HCA: Pat Chun talks about the firing of June Daugherty
It came as an unexpected surprise to some, and Pat Chun explained his reasoning on Tuesday.
By Jeff Collier Coug Center Mar 21, 2018, 5am PDT
Last week, new Washington State athletic director Pat Chun made his first major move in the position. After 11 years, June Daugherty was out as head coach of Washington State women’s basketball. The move came as a surprise to some after Chun said, in his introductory press conference, that he would not be making any major personnel move for six months. After her lengthy leave of absence this season, some speculated that Daugherty’s ongoing health issues had something to do with the move.
On Tuesday, after a week of radio silence, Chun explained the move. Chun took the airwaves on “Cougs in 60,” his weekly radio show, to dispel those health rumors. He told host Derek Deis that the move was “100% performance related.” Chun continued to say that the main goal was a Pac-12 championship, and he didn’t think a Daugherty-led team would get there. “The greatest indicator to future success is past performance the the best we’ve ever finished in the past 11 years was 7th place in the Pac-12... At the end of the day, that’s just not good enough.” Chun did acknowledge the state of the program when Daugherty arrived, but still felt a move had to be made.
It’s definitely an interesting first move to make, especially with the other basketball program at the university in an... Um... Interesting place. And the move hasn’t been without backlash. Since the firing a little over a week ago both Louise Brown and Nike McClure have announced their intention to transfer from the program. Chun responded to those moves on Tuesday saying, “at the end of the day we want student-athletes that want to be here, that want to achieve great things here, that want to fight and lead us to victory.” Chun said that he met with the returning players on the team recently and that he is “committed to delivering a coach that will help them achieve their goals.”
The next women’s basketball coach might not seem like a big hire to the average Cougar fan. But this will be a very interesting hire for the school’s new AD. The kind of hire he makes will give us a glimpse into the future of other programs at the school. So, stay tuned, Coug fans.
You can listen to the complete “Cougs in 60” interview at the link, here:
https://secure-hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/a/9/e/a9eb8563621b1ff3/Cougs_in_60_for_Mar_20-2018.mp3?c_id=19834306&expiration=1521670674&hwt=b14b89a9dd205bde38dacf35083c88f3
:::::::::
Cougar FootballCougarsPac-12Sports
WSU spring football preview: First-year coordinator Tracy Claeys begins to rebuild the defense
Originally published March 21, 2018 at 11:09 am Updated March 21, 2018 at 11:35 am
Washington State opens spring ball with a wealth of options at linebacker, and a surprisingly fast developing group of defensive linemen. But, the situation in the secondary is a little more concerning, says new defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys.
By Stefanie Loh Seattle Times
Not since Mike Leach’s first spring in 2012 has Washington State opened a spring football season with question marks at so many different spots.
Between the graduation of 19 seniors who were in the two-deep, Hercules Mata’afa’s early departure for the NFL, the exits of six assistant coaches, and, most significantly, the suicide death of junior quarterback Tyler Hilinski, WSU begins its 2018 spring football practice schedule on Thursday with a host of new faces at every position.
This feels more like a remake of a popular movie with a new cast and crew than a sequel to a blockbuster with the main actors reprising their roles.
From quarterback Luke Falk and his lieutenants, running back Jamal Morrow, offensive tackle Cole Madison and linebacker Isaac Dotson, to defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, much beloved strength coach Jason Loscalzo and running backs coach Jim Mastro, the Cougars have lost a lot of leadership and experience since their Holiday Bowl defeat to Michigan State in December.
Featured Video
Russell Wilson on the Seahawks’ game against Dallas this weekend (1:46)
Most Read Sports Stories
At 66 years old, why is Pete Carroll acting like he wants to rebuild the Seahawks?
Seahawks bolster offensive line by signing free agent D.J. Fluker
Luke Willson says goodbye to Seahawks as he signs with the Lions
UW Huskies nab commitment from 4-star center
Suh adds another suitor as Seahawks host Tom Johnson
Without many of the key actors who helped resurrect the Cougars and usher in one of the more successful eras in WSU football history, this spring is all about new beginnings and, perhaps, the birth of a new era.
Here’s the first of a two-part series examining who the Cougars have coming back, and what holes they’ll have to fill, first looking at the defense.
COACHING STAFF
OUT — Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, rush linebackers coach Roy Manning
IN — Defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys, safeties coach Kendrick Shaver, cornerbacks coach Darcel McBath, outside linebackers and special teams coach Matt Brock.
Overview:
Claeys declared, shortly after he was hired, that he will learn WSU’s existing defensive terminology instead of introducing a whole new system to the Cougars, and that’s exactly what he has done. That’s also why he says this spring will be as much of a trial run for him as it is for the players.
“I’m gonna screw it up at some point,” Claeys says. “If I call something the old way we (at Minnesota) used to call it, I think Ken and those guys will be able to signal it in there. That’s the good thing about spring ball, it’s a learning deal, and the whole key is to get better each day.”
Claeys’ defense isn’t that different from what WSU ran under Grinch. Like Grinch, he will use three defensive linemen up front and add a rush linebacker on the line. He will also maintain a nickelback position. The difference, however, is that Claeys wants his nickelback to be adept at man coverage.
“They haven’t been asked to play a lot of man in the past, and we’ve got to figure out how much man they can handle,” Claeys said. “The more man (coverage) they can handle, the more we will be able to disguise things.”
Claeys will stick with the quarters based defensive scheme WSU had under Grinch, but said down the road, he will emphasize recruiting cornerbacks proficient in man coverage.
“If you can play man on the edges, you can do whatever you want in the box. It just makes it a lot easier for everybody,” Claeys said.
DEFENSIVE LINE
OUT — DT Hercules Mata’afa (left early for NFL), DT Daniel Ekuale (graduated), DT Garrett McBroom (graduated)
Who to watch for?
DL Nick Begg, rs-sr, 6-5, 264 pounds
DL Kingston Fernandez, rs-sr, 6-2, 276 pounds
DL Nnamdi Oguayo, rs-jr, 6-3, 237 pounds
DL Dallas Hobbs, rs-fr, 6-6, 243 pounds
DL Pono Lolohea, jr, 6-3, 310 pounds
Outlook:
The departures of Mata’afa, Ekuale and McBroom left WSU lacking in experience on the defensive line, but surprisingly, Claeys says he’s not too worried about the position after watching the returning talent in Midnight Maneuvers.
“We’ll be young up front but those guys have done a good job and gained some weight,” Claeys said.
It will be difficult to duplicate Mata’afa’s production — the All-American had 22 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks last season. But the addition of junior college transfer and early enrollee Lolohea has bolstered WSU’s depth at defensive tackle.
LINEBACKER
OUT — LB Isaac Dotson (graduated), LB Nate DeRider (graduated), RUSH Dylan Hanser (graduated), RUSH Frankie Luvu (graduated)
Who to watch for?
LB Peyton Pelluer, grad, 6-0, 225 pounds
LB Jahad Woods, rs-so, 6-0, 214 pounds
LB Justus Rogers, rs-so, 6-0, 225 pounds
LB Dillon Sherman, rs-so, 6-1, 220 pounds
LB Cole Dubots, rs-fr, 6-1, 192 pounds
RUSH Chima Onyeukwu, rs-sr, 6-2, 220 pounds
RUSH Derek Moore, jr, 6-1, 248 pounds
RUSH Logan Tago, sr, 6-3, 247 pounds
RUSH Mason Vinyard, rs-so, 6-5, 237 pounds
Outlook:
Pelluer’s return as a sixth-year senior graduate student will be important for this young team. But losing him last year to a broken foot opened the door for Woods, Rogers and Sherman to get valuable playing time. Woods, especially, grew quickly through the season, finishing as WSU’s second-leading tackler, with 64 stops, including 11 tackles-for-loss.
At the rush linebacker position, WSU has some good options to replace the productive Frankie Luvu (12 TFL, 6.5 sacks). Tago (24 tackles, 3 TFL) is the front runner, but watch out for Moore, who moved from the defensive line to rush backer this spring. Mason Vinyard and Chima Onyeukwu also flashed potential last season.
DEFENSIVE BACK
OUT — S Robert Taylor (graduated), CB Marcellus Pippins (graduated), NICKEL Kirkland Parker (graduated)
Who to watch for?
CB Sean Harper, sr, 6-2, 186 pounds
CB Darrien Molton, sr, 5-10, 185 pounds
CB Marcus Strong, jr, 5-9, 177 pounds
S Jalen Thompson, jr, 6-0, 191 pounds
S Skyler Thomas, rs-so, 5-9, 186 pounds
NICKEL Hunter Dale, sr, 5-10, 190 pounds
Outlook:
Claeys’ biggest concern entering spring ball is the secondary, specifically, at safety.
“The main thing is figuring out everybody in the secondary,” Claeys said. “We need to get that depth chart and see where we’re at depth-wise at safety. The rest of the positions there’s enough bodies.”
Thompson, who led the Cougs with 73 tackles last year, is WSU’s best, and only game-proven safety. Harper is versatile enough that he toggled between safety and cornerback last season, and will likely start the spring at cornerback, Claeys said.
The dismissal of sophomore Josh Talbott for a violation of team rules also adds to the lack of bodies at safety. This bleeds into the nickelback spot because Claeys wants his nickel to behave more like a safety than a linebacker. Dale (46 tackles, 8 TFL) will get first crack at reprising his role as starting nickelback, but WSU needs to find depth there because his main backup, Kirkland Parker, is gone.
::::::::::::::::::::::::
WSU Travels to Arizona for Weekend Series
WSU Game Notes at Arizona from WSU Sports Info 3/18/2018
WASHINGTON STATE at ARIZONA
Tucson, Ariz. | Hi Corbett Field (9,500) | March 23-25, 2018
Friday, 6 p.m. | Saturday, 6 p.m. | Sunday, 1 p.m.
PROBABLE STARTERS
A.J. Block | SO | LHP | 0-2, 5.40 ERA, 14 K, 13.1 IP vs. Cody Deason | JR | RHP | 2-1, 1.42 ERA, 31 K, 31.2 IP
Scotty Sunitsch | SR | LHP | 1-1, 4.50 ERA, 13 K, 20.0 IP vs. Avery Weems | JR | LHP | 1-1, 2.97 ERA, 15 K, 30.1 IP
Cody Anderson | SR | LHP | 1-3, 3.16 ERA, 19 K, 25.2 IP vs. Michael Flynn | JR | RHP | 2-1, 2.79 ERA, 14 K, 19.1 IP
WSU OPENS WEEKEND SERIES AT ARIZONA FRIDAY
Washington State (4-12, 0-3 Pac-12) continues its seven-game road stretch with a weekend series at Arizona (11-9, 0-3 Pac-12). Friday's opener is set for 6 p.m. with Saturday scheduled for a 6 p.m. start and Sunday's finale set for 1 p.m.
FOLLOW ALONG Cougar baseball fans can follow all the season's action on the Washington State baseball official twitter page @CougBaseball, instagram page @Coug_Baseball and wsucougars.com. Links to live stats and radio streams will be available at the baseball schedule page on wsucougars.com. Every home game will be webstreamed through wsucougars.com. All three games at Arizona will be webstreamed, links are available on wsucougars.com.
ON DECK The Cougars return home for a three-game series against Arizona State running Thursday through Saturday. All three games will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks
LAST TIME OUT Washington State entered the eighth inning of the final two games at No. 14 UCLA with leads but the Bruins rallied in both games to take the series and swept all three games from the Cougars. WSU's Justin Harrer homered in all three contests while Blake Clanton collected two hits in all three games.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Washington's 25 highest-paid state workers
By Daniel DeMay, SeattlePI Published 4:14 pm, Tuesday, March 20, 2018
https://www.seattlepi.com/seattlenews/article/Washington-s-25-highest-paid-state-workers-12768617.php
If you're not a sports fan, you might not guess Washington's highest-paid state employees right off the bat.
You might guess that someone running a major government organization, say, the state Department of Transportation, would be near the top for salary. Or maybe someone with the state's Department of Social and Health Services. Both are major arms of the state.
But you would be sorely wrong.
The highest-paid state employees, year in and year out, work for state universities, and the biggest paychecks go to football and basketball coaches.
Figures change year to year, so we pulled the most recent data from the state salaries database -- for 2016 -- to come up with the 25 highest-paid state workers.
Below from CougGroup Central:
WSU SALARIES:
23. John Tomkowiak,dean, Elson S. Floyd School of Medicine, Washington State University 2016 salary: $507,400
11. Alex Grinch,defensive coordinator (former), Washington State University2016 salary: $622,100Grinch left WSU for a job at Ohio State in January.
7. Bill Moos,athletic director, Washington State University 2016 salary: $776,000. Moos left WSU for a job at the University of Nebraska in October 2017.
4. Ernie Kent, head men's basketball coach, Washington State University 2016 salary: $1,405,400
1. Mike Leach, head football coach, Washington State University 2016 salary: $3,016,700
NOTE:
There are a lot of UW employees, inlcuding football coaches on the list. Go to the URL above to see the list
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cougars T&F Sends Compact Contingent of Competitors to Sam Adams Classic
From WSU Sports Info 3/20/2018
COUGARS TRACK & FIELD SENDS SMALL SQUAD TO WHITWORTH
The Washington State track and field program will send a compact contingent of competitors to the 13th Annual Sam Adams Classic, March 22-23, at the Pine Bowl/Boppell Track at Whitworth University in Spokane...other NCAA DI teams sending entries include Gonzaga, Idaho and Eastern Washington...events that include Cougars entries (javelin, hammer and 5000m) begin at 3:30 p.m. Thurs., March 22...remaining events start at 4 p.m. Friday, March 23...most of the WSU T&F team members will train through this meet in order to be at their competitive best for the prestigious Stanford Invitational March 30-31.
:::::::::::::::::::
Inland 360 to begin circulating in WSU student newspaper
Posted By: Jennifer K Bauer, Lewiston Trib
Posted date: March 20, 2018
Website: inland360.com
Inland 360’s readership will grow by 6,500 Thursday, March 22 when it begins circulating in the Washington State University student newspaper, The Daily Evergreen.
The addition will boost Inland 360’s total circulation to 26,800 a week, including weekly Thursday insertion in the Lewiston Tribune, Moscow-Pullman Daily News and free distribution points throughout the Quad Cities.
“Inland 360 is the go-to source for events, culture and lifestyle in north central Idaho and eastern Washington,” Editor Jennifer Karinen Bauer said of the alternative weekly newspaper. Its circulation area includes eight counties, two universities and three colleges.
“Besides a focus on local stories, it features the region’s most comprehensive events calendar in print and online at inland360.com,” Bauer said.
Inland 360 was founded six years ago by Nathan Alford, editor and publisher of the family-owned Lewiston Tribune and Moscow-Pullman Daily News. The weekly publication joined the Association of Alternative Newsmedia in 2017.
#
