Bill Doba is a crowd pleaser. In a world filled with premature firings and coaches taking the money and running to the best-paying schools, reluctant to take on competitive challenges, the Washington State coach remains an enigma in the Palouse.
Not only does Doba defy modern coaching logic, he seems to always do it with a positive attitude and a quick-witted line to match.
While many coaches suck the life out of press conferences - that means you, Bill Belichick - you can always look to Doba for a funny, candid response.
When preparing to face USC in 2005, Doba may have summed up Reggie Bush in one sentence: "If you've got a linebacker covering him, you might as well start singing their fight song."
It doesn't matter if he's on the sidelines, at a pregame press conference or chatting it up with boosters - Doba only knows one thing, and that's being himself.
"[Former WSU running back] Jerome Harrison said players should start dressing up more," Doba said following the 2004 season. "He said, 'Players at schools like Stanford, Notre Dame and the UW dress up.' I said, 'And every one of those coaches got fired.' He said, 'maybe we'll just dress down again this year.'"
During that same meeting, Doba was once again talking candidly about his ability to get players to come play for him, referring especially to current wide receiver Michael Bumpus.
"He was a USC reject. Thank God, I'll talk [to] all their rejects."
See, the thing about Doba is that he's modest yet remains overwhelmingly honest. While it may not seem like that heroic of a characteristic to have, it's becoming tougher and tougher to find this sort of relationship between the media and coaches.
In a conference where coaches come and go more than the tide, Doba remains loyal. He's been a coach for the Cougars since 1989 - a tenure only Oregon coach Mike Bellotti can match. Doba served as the team's defensive coordinator for 13 seasons before replacing Mike Price as head coach for the 2003 season.
Can you imagine if Norm Chow had remained an offensive coordinator under Pete Carroll for 13 seasons, turning down other coaching opportunities in favor of remaining an overshadowed, underappreciated assistant?
Me neither.
After finally getting the promotion to head coach, Doba once again surprised everyone by leading his Cougars to a win over No. 5 Texas at the Holiday Bowl. The Cougars became the first Pac-10 team since the 1931-1933 Trojans to win 10 games in three straight seasons.
Still, behind Doba's animated image, is a coach faced with demanding expectations. After three subpar seasons in which the team failed to win more than six games, Doba suddenly finds himself on the proverbial hot seat from the media and fans.
Challenges remain nothing new for Doba, though. He's made a living on staring adversity right in the eyes and overcoming it, no matter how difficult it may be. At no other time was he tested more than in 2006 when his wife of 43 years, Judy, lost her fight to cancer. All of a sudden, the girl he met as a freshman at Ball State University was no longer there when he got home from work.
Doba's modesty emerged as he kept his wife's battle out of the public eye, not wanting to bring down anyone's spirits or distract his team.
Many in the Cougar family were unaware of his wife's cancer until her battle came to an end. Doba remained true to his character, not using his wife's struggles as motivation for his team or to gain any sympathy from his fans. Doba simply did what he does best: coach football.
Now, facing pressure to win, Doba once again faces a difficult challenge, albeit one that takes place on the football field. Win games and keep his job, or lose and most likely sell that Washington real estate.
After what he's accomplished, think this will be a problem for him?
Doba always seems to have a way of coming out of these issues on top.
Before the season, Doba assumed the duties of defensive coordinator because, as he said, he "realized that he had a lot more time on his hands."
His Cougars are 2-1 on the season, with their only loss coming in the opener against No. 9 Wisconsin.
Going into the game against the No. 1 Trojans, Doba sees it as just another challenge he will love to take on.
"Everyone who wants to play the No. 1 team in the nation comes to Washington State," Doba said on a fan website. "I look at it as a challenge, an opportunity. I mean, how many times in a lifetime are kids going to have a chance to play the No. 1 team in the nation?"
When the Cougars come into the Coliseum on Saturday, lose your voice cheering for the Trojans, but also consider giving a nice round of applause to the man standing on the sideline opposite of Pete Carroll. He deserves it.
- To comment on this story, visit www.dailytrojan.com or e-mail Joe at jsturner@usc.edu
