List of Washington State Cougars head football coaches
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The Washington State Cougars college football team represents the Washington State University in the North Division of the Pac-12 Conference (Pac-12). The Cougars compete as part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. The program has had 37 head coaches and two interim head coaches since it began play during the 1894 season. Since December 2025, Kirby Moore has served as Washington State's head coach.[1]
| General | Overall | Conference | Postseason[A 1] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Order of coaches[A 2] | GC | Games coached | CW | Conference wins | PW | Postseason wins |
| DC | Division championships | OW | Overall wins | CL | Conference losses | PL | Postseason losses |
| CC | Conference championships | OL | Overall losses | CT | Conference ties | PT | Postseason ties |
| NC | National championships | OT | Overall ties[A 3] | C% | Conference winning percentage | ||
| † | Elected to the College Football Hall of Fame | O% | Overall winning percentage[A 4] | ||||
Coaches
| No. | Name | Season(s) [A 6] |
GC | OW | OL | OT | O% | CW | CL | CT | C% | PW | PL | PT | CC | NC | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | William Goodyear | 1894 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.500 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | Fred Waite | 1895 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | David A. Brodie | 1896 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0.833 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | Robert Gailey | 1897 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | Frank Shively | 1898–1899 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.500 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6 8 |
William L. Allen | 1900 1902 |
10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0.650 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | William Namack | 1901 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0.800 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 9 | James N. Ashmore | 1903 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0.500 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 10 | Everett Sweeley | 1904–1905 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0.500 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 11 15 |
John R. Bender | 1906–1907 1912–1914 |
33 | 21 | 12 | 0 | 0.636 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 0.357 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 12 | Walter Rheinschild | 1908 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0.833 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0.667 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 13 | Willis Kienholz | 1909 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0.800 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.800 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — |
| 14 | Oscar Osthoff | 1910–1911 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0.455 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0.333 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 16 | William Henry Dietz† | 1915–1917 | 20 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 0.875 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0.846 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | — | — |
| 17 | Emory Alvord | 1918 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.500 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 18 | Gus Welch† | 1919–1922 | 27 | 16 | 10 | 1 | 0.611 | 11 | 9 | 1 | 0.548 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — | — |
| 19 | Albert Exendine† | 1923–1925 | 23 | 6 | 13 | 4 | 0.348 | 5 | 11 | 4 | 0.350 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — |
| 20 | Babe Hollingbery† | 1926–1942 | 160 | 93 | 53 | 14 | 0.625 | 64 | 42 | 10 | 0.595 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — | — |
| 21 | Phil Sarboe | 1945–1949 | 46 | 17 | 26 | 3 | 0.402 | 15 | 21 | 3 | 0.423 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — |
| 22 | Forest Evashevski† | 1950–1951 | 19 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 0.632 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 0.500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — |
| 23 | Al Kircher | 1952–1955 | 40 | 13 | 25 | 2 | 0.350 | 10 | 17 | 1 | 0.375 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — |
| 24 | Jim Sutherland | 1956–1963 | 80 | 37 | 39 | 4 | 0.488 | 15 | 12 | 1 | 0.554 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — |
| 25 | Bert Clark | 1964–1967 | 40 | 15 | 24 | 1 | 0.388 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 0.324 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — |
| 26 | Jim Sweeney | 1968–1975 | 86 | 26 | 59 | 1 | 0.308 | 12 | 41 | 1 | 0.231 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — |
| 27 | Jackie Sherrill | 1976 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0.273 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0.286 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — |
| 28 | Warren Powers | 1977 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0.636 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0.429 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — |
| 29 | Jim Walden | 1978–1986 | 100 | 44 | 52 | 4 | 0.460 | 28 | 39 | 3 | 0.421 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — |
| 30 | Dennis Erickson† | 1987–1988 | 23 | 12 | 10 | 1 | 0.543 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 0.433 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — |
| 31 | Mike Price | 1989–2002 | 160 | 82 | 78 | 0 | 0.513 | 49 | 63 | 0 | 0.438 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | — | Bobby Dodd COY (1997) Eddie Robinson COY (1997) Home Depot COY (1997) Sporting News College Football COY (1997) |
| 31 | Bill Doba | 2003–2007 | 59 | 30 | 29 | — | 0.508 | 17 | 25 | — | 0.405 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | — | — |
| 32 | Paul Wulff | 2008–2011 | 49 | 9 | 40 | — | 0.184 | 4 | 32 | — | 0.111 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | — | — |
| 33 | Mike Leach | 2012–2019 | 102 | 55 | 47 | — | 0.539 | 36 | 36 | — | 0.500 | 2 | 4 | — | 0 | — | — |
| 34 | Nick Rolovich | 2020–2021 | 11 | 5 | 6 | — | 0.455 | 4 | 5 | — | 0.444 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | — | — |
| 35 | Jake Dickert | 2021–2024 | 43 | 23 | 20 | — | 0.535 | 9 | 14 | — | 0.391 | 0 | 2 | — | 0 | — | — |
| Int. | Pete Kaligis [A 7] |
2024 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — | .000 | 0 | 0 | — | – | 0 | 1 | — | 0 | — | — |
| 36 | Jimmy Rogers[6] | 2025 | 12 | 6 | 6 | — | 0.500 | 1 | 1 | — | 0.500 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | — | — |
| Int. | Jesse Bobbit | 2025 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 1.000 | 0 | 0 | — | – | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | — | — |
| 37 | Kirby Moore | 2026-N/A[7] | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | – | 0 | 0 | — | – | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | — | — |
Notes
- ↑ Although the first Rose Bowl Game was played in 1902, it has been continuously played since the 1916 game, and is recognized as the oldest bowl game by the NCAA. "—" indicates any season prior to 1916 when postseason games were not played.[2]
- ↑ A running total of the number of head coaches, with coaches who served separate tenures being counted only once. Interim head coaches are represented with "Int" and are not counted in the running total. "—" indicates the team played but either without a coach or no coach is on record. "X" indicates an interim year without play.
- ↑ Overtime rules in college football were introduced in 1996, making ties impossible in the period since.[3]
- ↑ When computing the win–loss percentage, a tie counts as half a win and half a loss.[4]
- ↑ Statistics correct as of the end of the 2025 NCAA Division I FBS football season.
- ↑ Washington State did not field teams in 1943 and 1944 due to World War II.
- ↑ Pete Kaligis was named interim head coach for the 2024 Holiday Bowl, following the resignation of Jake Dickert as head coach.[5]
References
- ↑ Bonagura, Kyle (December 12, 2025). "Washington State names Missouri OC Kirby Moore head coach". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
- ↑ National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) (2011). Bowl/All-Star Game Records (PDF). Indianapolis, Indiana: NCAA. pp. 5–10. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 5, 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
- ↑ Whiteside, Kelly (August 25, 2006). "Overtime system still excites coaches". USA Today. McLean, Virginia. Archived from the original on September 6, 2010. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
- ↑ Finder, Chuck (September 6, 1987). "Big plays help Paterno to 200th". The New York Times. New York City. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved October 22, 2009.
- ↑ Londergan, Joe (December 18, 2024). "Who Is Interim Washington State Head Coach Pete Kaligis?". SI.com. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
- ↑ Rittenberg, Adam; Low, Chris (December 28, 2024). "Washington St. hires SDSU's Jimmy Rogers to 5-year deal to coach team". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
- ↑ Staff, CougCenter (December 12, 2025). "BREAKING: WSU to hire Kirby Moore as their next head football coach". CougCenter. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
- ↑ "2012 NCAA Football Records – FBS Individual Records" (PDF). ncaa.org. 2012. p. 65. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
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