Potential Head Coaches

[E-Wu Tang Clan]

Potential EWU Football Head Coach Candidates

Tier 1 — Strongest Candidates​

1. Beau Baldwin — Former EWU head coach who went 85–32, won five Big Sky championships, and led the Eagles to the 2010 FCS national championship. He knows the program, recruiting territory, and what it takes to win at EWU. His experience at Cal and in the CFL broadened his résumé. He left his Calgary coaching position in 2025 for personal health reasons, so his willingness and readiness to return would be the biggest questions. If he were interested and healthy enough to coach, he would offer proven championship-level leadership and continuity.

2. Pete Sterbick — Montana State offensive coordinator and former Colorado School of Mines head coach. He went 22–4 over two seasons at Mines, reaching the Division II national championship game in 2023. He brings both head-coaching experience and experience working within a successful Big Sky program. His previous graduate-assistant work at Washington State also gives him regional familiarity. The main question is whether he could translate his success at Mines and Montana State into leading an FCS program with EWU's resources and expectations.

3. Ian Shoemaker — Idaho offensive coordinator and former EWU offensive coordinator. He went 38–16 as Central Washington's head coach, winning two GNAC championships and making multiple Division II playoff appearances. At EWU, he helped lead a high-powered offense that produced Walter Payton Award winner Eric Barriere in 2021. He also coordinated at Hawaii and Grand Valley State before joining Idaho. His combination of EWU familiarity, regional recruiting connections, offensive expertise, and previous head-coaching success makes him one of the most relevant candidates.

4. Rod Sandberg — Whitworth head coach with a 92–27 record through the 2025 season, three Northwest Conference championships, and five Division III playoff appearances. He has been a successful head coach since 2014 and previously spent many years coaching at Wheaton College. His sustained success suggests strong program-building and player-development skills. The main concern is the jump from Division III to the Big Sky, where scholarship recruiting, resources, and competition are substantially different.

5. Troy Taylor — Former EWU offensive coordinator who went 30–8 as Sacramento State's head coach, leading the Hornets to three FCS playoff appearances. He helped establish Sacramento State as a major Big Sky contender before moving to Stanford. His Stanford tenure ended after two 3–9 seasons and amid workplace-misconduct allegations and investigations, which he disputed. His FCS coaching record makes him an experienced candidate, but the circumstances surrounding his Stanford departure would be an important consideration for EWU.

Tier 2 — Credible Candidates​

6. Bobby Daly — Montana State defensive coordinator, assistant head coach, and former Bobcat All-American linebacker. He returned to Montana State after serving as UTEP's defensive coordinator in 2025. He understands the Big Sky and has experience developing players within a successful program, but has not yet been a college head coach.

7. Brent Pease — Montana offensive coordinator with more than 30 years of coaching experience, including stops at Boise State, Florida, Washington, and Montana. He has extensive offensive and quarterback-development experience and has worked at multiple levels of college football. His biggest drawback is the lack of full-time head-coaching experience.

8. Eric Sanders — Former EWU defensive coordinator and current Montana defensive coordinator, with experience in the NFL and at the FBS level. He knows EWU and the Big Sky and brings defensive expertise. He would be a candidate with relevant regional experience, although he has not yet led an entire college program.

9. Eti Ena — EWU alumnus and former associate head coach and defensive coordinator. He has coached defensive linemen and linebackers at several regional programs and has valuable recruiting relationships, including in Polynesian recruiting circles. His familiarity with EWU and defensive-player development are strengths, but he has not been a permanent college head coach.

Tier 3 — Longer Shots or Less-Proven Candidates​

10. Zak Hill — Boise State co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, with previous EWU ties and offensive-coordination experience at Arizona State. He has extensive experience developing quarterbacks but has never been a college head coach. His departure from Arizona State amid an NCAA recruiting investigation is also a consideration.

11. Sheldon Cross — Idaho tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator who previously coached at Idaho State and Cal Poly. He spent seven years as head coach at Kennedy Catholic High School in Washington, winning four consecutive league titles. His regional recruiting relationships are an asset, but moving directly into an FCS head-coaching role would be a significant jump.

12. Bodie Reeder — Former EWU offensive coordinator who helped the Eagles reach the 2018 FCS national championship game. He subsequently coached at several programs and is currently offensive coordinator at Middle Tennessee State. His EWU background is a plus, but he lacks head-coaching experience.

13. Pat McCann — Former EWU wide receivers coach and interim offensive coordinator who later served as offensive coordinator at Fresno State. He has relevant offensive experience and Pacific Northwest ties, but has not been a college head coach.

14. Erik Meyer — EWU quarterback legend and 2005 Walter Payton Award winner. He has coached at EWU and other college programs, but has not established a résumé as a major college head coach or long-term high-level coordinator. His program connection is strong, while his experience leading a college staff is more limited.

15. Sam King — Central Washington offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, with previous FCS experience at North Dakota and other college coaching stops. He has a developing coaching résumé but is still establishing himself as a coordinator and has no college head-coaching record.

16. Ketner Kupp — Former EWU linebacker and team captain who has coached at Pacific Lutheran and moved into NFL coaching. He has defensive experience and a strong connection to EWU, but is young and relatively inexperienced as a college program leader. He would be more of a developmental possibility than an established immediate candidate.

This is a subjective ranking based on coaching record, EWU connections, regional recruiting, and potential fit. It does not mean EWU has contacted these coaches or that they would be interested in the job.

 

[Obzerver]

I like what you just said!

 

[ewudood05]

Of the list...

• Baldwin: my top choice by far. IMO, he's more or less the linchpin of EWU's success from the early 2ks until a few years after leaving. My concern is whether he's up to the task of rebuilding a program since I don't think he's ever had to rebuild a program aside from Cal Poly but he was only there for what a couple years? If I recall when he took over at EWU we were already in decent shape.
• Hill: I think he'd be my second choice. I like the EWU ties and the NFL experience.
• Reeder: Not sure I'm feeling this one. Does he even have HC experience? Seeing him return as an OC would be fine in my book though.
• Schmedding: I'd be fine but it's probably a pay cut and if he's already doing well there he can probably parley that into a bigger job at a top tier program.
• Carrol: Ok, this would actually be my top choice, though I don't see any chance in this happening. But it doesn't hurt to reach out to him. Outdated thinking aside, the sheer star publicity and players he could bring in would be worth it.
• Idaho Route: If we're talking about a top tier FCS program, then maybe... I think Idaho caught lightening in a bottle though so it's definitely a roll of the dice.

 

[LDopaPDX]

No. Sorry, I don’t see any of these as viable. Baldwin did great here, but the red flags make him unattractive at this point. Schmedding would be a dream, but he isn’t taking a big pay cut. I think there are at least a couple names you’re leaving off that might be interested, even if it means a pay cut.

 

[E-Wu Tang Clan]

No. Sorry, I don’t see any of these as viable. Baldwin did great here, but the red flags make him unattractive at this point. Schmedding would be a dream, but he isn’t taking a big pay cut. I think there are at least a couple names you’re leaving off that might be interested, even if it means a pay cut.

WSU is not going to be able to maintain those coach salaries. Yea it is a bit of a reach though but I don't think it's completely out of the question.

I gave the example of Bobby Hauck who went 15-48 at Nevada then went back to Montana and they're doing great now. I don't think there is much reason to think Baldwin couldn't do the same.

But feel free to give your own suggestions instead of just shooting down all of mine.

 

[E-Wu Tang Clan]

Of the list...

• Baldwin: my top choice by far. IMO, he's more or less the linchpin of EWU's success from the early 2ks until a few years after leaving. My concern is whether he's up to the task of rebuilding a program since I don't think he's ever had to rebuild a program aside from Cal Poly but he was only there for what a couple years? If I recall when he took over at EWU we were already in decent shape.
• Hill: I think he'd be my second choice. I like the EWU ties and the NFL experience.
• Reeder: Not sure I'm feeling this one. Does he even have HC experience? Seeing him return as an OC would be fine in my book though.
• Schmedding: I'd be fine but it's probably a pay cut and if he's already doing well there he can probably parley that into a bigger job at a top tier program.
• Carrol: Ok, this would actually be my top choice, though I don't see any chance in this happening. But it doesn't hurt to reach out to him. Outdated thinking aside, the sheer star publicity and players he could bring in would be worth it.
• Idaho Route: If we're talking about a top tier FCS program, then maybe... I think Idaho caught lightening in a bottle though so it's definitely a roll of the dice.

Best is actually pretty good at recruiting so I think the talent is here. Just some holes that need filled.

 

[LDopaPDX]

WSU is not going to be able to maintain those coach salaries. Yea it is a bit of a reach though but I don't think it's completely out of the question.

I gave the example of Bobby Hauck who went 15-48 at Nevada then went back to Montana and they're doing great now. I don't think there is much reason to think Baldwin couldn't do the same.

But feel free to give your own suggestions instead of just shooting down all of mine.

Done

 

[E-Wu Tang Clan]

Updated. Jim McElwain, Chris Fisk and Pat McCann. Rearranged by best/most likely to least likely. In my opinion at least.

 

[LDopaPDX]

Because Eastern doesn’t pay as well as so many comparable jobs, hiring someone that has an honest emotional connection to the university and perhaps is motivated by something other than $$$$ only is helpful.

Fisk might be an option as this would represent enough of a forward step to justify it.

McElwain, Baldwin, and maybe even a guy like Jimmy Lake in Atlanta could be options if they are willing to take a step down in pay. With McElwain and Lake, they’re already wealthy enough that a pay decrease won’t affect them much at this stage in their life. Obviously, both are true Eastern guys.

Reeder doesn’t seem to fit for me only because he really has no NW connections other than having briefly at Eastern. We were no more than a pit stop for him. McCann is interesting, but the future for Fresno is looking up and he’s likely to make far more staying. He’s not a guy that has the bankroll to take a lower paying job.

 

[clawman]

This thread is really cowardly. You all have the guy terminated while you hide behind a screen name. OK we are 1 win and 2 close loses, give the staff some support rather than a noose.
Get a life!
Cal Clausen

 

[E-Wu Tang Clan]

This thread is really cowardly. You all have the guy terminated while you hide behind a screen name. OK we are 1 win and 2 close loses, give the staff some support rather than a noose.
Get a life!
Cal Clausen

I think if you're on a fan board you would be more informed then simply looking at scores of the games thus far. Or at least recognize the trend of the last two seasons.

Get a clue!

 

[E-Wu Tang Clan]

Because Eastern doesn’t pay as well as so many comparable jobs, hiring someone that has an honest emotional connection to the university and perhaps is motivated by something other than $$$$ only is helpful.

Fisk might be an option as this would represent enough of a forward step to justify it.

McElwain, Baldwin, and maybe even a guy like Jimmy Lake in Atlanta could be options if they are willing to take a step down in pay. With McElwain and Lake, they’re already wealthy enough that a pay decrease won’t affect them much at this stage in their life. Obviously, both are true Eastern guys.

Reeder doesn’t seem to fit for me only because he really has no NW connections other than having briefly at Eastern. We were no more than a pit stop for him. McCann is interesting, but the future for Fresno is looking up and he’s likely to make far more staying. He’s not a guy that has the bankroll to take a lower paying job.

If McElwain keeps having losing seasons he won't get a new contract and probably won't get any interest from any other FBS team at least as head coach.

Baldwin is already in that boat in that he won't get another head coach or coordinator job in the FBS with his record. I don't know how much the CFL pays its QB coaches but I'm guessing its not a ton. So he has to take a pay cut.

Eastern still plays twice as much as FCS coordinators or D2 coaches. I'm sure plenty of up and coming coaches would love to double their salary and advance their career. That's how shit works in the NFL and FBS I don't know why you think it would be different for us dude.

 

[1988eagle]

As a diehard Eagle fan I finally have to speak my mind. AB is a great ambassador for eagle football and has made some great contributions to the Eagle football program. Without a doubt I positively feel like he has run this program into the ground.
He has had some success in the years of 2017-2021. The majority of those FB players were Beau Baldwin recruits. You could see the gradual decrease from the 2018 season where they made the FCS championship game. Remember that he some high level asst coaches, troy taylor. zak hill.) jeff sckmedling come to mind(now the wsu defensive coordinator )etc. In his defense the eastern asst coaches once they get success move on to greener pastures. However, BB seemed to always attract good assistant coaches to his program. Coach best doesn't seem to attract good assistant coaches nor does it seem that he coach up assistant coaches and make them better. In talking with a well known player who played on the 2018 fcs championship team he told me that the asst coaches and some players either really like Coach best or dont really respect him. I believe the latter, look at the all the asst coaches that have bailed on him.

This same player even said Coach best even burned his bridges with Cooper Kupp and his brother Ketner.



Lets not kid ourselves about the great disparity in talent that Beau baldwin could bring in versus Coach Best. Its not even close, BB had guys drafted into the NLF and CFL In the last four years not one EWU football player that Coach Best has recruited has made the CFL or NFL. ( on a side note, I remember watching EWU play the Huskies during the BB era and I thought there four or five guys who could have started for the huskies. When EWU can get that same type of talent it will be relevant again.





Finally, Coach Best does not seem to be put a premium on getting defensive line recruits on campus for some odd reason. He seems to recruit a ton of of offensive line man and not a stud defensive lineman. The same can be said at running back, tuna athair is not the answer, good running rb but no breakaway speed. We don't have a Rb who is a serious threat( think dennis merritt, quincy forte), We have a stable of RB who are serviceable but not great. OUR QB has a good arm bit not great. These myriad of problems can be fixed and they stand out like a sore thumb.


In closing, when the EWU president RUDY Arevalo was around he understood that athletics help a university great . Now we suck and still play on a glorified high school football field. Its sad that we missed all momentum to put EWU at the top. The athletic department and the the who EWU administration missed the boat

 

[LDopaPDX]

If McElwain keeps having losing seasons he won't get a new contract and probably won't get any interest from any other FBS team at least as head coach.

Baldwin is already in that boat in that he won't get another head coach or coordinator job in the FBS with his record. I don't know how much the CFL pays its QB coaches but I'm guessing its not a ton. So he has to take a pay cut.

Eastern still plays twice as much as FCS coordinators or D2 coaches. I'm sure plenty of up and coming coaches would love to double their salary and advance their career. That's how shit works in the NFL and FBS I don't know why you think it would be different for us dude.

CFL doesn’t pay well. Never has.

 

[LDopaPDX]

This thread is really cowardly. You all have the guy terminated while you hide behind a screen name. OK we are 1 win and 2 close loses, give the staff some support rather than a noose.
Get a life!
Cal Clausen

This is a valid point. One thing I’ve learned is the fans who often complain the loudest are the ones with the least skin in the game. Let’s be straight, if we had more people buying tickets and donating to the program, we likely aren’t in the situation we’re in now. This is on everyone. But the head coach is always gonna be the one who wears it.

But the ROI for Best is in a bad place. The AD put together an extremely favorable schedule. We’re 1-2 with two close losses, but we’ve played 3 bad teams and lost to two of them. It costs money to bring in Monmouth and Drake, that’s why we so rarely get games like this.

 

[E-Wu Tang Clan]

This is a valid point. One thing I’ve learned is the fans who often complain the loudest are the ones with the least skin in the game. Let’s be straight, if we had more people buying tickets and donating to the program, we likely aren’t in the situation we’re in now. This is on everyone. But the head coach is always gonna be the one who wears it.

But the ROI for Best is in a bad place. The AD put together an extremely favorable schedule. We’re 1-2 with two close losses, but we’ve played 3 bad teams and lost to two of them. It costs money to bring in Monmouth and Drake, that’s why we so rarely get games like this.

Best is on the last year of his contract and Eastern is losing to bad teams. I don't know how it could be any more obvious he is gone at the end of the season. That's not complaining. That's moving on.

Yep we paid $285,000 to a non scholarship team to lose at home. Let that sink in.

Unlike their game in Week 3 at Southeastern Louisiana, this game is not part of a home-and-home; the Eagles won’t be making a return trip to Des Moines, Iowa. Eastern will pay Drake $285,000 for playing in Cheney, according to reporting by fbschedules.com. (It paid Monmouth $250,000 for last week’s game.)

Eastern Washington wary of upset-minded Drake despite lack of success outside Pioneer League

As the head coach of the Drake University football team, Todd Stepsis is all about putting his players in memorable situations.

www.spokesman.com

 

[marceagfan5]

This thread is really cowardly. You all have the guy terminated while you hide behind a screen name. OK we are 1 win and 2 close loses, give the staff some support rather than a noose.
Get a life!
Cal Clausen

While I understand this to a point you have to be realistic here. 2 years ago we went 3-8, last year we went 4-7, this year we are 1-2 with a VERY difficult stretch ahead and its very likely we don't win more than 2 or 3 games this year.

Perhaps everyone on here wants a better football team, heck, this is a fan football board. No one is knocking Best as an individual, he's a great guy, great EWU guy, has done great things here, but recently things have really slipped, he's at the end of his contract and its just flat common sense to know these conversations are taking place at all levels.

 

[LDopaPDX]

As a diehard Eagle fan I finally have to speak my mind. AB is a great ambassador for eagle football and has made some great contributions to the Eagle football program. Without a doubt I positively feel like he has run this program into the ground.
He has had some success in the years of 2017-2021. The majority of those FB players were Beau Baldwin recruits. You could see the gradual decrease from the 2018 season where they made the FCS championship game. Remember that he some high level asst coaches, troy taylor. zak hill.) jeff sckmedling come to mind(now the wsu defensive coordinator )etc. In his defense the eastern asst coaches once they get success move on to greener pastures. However, BB seemed to always attract good assistant coaches to his program. Coach best doesn't seem to attract good assistant coaches nor does it seem that he coach up assistant coaches and make them better. In talking with a well known player who played on the 2018 fcs championship team he told me that the asst coaches and some players either really like Coach best or dont really respect him. I believe the latter, look at the all the asst coaches that have bailed on him.

This same player even said Coach best even burned his bridges with Cooper Kupp and his brother Ketner.



Lets not kid ourselves about the great disparity in talent that Beau baldwin could bring in versus Coach Best. Its not even close, BB had guys drafted into the NLF and CFL In the last four years not one EWU football player that Coach Best has recruited has made the CFL or NFL. ( on a side note, I remember watching EWU play the Huskies during the BB era and I thought there four or five guys who could have started for the huskies. When EWU can get that same type of talent it will be relevant again.





Finally, Coach Best does not seem to be put a premium on getting defensive line recruits on campus for some odd reason. He seems to recruit a ton of of offensive line man and not a stud defensive lineman. The same can be said at running back, tuna athair is not the answer, good running rb but no breakaway speed. We don't have a Rb who is a serious threat( think dennis merritt, quincy forte), We have a stable of RB who are serviceable but not great. OUR QB has a good arm bit not great. These myriad of problems can be fixed and they stand out like a sore thumb.


In closing, when the EWU president RUDY Arevalo was around he understood that athletics help a university great . Now we suck and still play on a glorified high school football field. Its sad that we missed all momentum to put EWU at the top. The athletic department and the the who EWU administration missed the boat

There is a lot right about this post. Arevalo retiring was such a huge issue. The next Pres was atrocious and undid all of the great things Arevalo did. By the time she was canned, the university had regressed to where it was in the 80s…. No students and no money. It took a while for this to crush the football program, but our peer institutions plowed forward while Eastern took on water. Fixing this won’t be easy, but getting another forward-thinking, growth-minded leader would sure help.

And yeah, the talent- both on the field and amongst the coaches- has seen a non-stop steady decline. To say we aren’t getting guys who can even get a look from the NFL is the least of our problems. How many players do we have that are All Conference? You could make an argument our best players are at best barely Third Team All Big Sky, and even then it’s only 3 or 4 guys.

As for the DL, that’s a weird one. I really thought landing Anthony James was going to be a massive infusion of talent. And yet, he doesn’t even play. I don’t know what to make of it. The only thing I can think is he’s being redshirted. Otherwise, it makes no sense.

 

[Obzerver]

Who decided, pushed for and ok'd spending 1/2 million in one season and getting two winable D1 teams? Great job specially when money is always a big issue. Was it Lynn Hickey thinking we'd be ready for a playoff run. Or did new AD Tim Collins swing this with his new arrival?
In this day and age off season player acquisition if what can make it or break it. DLine always the toughest crew to get..specially DTackles. We aren't bringing in enough game changers. EWU Football is on the clock and we didn't help things out with this start.

 

[E-Wu Tang Clan]

Who decided, pushed for and ok'd spending 1/2 million in one season and getting two winable D1 teams? Great job specially when money is always a big issue. Was it Lynn Hickey thinking we'd be ready for a playoff run. Or did new AD Tim Collins swing this with his new arrival?
In this day and age off season player acquisition if what can make it or break it. DLine always the toughest crew to get..specially DTackles. We aren't bringing in enough game changers. EWU Football is on the clock and we didn't help things out with this start.

Apparently we only get $400k for the Nevada game. So this whole probably 2 win season is going to put us in the red and not just the field.

The Wolf Pack also will get $150,000 to play at Troy while requiring payments of $400,000 to Eastern Washington and $100,000 to Georgia Southern for home games at Mackay Stadium.

How Nevada football will make $1.3 million from its non-conference games in 2024

Thanks to Nevada football playing its seventh seven-figure paycheck game and getting a rare payout to host a power-conference school, the Wolf Pack will turn a

nevadasportsnet.com