it’s players like Delon Hurt, a three-star prospect from Anaheim, Calif., who
are rays of hope for Weed. The former was recruited on defense but wanted to
play receiver in college. Following the early signing period, he decommitted
from Utah when UCLA made an offer to join its offense.
“This
is a dream come true,” Hurt told 247Sports after making his announcement on
Wednesday. “UCLA is a school I’ve always liked, so this is a big opportunity.
There was some pressure about signing early, but I’m glad I held out, and this
makes it all worthwhile.”
Weed
had an official visit to Eastern and is planning to visit Syracuse before
making his final decision.
“A
lot of coaches have different views of me as a player; hopefully I catch their
eye,” he said. “The early signing day was new and I hadn’t decided yet. More
time would give me a better chance of understanding where I’m going to go.”
Only 2 out of our 16
blue- or red-chip prospects waited to sign, while more than half of the 84
white chippers held out.
Chris
Petersen's Huskies cleaned up, getting the signatures of 5 of the 14 blue- and
red-chip recruits to sign early.
|
Category
|
Blue
Chip
|
Red
Chip
|
White
Chip
|
|
Total
|
4
|
12
|
84
|
|
Signed
|
3
|
11
|
36
|
|
Power
5
|
3
|
8
|
0
|
|
Non-Power
5
|
0
|
3
|
4
|
|
FCS
|
0
|
0
|
20
|
|
Division
II
|
0
|
0
|
12
|
Darrien
Sampson felt the same. The Rainier Beach defensive back verbally committed to
Eastern Washington but didn’t sign in December because he wanted to take
advantage of the official visit.
The
decision made Sampson appear uncertain to other programs. Portland State was
among the few showing up at Beach and texting Sampson to make their pitch. He
still plans to sign with Eastern on signing day, which is Feb. 7.
“They
want to flip me,” said Sampson, who helped lead the Vikings to the Class 3A
state-championship game. “The early signing period also felt like a rush to me.
We had just finished our football season, so I wasn’t really focused on the
recruiting process. Now, I’ve been thinking about it more. February is a much
better time than December.”
Tre’Shaun
Harrison, a four-star receiver from Garfield, is one of the big names still
unsigned. He decommitted from Oregon in December because of uncertainty
regarding coach Willie Taggart.
When
Taggart accepted the head-coaching position at Florida State, Harrison got an
offer. Tennessee and Arizona also offered. He’s expected to announce his
decision on signing day.
“This
is the stuff that people usually don’t see,” said Reggie Jones, owner of Heir
Football, where Harrison and Weed train. “There’s a lot more soothing of (a
player’s) emotional stability because there’s so much going on and the pressure
of trying to get a school to look at them.
“I
had to explain the process of the early signing period and what could happen
afterward. It put a reality check on a lot more kids. A lot of guys are landing
in good situations for them and understanding that they don’t have to go play
at UW to have a great college experience
////////////////
WSU Regents review, praise president’s
performance
January
29, 2018 from WSU Nws
·
SEATTLE,
Wash. – Although the Washington State University Board of Regents took no
formal actions during a January 25-26 retreat in Seattle, the board issued
the statement below following its midyear performance review of WSU President
Kirk Schulz.
Statement of WSU Regents commending the job performance of
President Kirk Schulz
Following
completion of our midyear evaluation of WSU President Kirk Schulz, the WSU
Board of Regents unanimously commends President Schulz for his leadership and
endorses his ongoing plans for guiding the university to new heights.
Without
doubt, we presented President Schulz with a daunting list of opportunities and
challenges when he began his duties at WSU on June 13, 2016. That list included
expectations that ranged from accelerating WSU’s trajectory to national
prominence and advancing the university as an engine of the state’s economy to
ensuring access to higher education, supporting the growth and success of
students, and strengthening WSU’s financial position.
In
all regards, President Schulz has met — and exceeded — the expectations we
identified a year and a half ago. His achievements the past six months have
been particularly noteworthy. He has led the university to record enrollment,
greatly diversified the senior leadership team, and stepped up WSU’s efforts to
better serve the state’s needs.
We
wish to call particular attention to President Schulz’s leadership in
formulating and implementing an initiative to restore the university’s fiscal health.
We fully back this initiative.
As
Regents, we supported the efforts to advance WSU’s mission the past four years
by investing reserve funds in strategic initiatives such as the SPARK building,
the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, WSU Everett, new athletic facilities,
and the new art museum.
But
we also fully understood that rebuilding the university’s financial reserves
would be critical to WSU’s long-term fiscal health going forward. Thus we
requested President Schulz and senior leadership to create and execute a plan
to achieve that objective in a manner that would minimize the impact on the
university and its faculty, staff and students.
We
remain optimistic that by working together systemwide during the next few
years, the university will bring spending in line with revenues. Doing so will
enable the WSU community to invest in new endeavors that will further our
teaching, research and service mission, and the university will be better
prepared to educate and support the state’s residents and grow the economy.
We
are excited about President Schulz’s vision for WSU as defined by the Drive to
25, the system-wide initiative to become one of the nation’s top public
research universities by 2030. Success will elevate WSU’s stature nationally
and promises myriad benefits, including heightened interest from prospective
students, opportunities for new external research funding and public and
private partnerships, a greater willingness of alumni and friends to invest in
WSU, a richer educational experience for students, and value added to a WSU
degree.
Go
Cougs!
WSU Board of Regents:
·
Theodor
P. Baseler, chair, WSU Regents
·
Ron
Sims, vice chair
Members:
·
Donald
K. Barbieri
·
Brett
Blankenship
·
Scott
Carson
·
Ryan
Durkan
·
Alyssa
Norris (student Regent)*
·
Lura
J. Powell
·
Heather
Redman
·
Mike
Worthy
*Pursuant
to a state statute, the student Regent did not participate in the president’s
evaluation.
