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Bill Doba, Longtime Washington State Coach, Dies at 85
0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. Bill Doba, the longtime Washington State defensive coordinator who later led the Cougars as head coach, died Friday at 85, the university announced.
“Coach Doba was a tremendous Coug and an incredible friend and mentor, who we will miss dearly,” WSU Vice President and Director of Athletics Jon Haarlow said in a statement released by the school. “Our thoughts are with Coach Doba’s loved ones and the entire Cougar family during this difficult time.”
A native of South Bend, Indiana, Doba was born Sept. 7, 1940. He played football at Ball State as a halfback and defensive back before a hip injury ended his playing career after two seasons. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Ball State in 1962 and a master’s degree from Western Michigan in 1969.
Doba began coaching at Goshen High School in Indiana in 1962. He later became head coach at Angola, returned to Goshen, and then spent six seasons at Mishawaka High School, where he went 46-15-1 and led the team to the 1974 Indiana state championship game.
Doba entered the college coaching ranks in 1977 as an assistant on Lee Corso’s staff at the Indiana University. Doba then coached at Purdue from 1983-86 and served as defensive coordinator at The Citadel for two seasons.
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In 1989, Doba arrived at Washington State as a linebackers coach under Mike Price. He became assistant head coach in 1991 and defensive coordinator in 1994, holding both positions through the 2002 season.
The Cougars' defense was a focal point of its resurgence. The 1994 defense, known as the "Palouse Posse," ranked second nationally in total defense and helped the Cougars finish 8-4. Washington State shared Pac-10 championships in 1997 and 2002 and reached the Rose Bowl twice during Doba’s time as an assistant.
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Doba succeeded Price as Washington State’s head coach in December 2002. His first season was his best, as the Cougars went 10-3, finished second in the Pac-10 and defeated No. 5 Texas 28-20 in the Holiday Bowl. Washington State finished No. 9 in the Associated Press and coaches polls, and Doba shared Pac-10 Coach of the Year honors with USC’s Pete Carroll.
Doba went 30-29 in five seasons as head coach and won Apple Cup games in 2004, 2005 and 2007 — the only coach in the Cougars' history to finish with a winning record in the rivalry series against Washington. He stepped down after the 2007 season.
Doba was inducted into the Indiana Football Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Mishawaka Hall of Fame in 1986. He and his wife, Judy, had three children and six grandchildren. Judy Doba died of cancer in 2006 .
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