Sadly, it is true-powers outside the sports program or even outside the school itself can eliminate even the most successful of coaches. Coach Dobie was victimized in a simpler time. It is a cautionary tale you spun here, John... and it was done with precision and a clear love of history that many of us share. Appreciated your mention of names from the past that fascinated me as a lad.
Um.. what I read is Gil was fired for standing up for academic excellence and integrity (I.e. star player benched for cheating on an exam, and fellow players didn’t like it)
Mike would have definitely done that and did his first year at WSU in particular on several occasions . I just found it interesting that he was also a lawyer that had a very successful start to his college coaching career only to be pushed out. Some personalities just don't always work in certain environments and Mike was certainly a personality some had trouble with. All in jest and just an similarity that popped out as I read the article.
John, yesterday I was whining about agents that don’t do the right thing, and then I read this from 100 years ago. It reminds me that people are what they are and do what they do. Some good, some bad. Thanks, as always, for reminding us we all have choices about how we live.
I'm hoping you will do a sit down interview with Kalen DeBoer. Seems like a super interesting character, low-key, intense, when necessary, a composed leader.
Very uptown dresser. Great hat. Didn’t even have a logo attached, so it isn’t the outside, it’s what is in the inside. No matter a coach or just anyone of us, that’s wisdom. So what is the resource of the inside we ask ourselves even in our imperfections
Never underestimate the power of those that want to run stuff. A player cheats on an exam, the team backs him up, the coach tells them he will have none of it, the people that want to run stuff don't want to back the coach if it means losing - and then the coach who gets blamed wins anyway. So he is gone, no matter what the student body and the community feel about it. Modern lesson? Quit stewing about the Pac-10 +/- and how you can watch the games. We are lucky they even let us have teams to watch and the privilege of paying for it...
But without football and folks watching there would be far fewer, except perhaps at well-endowed Stanford, there would be far fewer varsity women and non-revenue sports.
If you do have Stanford's endowment, schools are fortunate and fans are lucky we have games to watch.
Stewing about the condition of the Pac-10? SC just signed an OL guy from Wyoming ranked 2 in the portal after signing DL Bear Alexander who ranked number 1. Oregon was on the list for both of these guys. Pac-10 media and survival uncertainty have at least something to do with this.
I'm afraid that a sleeping giant has awakened in LA; one filled with B1G resolve.
What a great history. Thanks for giving it light, even if it is about Washington ;-)
geeked out on this one. love history.
Coach Gil, my kinda guy!
great history lesson.
Sadly, it is true-powers outside the sports program or even outside the school itself can eliminate even the most successful of coaches. Coach Dobie was victimized in a simpler time. It is a cautionary tale you spun here, John... and it was done with precision and a clear love of history that many of us share. Appreciated your mention of names from the past that fascinated me as a lad.
Such a great point. Dobie needed a little more time managing up... Cornell didn't mind though. He went there and won three national titles.
Leave it to UW to fire a coach that never lost a game......Must have been his similarities to Mike Leach.
Um.. what I read is Gil was fired for standing up for academic excellence and integrity (I.e. star player benched for cheating on an exam, and fellow players didn’t like it)
John, thanks for this story!
Mike would have definitely done that and did his first year at WSU in particular on several occasions . I just found it interesting that he was also a lawyer that had a very successful start to his college coaching career only to be pushed out. Some personalities just don't always work in certain environments and Mike was certainly a personality some had trouble with. All in jest and just an similarity that popped out as I read the article.
Ah, I gotcha now, thx Bruce
John, yesterday I was whining about agents that don’t do the right thing, and then I read this from 100 years ago. It reminds me that people are what they are and do what they do. Some good, some bad. Thanks, as always, for reminding us we all have choices about how we live.
Thank you for being here.
Coach Dobie is an unrecognized college football coaching icon, except in Husky circles One of legendary attitude and focus.
“Bow Down” 😎
Good on ya’, John
GO DAWGS
John, great article. You let us learn something new everyday!
I learned something today... happy that you and so many others are here for it.
If they make a movie, Benedict Cumberbatch is a dead ringer for this cat.
Ichabod Crane...
I'm hoping you will do a sit down interview with Kalen DeBoer. Seems like a super interesting character, low-key, intense, when necessary, a composed leader.
I am on it.
Dobie had to go East to win a national championship: 3 consecutive at Cornell. Obviously East Coast bias in the rankings. Laugh
But, during that period, there were several ranking entities.
From 1920-23, Cal was 36-0-2, four “national titles”, coach Andy Smith. Ever heard of him?
His first title team in 1920 was 9-0, outscored opponents 510-14, throttled Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.
What a great story and why I subscribe I boy love history and football!! Thank you again for making reading stories fun again!!
Appreciate you Sallee.
Very uptown dresser. Great hat. Didn’t even have a logo attached, so it isn’t the outside, it’s what is in the inside. No matter a coach or just anyone of us, that’s wisdom. So what is the resource of the inside we ask ourselves even in our imperfections
What an era!
Great story!
Thank you Rob.
Fantastic stroll back in time. Thanks, JC.
Interesting that in today's world of college football, Don James never would have been forced out and Reggie Bush would still have his Heisman Trophy.
You're so right.
Never underestimate the power of those that want to run stuff. A player cheats on an exam, the team backs him up, the coach tells them he will have none of it, the people that want to run stuff don't want to back the coach if it means losing - and then the coach who gets blamed wins anyway. So he is gone, no matter what the student body and the community feel about it. Modern lesson? Quit stewing about the Pac-10 +/- and how you can watch the games. We are lucky they even let us have teams to watch and the privilege of paying for it...
But without football and folks watching there would be far fewer, except perhaps at well-endowed Stanford, there would be far fewer varsity women and non-revenue sports.
If you do have Stanford's endowment, schools are fortunate and fans are lucky we have games to watch.
Stewing about the condition of the Pac-10? SC just signed an OL guy from Wyoming ranked 2 in the portal after signing DL Bear Alexander who ranked number 1. Oregon was on the list for both of these guys. Pac-10 media and survival uncertainty have at least something to do with this.
I'm afraid that a sleeping giant has awakened in LA; one filled with B1G resolve.
Always a tug of war between coaches and admins.
Thanks for this story! That's wild. I'm a UW alum and had heard of Gil, but not much beyond his name.
I went down that rabbit hole! Thank you for being here.