==KAMIE ETHRIDGE, WSU’S NEW WOMEN’S HEAD BASKETBALL COACH ==
Below from Spokane S-R
The Washington State Cougars have hired the coach that ended their Palouse
neighbors’ bid for an NCAA Tournament berth last month.
Kamie Ethridge of Northern Colorado will take the reins of the WSU
women’s basketball program, athletic director Pat Chun announced Sunday.
Ethridge, a former Olympian as a player, led the Bears of Greeley,
Colo., to a 25-6 record last season, walloping Idaho 91-69 in the championship
game of the Big Sky Conference tournament to secure the school’s first NCAA
Tournament berth.
“She has demonstrated excellence since her playing days as a
student-athlete,” Chun said in a WSU news release, “has won at the highest
levels of the sport and has been a part of championship programs her entire
career.”
Ethridge, who posted an 83-44 record in four seasons at Northern
Colorado, replaces longtime WSU coach June Daugherty, who retired last month
after going 130-217 in 11 seasons in Pullman. The Cougars will introduce
Ethridge in a news conference at 2 p.m. Tuesday in the media room of the Cougar
Football Complex.
“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to assume leadership of the
Washington State University women’s basketball program,” Ethridge said in a
statement. “I can’t adequately express the personal and professional excitement
I feel about joining this program, athletic department, and university.”
As a player, Ethridge helped Texas to an NCAA title in 1986 and aided
the U.S. march to an Olympic gold medal in 1988. She was inducted into the
Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.
Ethridge spent 18 seasons as an assistant coach at Kansas State, which
claimed nine NCAA bids during that time. She also served a four-year term on
the selection committee for U.S. women’s basketball.
Prior to Kansas State, Ethridge spent five seasons with Vanderbilt as
an assistant coach after a one-year stint at Northern Illinois.
A two-time Kodak All-American, Ethridge in 1986 was given the Wade
Trophy and the Honda Broderick Cup as the top female student-athlete in the
country. She also claimed the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Player of the Year
Award, presented to the nation’s top senior collegian under 5-foot-6 in height.
“Kamie is committed to creating an environment that delivers the best
possible experience to our student-athletes,” Chun said. “Her values, character
and vision make her an exact fit for our goals in this next chapter of our
basketball program.”
…………………….
Below based on info at Wikipedia
KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY CONNECTION
--WSU new women's head basketball coach Kamie Ethridge was Kansas State
University women's basketball associate head coach, 1996–2014.
--WSU president Kirk Schulz was Kansas State University president, June 15, 2009 – April 22, 2016.
………….
BELOW FROM UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN COLORADO ATHLETICS
Northern Colorado women's basketball head coach Kamie Ethridge accepts
a job as the head coach of Washington State University
GREELEY, Colo. – Kamie Ethridge, who brought Northern Colorado women's
basketball to its first Division NCAA Tournament in 2017-18, has stepped down
to accept the job as the head women's basketball coach at Washington State
University.
"Today is a bittersweet moment for me. I am leaving the day to day
presence of players, friends, athletic administrators, and a university that I
will always love, respect and feel a tremendous sense of gratitude for. I could
not have been afforded a better first head coaching job, environment, or
opportunity than the one I was given at The University of Northern Colorado. I
will forever feel a part of the Bear Family."
Ethridge took over the program prior to the 2014-15 season and put
together an 83-44 record while the head coach of Northern Colorado. She led the
team to its first NCAA Tournament this past season and was named the Big Sky
Coach of the Year. As the leader of the Bears, Ethridge eclipsed the 20 win
mark three times in four seasons, including setting a program-record with 26
wins in 2017-18.
"Coach Ethridge helped guide the Northern Colorado women's
basketball program to new heights over the past four years," Director of
Athletics Darren Dunn said. "We greatly appreciate her and her staff's
hard work and commitment to excellence both on and off the basketball court.
She has elevated the expectations for the program, which we look forward to
building on. We want to thank Coach Ethridge for the time and commitment she
has given to Northern Colorado women's basketball and the athletic department
as a whole while a Bear."
The 2017-18 season under the leadership of Ethridge was the most
successful in UNC women's basketball history. The Bears won both the Big Sky
regular season and tournament championships and earned the program's first trip
to the NCAA Tournament. Northern Colorado started the year by defeated its
first Top 25 ranked team, winning at No. 20/25 DePaul on opening night 94-88.
The team racked up a program record 26 wins including over SEC member LSU and
swept the challenging Montana road trip for the first time. She also coached
the Big Sky MVP in Savannah Smith, Defensive Player of the Year in Kianna
Williams and second team All-Big Sky member Savannah Scott.
Overall, during her time at Northern Colorado, Ethridge coached two Big
Sky MVPs (D'shara Strange & Savannah Smith), one Big Sky Defensive Player
of the Year (Kianna Williams) and six All-Big Sky Honorees.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
IN RENO, IN WACO
On March 9, 2018, in the Reno Events Center, Kamie Ethridge -- WSU
Cougars’ new women’s head basketball coach, but then coaching the University of
Northern Colorado (UNC) -- led UNC to a 91-69 win over the University of Idaho
in the Big Sky Conference Tournament championship game. That win gave UNC an automatic
bid into the NCAA Tournament.
On March 16, 2018, in its first game on the NCAA national championship tournament, UNC
lost 75-61 to Michigan in Waco, Texas. It was the first time in UNC women’s
basketball history that a team has advanced to the NCAA tourney.
Prior to the game in Reno, UNC played Idaho twice, winning 78-72 on
Dec. 30, 2017, on the Idaho campus in Moscow, Idaho, and losing 79-71 on Jan.
25, 2018, on the UNC campus in Greeley, Colorado.
Washington State and Idaho did not play each other during the 2017-2018
women’s basketball season.
PHOTO SOURCE
https://www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/9ba96a515acb45348cc0c2b476eed98f.jpg?w=620
Tom R. Smedes, The Associated Press. Northern Colorado's head coach
Kamie Ethridge cuts down the nets after their win over Idaho in an NCAA college
basketball game in the championship of the Big Sky Conference in Reno, Nev.,
Saturday, March, 10, 2018.
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Rose Bowl site of celebration of
life honoring WSU grad Keith Jackson
The Rose Bowl was site of celebration of life honoring legendary
broadcaster Keith Jackson, WSU grad, on the Sunday April 15, 2018, afternoon.
The open to the public event featured guest speakers, musical
performances and video tributes. Admission was free.
Among those speaking were Jackson's former college football on TV
broadcasting colleagues Dan Fouts, Bob Griese, Todd Harris and Lynn Swann.
Former college coach Harvey Hyde spoke, as did WSU Athletics’ Jason Gesser,
former quarterback at Washington State, Jackson's alma mater. Serving as master
of ceremonies was Tim Brant, who worked with Jackson at ABC as a college
football analyst.
Hyde was head football coach at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 1982-1985.
Hyde chaired a committee that made possible naming of the Rose Bowl
broadcast booth as the "Keith Jackson Broadcast Center."
Jackson spent some 50 years in the broadcast booth before retiring in
2006. He died in January 2018 at age
89.
In lieu of flowers at the celebration of life, Jackson's widow, Turi
Ann Johnsen Jackson, suggested donations to organizations important to Jackson
and his family. Among those are the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation, which is
raising funds for a Keith Jackson statue, and the Keith and Turi Jackson
Excellence Fund at the Edward R. Murrow College of Communications at Washington
State.
Keith Jackson graduated from Washington State College in 1954 and Turi
Ann Johnsen Jackson was a member of the WSC Class of 1952.
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INFO ABOUT FUND-RAISING FOR A KEITH JACKSON STATUE AT THE ROSE BOWL
https://inspire2022-3892.wedid.it/
………………
31 MEMBERS OF WSU COUGAR MARCHING BAND
Thirty-one members of the WSU Cougar Marching Band performed at the
public entrance of the Rose Bowl in Pasadena and played the National Anthem in
the Rose Bowl as part of the 4/15/2018 Keith Jackson Celebration of Life! See
video clip of the team playing at the Rose Bowl public entrance:
:::::::::::::::::::
Keith Jackson remembered at Rose Bowl
Associated Press Apr 16, 2018
Keith Jackson graduated from Washington State in 1954.
PASADENA, Calif. - Keith Jackson was remembered as "the Walter
Cronkite of sports broadcasting" and a loving husband, father and
grandfather away from the broadcast booth in a memorial service at the Rose
Bowl.
Nearly 400 family and friends gathered Sunday on the field at the
historic stadium where Jackson, the folksy voice of college football for
decades on ABC, called a record 15 New Year's Day games - the last in 2006. A
smattering of the public looked on from seats in the south end zone. The
stadium's radio and TV booths are named in his honor.
"This was Keith Jackson's cathedral," said Tim Brandt, who
served as master of ceremonies and was one of several former broadcast partners
who spoke during the 2-hour, 15-minute memorial.
Washington State football coach Mike Leach was among those who paid
tribute via video.
Jackson came up with the Rose Bowl nickname, "The Granddaddy of
Them All."
It was an example of what ABC-owned Walt Disney Co. chairman and CEO
Robert Iger via video called "Keith-speak."
Offensive linemen were "big uglies." A dropped ball was a
"fuumm-bull!" Players were "young-uns." A big play would
elicit the cry "Whoa, Nellie!" although Jackson didn't utter what
became known as his signature phrase as much as viewers thought.
"I think I said it probably at least once a game," said Bob
Griese, who called games for 15 years with Jackson. "People would hear
that and they just assumed he said it."
Griese suggested to Jackson that he put the phrase on shirts and caps
and sell them. Jackson rejected the idea, saying, "It's about the kids. It
ain't about me."
Jackson died on Jan. 12 at age 89. He lived in nearby Sherman Oaks.
Brandt noted Jackson's mantra when calling games was "amplify,
clarify and don't intrude."
He remembered the time Jackson stood up Alabama's Bear Bryant. The
coach kept Jackson waiting for an interview the day before a Saturday game.
Finally, Bryant came over and said, "You want to see me?"
Jackson replied, "Not anymore, coach. We'll try to catch you next
time."
Lynn Swann first met Jackson when he starred at USC and they later
worked together calling games in the USFL.
"You never heard Keith talk down about a college player's
talent," he said.
Basketball Hall of Famer Ann Meyers Drysdale worked the 1984 Los
Angeles Olympics with Jackson.
"Keith was our Walter Cronkite of sports broadcasting," she
said. "He's trustworthy, accurate and totally respected."
Todd Harris was a sideline reporter on Jackson's college football
telecasts for seven years. Jackson was asked to read promos for a new ABC
series called "Snoops," featuring three scantily clad, sexy private
eyes.
The second week he read the promo, Jackson mentioned he had watched the
debut episode. "Someone needs to buy that woman some britches," he
said.
Harris, hearing the comment in his earpiece, busted out laughing.
Four large black-and-white photos of Jackson, including one with his
wife of 65 years Turi Ann, decorated the stage, along with two sprays of
red-and-white roses. The main stadium video board and two others played
highlights of Jackson's career that included the Olympics, college and NBA
games, baseball, auto racing, and in 1970 he was the first play-by-play
announcer for the NFL's "Monday Night Football" on ABC.
The pep band from Jackson's alma mater, Washington State, played the
national anthem.
Son Lindsey recounted what it was like having Jackson and his booming
voice as a father.
"You guys got big uglies, fuumm-bull and Whoa, Nellie," he
told the crowd. "What I got was 'Lindsey, why are the trash cans still out
front? This homework needs more work, and the inevitable was how fast were you
really going?"'
Jerry Johnsen recalled when Jackson first turned up at his family's
home to court his sister, Turi Ann.
"Keith gave me a quarter and said, 'Go away for an hour,"' he
said. "An hour later, I was back and he had another quarter in his
pocket."
Johnsen said Jackson always carried a wad of cash and used it to tip
people. He once asked Jackson why he did it.
"I can't buy the happiness I see on people's faces when I give
them a fifty dollar bill," Jackson told his brother-in-law.
Johnsen said, "He was always thinking about the other guy. It
wasn't about the money. It was always about making them feel good."
Melanie Jackson-Cracchiolo teamed with her husband, Tower of Power
trumpet player Sal Cracchiolo, to salute her father in song. They performed
"Too Marvelous for Words," "You Are So Beautiful," and
"When October Goes" against a backdrop of photos from Jackson's
career and family life.
"He never said too much and he never acted like he knew it
all," said Harvey Hyde, a former college football coach who was close to
Jackson.
Among those paying tribute via video were coaches Mack Brown, Lloyd
Carr and Pete Carroll, country singer Kenny Chesney, broadcasters Verne
Lundquist, Tim McCarver, Al Michaels and Brent Musburger, Mark Spitz and NFL
star J.J. Watt.
"Keith was the original," Michaels said. "Not an
original. There will never be another one like him."
::::::::::::::::
At the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Sunday April 15, 2018
Whoa Nellie! Keith Jackson send
off colored crimson
'Amplify, clarify and don't intrude'
By Gabe Marks – Cougfan.com
PASADENA, Calif. — As events at the Rose Bowl go, this one wasn’t the
largest or the loudest. But it was perhaps the most poignant. More than 400
family, friends and well wishers were on the field here Sunday to celebrate the
life of an icon.
The Rose Bowl was “Keith Jackson’s cathedral,” said his former
colleague, and the day’s master of ceremonies, Tim Brandt. It was only fitting
that the “Granddaddy of Them All” host the farewell for the man who coined the
phrase.
"You guys got big uglies, fuumm-bllllee and Whoa Nellie. What I
got was 'Lindsey, why are the trash cans still out front? This homework needs
more work, and the inevitable was ‘how fast were you really going?’"
quipped Jackson’s son, Lindsey.
Keith Jackson was a national treasure as the unforgettable Voice of College
Football, but for Washington State University he was family. A 1954 graduate,
he never forgot his alma mater, returning often and donating generously.
His crimson roots were evident Sunday in Pasadena. WSU President Kirk
Schulz was seated near the stage. WSU’s two great Rose Bowl quarterbacks, Jason
Gesser and Ryan Leaf, were both on hand. The Murrow College of Communication
and WSU athletic department were out in force, as was the Cougar Marching Band.
We celebrated the life of one of the most iconic figures to ever walk
through the doors of Washington State University. He passed away in late
January, at age 89.
Gesser, one of the official speakers, remembered the first time he met
Jackson. “Before I could sit down, Mr. Jackson said calmly ‘You gonna do this
interview with that silly hat on?’”
Dan Fouts, Todd Harris, Bob Griese and Lynn Swann — all broadcast
partners of Jackson’s at one time or another — also shared fond memories and
stars like Kenny Chesney, Pete Carroll, Vern Lundquist, Mark Spitz and Cougar
coach Mike Leach made video tributes.
Griese, a Hall of Fame quarterback who shared Saturdays with Jackson
for 15 seasons, recalled how he tried to convince Jackson to capitalize on the
popularity of “Whoa Nellie” by selling t-shirts emblazoned with the phrase.
Jackson, he said, responded in a calm tone of assurance: “It’s always about the
kids, it’s never gonna be about me.”
FROM MY OBSERVATIONS THROUGHOUT THE celebration, it seemed Keith
Jackson was the rare person who had the ability to make everyone he met feel
like a friend. He possessed the unique skill of reading the ebbs and flows of a
conversation, which allowed him to guide the rhythm of discussion like a
conductor leading an orchestra, knowing when and how to respond in order to
keep matters stimulated.
But even this wasn’t the greatest of Jackson’s gifts. In fact, what
made him beloved by all who knew him was in his ability to listen. Just giving
people the opportunity to speak without fear of judgment was the true gift of
the man. The fact that he was also blessed with one of the most recognizable
voices in the history of sports commentary was icing on the cake.
His wit, wisdom, and contagious smile made others feel safe to be
themselves no matter what that looked like.
His career was remarkable. Besides college football, he called the
Olympics, the NBA, MLB, and the first season of Monday Night Football, among
other assignments. But we know him best from Saturdays in the fall and the
first day of January at the Rose Bowl.
Brandt described him as “the guy who could take a big stadium and make
it even bigger.” Swann said, "You knew the game was important if Keith
Jackson was calling it. I loved Keith, I admired Keith.”
Hearing Jackson's voice let us know that, though many things in life
are bound to change, you can always hang your hat on Keith Jackson in the booth
calling the big game.
Living and working by the simple motto of “Amplify, Clarify, and Don’t
Intrude,” his charming, steady personality was welcomed into every home every
for 50 years as one of the pillars of the collective American experience. Keith
Jackson was one thing that all Americans could agree on. People of different
races, backgrounds and upbringings, who maybe don’t agree on much, knew that they
could all count on the powerful yet gentle voice from Ol’ Wazzu.
Whoa Nellie!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Gabe Marks starred at Washington State from 2012-16
and in the process became the most productive wide receiver in Pac-12 history,
catching a record 316 passes in his career. In addition, he is second all-time
on the Pac-12 list for career touchdown catches (37) and seventh all-time in
receiving yards (3,453). He earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors in 2015 and
2016 and holds a bachelor's degree in sociology. In 2016, The Washington Post
proclaimed he “might be the most interesting guy in college football.” He is a
Venice, Calif., native and lives in the Los Angeles area.
………….
EXCERPTS FROM A 2014 CF.C INTERVIEW WITH KEITH JACKSON:
On how a Georgia farm boy and newly minted ex-Marine wound up going to
school at Washington State:
"WSC was the only university in the country that offered both
political science and police science and let you do both of them at the same
time . . . Initially I was thinking I'd study those, get my degree and go back
and become a career Marine."
On why he didn't pursue that plan:
"Those were confusing and difficult times around the world, but I
understood just enough to think the United States had no business going down to
the Korean Peninsula, or later to Vietnam. I also met the love of my life in
Pullman, Washington, working there at the golf course . . . I took a speech
class and suddenly found myself surrounded by the myth, truth and image of
Edward R. Murrow. All that pointed me in a new direction."
On making his debut as a college football announcer:
"At 5,000-watt KWSC Radio, my first broadcast of a college
football game was in 1952. Stanford came to Pullman. The Cougars should have
won but the quarterback fumbled the snap on a PAT and lost 14-13."
On his time in Pullman:
"I loved the place. Loved the place . . . I was the freshman class
president – probably because I was the oldest – and if I got hungry I could go
by the president's house and the lady in the kitchen would give me something to
eat. That's Pullman.”
On the most memorable words uttered to him by a coach:
From legendary Amos Alonzo Stagg after watching Keith Lincoln and the
Washington State Cougars defeat Stagg's old team, the Pacific Tigers and their
5-foot-9 star running back, Dick Bass, 36-0, on a chilly night in Stockton in
1958: "He walked by, wrapped in a
blanket, and pulled my balloon headsets off and whispered in my ear: ‘You see,
it's still true: Big, fast people beat little, fast people.' "
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