Eadie Balint loves Cougar football.

That devotion to Washington State University athletics earned the Richland woman the chance to be coach for a day when the mighty Cougs play the University of Nevada Las Vegas in Pullman this afternoon.

"Coach for the Day was an auction item at A Night with Cougar Football fundraiser, which is held annually in the Tri-Cities by the WSU athletic department to raise scholarships for Cougar athletes," Balint said. "Because the date of coach for a day was on my birthday, my husband bid on this item as a present for me."

There was stiff competition but her husband, Jason, was victorious, though she declined to say how much he ended up bidding.

Eadie Balint, the development coordinator for WSU Tri-Cities, will take on her coach duties starting at 10:45 a.m. today in the locker room at Martin Stadium.

She will visit the weight room, locker room, equipment room, and training room. Then she will tag along with the guys during the Cougar prowl, which is when the team, the coaches, the marching band, cheerleaders and fans take a walkabout around the stadium to touch the foot of the Cougar statute, she said.

Balint's day with the Cougars also means she will be bonding with the guys as they watch the dreaded highlights, listen to the "chalk" sessions and run out onto Martin field with the team.

Balint attended WSU and her husband is an alumnus. She also claims her children are already making plans to carry on the family tradition when they reach college age.

"For me, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity to show my Cougar pride and spirit from the sidelines instead of from the stands," she said. "To do this on my birthday is even more meaningful. It was the perfect gift for this Cougar fan."