Washington State Cougars Football History
The Washington State Cougars football program represents Washington State University on the gridiron. The university is located in Pullman, Washington. The first football eleven for Washington State took the field in 1894. That squad, in the early years of the game, played only two games, posting a 1–1 record with the team's first win over a team from Idaho. One of the high points in the history was the unbeaten and untied 1915 team, which the Washington State Senate claimed was the National Champions. William "Lone Star" Dietz coached the squad that year that blanked Brown 14-0 in the Tournament of Roses game. Some fantastic coaches have graced the sidelines for the Cougars over the years, including WIlliam Dietz, WIlliam Goodyear, Babe Hollingbery, Dennis Erickson, Mike Price, and Mike Leach. And the players? Wow, there have been some good ones, including Turk Edwards, Mel Hein, Ryan Leaf, Gardner Minshew, Rueben Mayes, Mark Rypien, and Drew Bledsoe. Cougar football, from the early start of the Washington Agricultural College to the institution it is today, Washington State, is a marvelous look back at gridiron history.
