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Now the search begins at Eastern
Dave Trimmer
Staff writer
December 11, 2007
With Washington State filling its head football coaching vacancy, attention now shifts to Eastern Washington.
First-year athletic director Bill Chaves faces his first major hiring decision to replace Paul Wulff, who is expected to be announced as the Cougars head coach this afternoon.
Chaves, who was an assistant athletic director at Baylor before coming to EWU this fall, was in Texas visiting his family and did not return phone calls Monday night. Earlier in the day he said he would have no comment until WSU had made its decision.
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Eastern's last two head coaches, Mike Kramer and Wulff, have been promotions within the Eagles staff. Sources have said Chaves' first choice would be Eagles offensive coordinator Todd Sturdy, although others have said Sturdy was likely to go with Wulff.
Sturdy has only been on the Eagles staff for a year, coming to EWU from St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, where he compiled a 58-20 record in six seasons.
However, in his one season at Eastern, the Eagles, who were 3-8 in 2006, had one of the most prolific offenses in the nation and reached the second round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
Eagles quarterback Matt Nichols, who had eight touchdown passes and tied the school record with 17 interceptions as a redshirt freshman, turned that around with a school-record 34 touchdown passes and was named the Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Year.
Jody Sears, a former teammate of Wulff's at WSU, could also be a candidate if he doesn't return to his alma mater. Sears joined Eastern's staff in 2003 after stints as a graduate assistant at Iowa State, defensive coordinator at St. Ambrose with Sturdy, and Army.
Two other recent Eagles offensive coordinators, Timm Rosenbach and Beau Baldwin, would likely receive consideration.
Rosenbach left Eastern after three seasons – two of which were spent as Wulff's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach – in January of 2003 to become the quarterbacks coach at WSU. He was also Wulff's teammate with the Cougars. Baldwin replaced Rosenbach at Eastern in 2003 but returned to his alma mater, Central Washington, this year as the head coach, taking the Wildcats to the Division II playoffs.
Other possibilities with ties to Eastern include former players and coaches Jim McElwain and Jerry Graybeal, along with Kramer.
McElwain is now in his first year as offensive coordinator at Fresno State, which plays Georgia Tech in the Humanitarian Bowl on Dec. 31. In 2006, he was the quarterbacks coach for the Oakland Raiders but the rest of his experience is in college.
McElwain, an EWU quarterback from 1980-83, was an Eagles coach from 1985-94, finishing as the quarterbacks and receivers coach. He was hired by Dick Zornes, who was replaced by Kramer in 1994. He was at Montana State from 1995-99 before going to Louisville and Michigan State.
Kramer had a 37-32 record with the Eagles, with the 1997 team reaching the FBC semifinals, before going to Montana State in 2000, which opened the door for Wulff. Kramer went 40-43 with the Bobcats with two playoff appearances but was dismissed last summer because of legal problems encountered by several of his former MSU players.
Graybeal is currently the athletic director at Weber State. He left Eastern, where he was the defensive coordinator, when Wulff became head coach. A former Eagles player, he served as Weber's head coach from 1998-2004.
Dave Trimmer
Staff writer
December 11, 2007
With Washington State filling its head football coaching vacancy, attention now shifts to Eastern Washington.
First-year athletic director Bill Chaves faces his first major hiring decision to replace Paul Wulff, who is expected to be announced as the Cougars head coach this afternoon.
Chaves, who was an assistant athletic director at Baylor before coming to EWU this fall, was in Texas visiting his family and did not return phone calls Monday night. Earlier in the day he said he would have no comment until WSU had made its decision.
ADVERTISEMENT
Eastern's last two head coaches, Mike Kramer and Wulff, have been promotions within the Eagles staff. Sources have said Chaves' first choice would be Eagles offensive coordinator Todd Sturdy, although others have said Sturdy was likely to go with Wulff.
Sturdy has only been on the Eagles staff for a year, coming to EWU from St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, where he compiled a 58-20 record in six seasons.
However, in his one season at Eastern, the Eagles, who were 3-8 in 2006, had one of the most prolific offenses in the nation and reached the second round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
Eagles quarterback Matt Nichols, who had eight touchdown passes and tied the school record with 17 interceptions as a redshirt freshman, turned that around with a school-record 34 touchdown passes and was named the Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Year.
Jody Sears, a former teammate of Wulff's at WSU, could also be a candidate if he doesn't return to his alma mater. Sears joined Eastern's staff in 2003 after stints as a graduate assistant at Iowa State, defensive coordinator at St. Ambrose with Sturdy, and Army.
Two other recent Eagles offensive coordinators, Timm Rosenbach and Beau Baldwin, would likely receive consideration.
Rosenbach left Eastern after three seasons – two of which were spent as Wulff's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach – in January of 2003 to become the quarterbacks coach at WSU. He was also Wulff's teammate with the Cougars. Baldwin replaced Rosenbach at Eastern in 2003 but returned to his alma mater, Central Washington, this year as the head coach, taking the Wildcats to the Division II playoffs.
Other possibilities with ties to Eastern include former players and coaches Jim McElwain and Jerry Graybeal, along with Kramer.
McElwain is now in his first year as offensive coordinator at Fresno State, which plays Georgia Tech in the Humanitarian Bowl on Dec. 31. In 2006, he was the quarterbacks coach for the Oakland Raiders but the rest of his experience is in college.
McElwain, an EWU quarterback from 1980-83, was an Eagles coach from 1985-94, finishing as the quarterbacks and receivers coach. He was hired by Dick Zornes, who was replaced by Kramer in 1994. He was at Montana State from 1995-99 before going to Louisville and Michigan State.
Kramer had a 37-32 record with the Eagles, with the 1997 team reaching the FBC semifinals, before going to Montana State in 2000, which opened the door for Wulff. Kramer went 40-43 with the Bobcats with two playoff appearances but was dismissed last summer because of legal problems encountered by several of his former MSU players.
Graybeal is currently the athletic director at Weber State. He left Eastern, where he was the defensive coordinator, when Wulff became head coach. A former Eagles player, he served as Weber's head coach from 1998-2004.
