A few folks in the Tri-Cities might know this, but Herald Publisher Rufus M. Friday our head coach played tight end for North Carolina State.
He proudly wears his championship ring from the 1979 season when he and his teammates won the Atlantic Coast Conference title. The Wolfpack haven't won it since, and this marks the 30th anniversary of their achievement.
So it makes sense that he's probably the biggest college football fan in our building, and he travels to Raleigh at least once each fall to watch his alma mater. You'll bring a smile to his face if you greet him by saying, "Go Pack" and ask him about N.C. State QB Russell Wilson.
Earlier this week, Coach Friday sent me this link to the Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel's listing for the salaries of head coaches in college football.
At No. 1 is USC's Pete Carroll at $4.4 million per year. The runnerup is Notre Dame's Charlie Weis, just $200,000 behind.
It's ironic that Washington and Washington State will have matched wits with each of them this season. The Huskies' first-year coach, Steve Sarkisian (No. 26 at $1.85 million), nearly went 2-0 against them.
The Cougars and Paul Wulff (No. 85, $600,000) meet Weis and the Irish on Halloween in San Antonio. Last month, Wazzu fell on the road to USC by a respectable final of 27-6.
Right now, Idaho's Robb Akey WSU's former defensive coordinator looks like a heckuva bargain. He's tied for 111th with $250,000 and has the Vandals thinking of bowl eligibility in his second year on the job.
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When officials from Washington's universities and colleges are pressing state lawmakers to look elsewhere for budget cuts, we're pretty sure the athletic directors won't be leading the charge.
Scrutiny of college athletic programs -- at Washington State University and the University of Washington, at least -- can only detract from the narrative.
Here's the story our friends in Pullman want legislators to be thinking about -- the state has already cut funding for Washington State University by 60 percent over the last four years.
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PULLMAN -- Nov. 16 was one of the most important dates in Washington State's more than 100-year football history, and only two men knew it.
That was the day WSU athletic director Bill Moos flew from the 37 degrees in Pullman to Key West, Fla., where he met with former Texas Tech football coach Mike Leach.
Over the next few hours on a beautiful low-80s day, Moos and Leach developed the foundation that led to Wednesday's announcement that the 50-year-old Leach would take the reins of WSU's football program. Leach will be formally introduced at a press conference on Tuesday.
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One of the most impressive football recruiting hauls in ACC history was accomplished by a single assistant coach working without the benefit of a staff and in remote territory.
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KENNEWICK -- The Tri-Cities Fever signed wide receiver Kevin Grayson to a contract for the 2012 Indoor Football League season.
Grayson is a 6-foot-3, 210-pound receiver out of the University of Richmond, where he had 196 receptions for 2,558 yards.
While at Richmond, Grayson was selected to the All-State Good Works Team by Allstate Insurance and the American Football Coaches Association. The Allstate Good Works Team recognizes 22 college football players from around the country for their dedication to community service.
Letter details Leach's pending contract
Letter details Leach's pending contract
PULLMAN -- Mike Leach hasn't officially signed a contract with Washington State, but the letter of agreement he entered into with athletic director Bill Moos in late November outlines what that contract will entail.
The letter, obtained by The Spokesman-Review through a public records request, "summarizes the terms of an offer and acceptance for the head football coach position" at Washington State and states they will be incorporated into a formal contract.
When that contract is signed, it will cover a five-year span, expiring at the end of December 2016. After two years, however, the contract rolls over into another five years and does so each ensuing year unless either party decides to stop the automatic extension.
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