Grip on Sports: Beau Baldwin, Mike Kramer and the deep roots of Eastern Washington football

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Beau Baldwin is a heck of a football coach. The Eastern Washington head man has done things that no other Eagle coach has ever done, including win a national title. But this weekend, he goes into Eastern’s final regular season home game as an underdog. No, not on the field. In the press conference’s. He’s about a 2,000-word underdog actually. That’s because Mike Kramer is returning to town. Read on.

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• Eastern has had some really successful football coaches. Red Reese back in the Depression days. Dave Holmes back in the ‘60s. Dick Zornes. Paul Wulff.

But Baldwin is the most successful of them all. Four Big Sky titles in eight seasons. A .709 winning percentage. A national title.

Yet, Baldwin isn’t the most quoted coach of all time. That honor would go to Kramer, who brings Idaho State to Cheney this Saturday.

And rightfully so. In his six seasons at Eastern – from 1994 to 1999 – the Colton native said, according to my personal records, 2,345,782 funny and/or outrageous things.

OK, I exaggerate. It was just 2,345,781.

Kramer was, and is, a quote machine. He was while a head coach at Eastern. He was at Montana State, the school he bolted to as the 20th Century wound down. He was even as he was losing his job in Bozeman and had to take an unpaid spot on Wulff’s Washington State staff. He has been during his time in Pocatello.

But Kramer is more than just a funny man. The Big Human, as his friends call him, is a fine college coach, despite his record at Idaho State (14-34, including 2-7 this season). Talk to most guys who have played for him over the years and they will tell you that. And they’ll tell you how much he cares for them, an underrated commodity in the sport.

His Eastern teams might not have had the success Baldwin’s have had, but that’s OK. The trio of Zornes, Kramer and Wulff built a foundation in Cheney. Baldwin, who worked for Wulff, took over and has taken the program to unprecedented heights.

The Eagles today are the outgrowth of all that work – and Baldwin’s abilities.

And yet Eastern’s head coach, as articulate as he is, goes into the weekend an underdog. But only off the field.

• Yesterday marked the first day of the NCAA fall signing period for all sports except football. Which means all over America young men and women realized a dream.

They have earned a chance. A chance at a college education paid for, in whole or in part, by their hard work and sweat. A chance to continue playing the sport they love at a higher level.

The nation focuses its eyes on the stars. Lists are compiled, ratings made. The high-profile schools sign high-profile players, the merits of whom are debated from ESPN to Bleacher Report and we move on.

But the vast majority of those signing letters of intent yesterday do so in the relative quiet of their school, accompanied by their friends and their families. It doesn’t make their journey any less special. In fact, it may make it more so.

In their corner of the world, the spotlight may not burn as bright. There may not be TV cameras or newspaper reporters present. It doesn’t matter.

Those nights spent dreaming about hitting the winning shot or making the big stop, the time spent in a gym or on a field dripping with perspiration, those are what matter. And mattered yesterday when their signature was attached to a contract with a school. In front of the people that matter to them.

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• WSU: There was football news and basketball news yesterday from Pullman, so which do you want first? … Basketball it is. Jacob Thorpe has a story on the junior college teammates Ernie Kent signed in the early period. … Jacob also has the football news, including a long story on the five most exciting finishes of the Mike Leach era. The first game he picked still gives Cougar fans nightmares. … There are his picks, the transcript of his live chat from yesterday and video of what Mike Leach had to say after practice. It’s a subject that may pertain to Larry Stone’s column today. … Tom Clouse has a story on the Robert Barber allegations and possible charges. … Dale Grummert of Lewiston has this feature on speedy Nnamdi Oguayo. … The Times Stefanie Loh previews the Cougar women’s basketball season. … California’s Davis Webb grew up wanting to be a Mike Leach quarterback.

Elsewhere in Pac-12, the weekend’s games starting tonight in Tempe, where Utah tries to keep pace in the South at the expense of Arizona State, everyone has their picks. … The trendy upset pick around the nation this weekend is USC at Washington. If the venue was flipped, I might be tempted. But in Husky Stadium, the Dawgs will prevail. … Stanford and Oregon still present a contrast in style, even if no one is watching their game. … UCLA needs a win badly. And Oregon State might just present the perfect path to one. … Everyone things Colorado will roll in the desert at Arizona and the Buffs should. But isn’t it a trap game with WSU on the horizon? … I used to love watching this guy play. … The Huskies signed another top notch basketball class.

• Gonzaga: The Zags had their eyes on Corey Kispert for a long time. Yesterday, the King’s player signed with them. Jim Meehan has the story. There is also a story in the Times. … Gonzaga is looking for a new women’s soccer coach. … BYU held their last exhibition game yesterday, won, and now look forward to challenging Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s in the WCC. … Gonzaga opens the regular season at home Friday against Utah Valley.

• EWU: The Eagles signed four players yesterday, including a player from Australia – don’t they always? – and a player from the North Side of Spokane – Shadle Park’s Tanner Groves, last year’s GSL MVP. Jim Allen has the story. … Jim also has his Big Sky notebook, which includes some typical Mike Kramer banter. … Jim will hold a live chat today at 11 a.m. … Around the Big Sky in football, Southern Utah and BYU have family ties. … In basketball, Weber State has to replace one of its best all-time players.

• Empire: Spokane has added to its coaching staff.

• Preps: The Russell triplets have had a lot to do with Mead’s volleyball success this season. Greg Lee has a feature on the trio. … Greg also has a column concerning North Central cross country coach Jon Knight. … Back to volleyball, we have a preview of the state tournaments. And there is the same with the football playoffs. … We can also offer a roundup of yesterday’s action and a list of local high school players who signed letters of intent on Wednesday.

• Seahawks: There is always something going on off the field with the Hawks, and usually it revolves around Richard Sherman. … Tuesday’s election was a subject of much conversation around locker rooms yesterday and the Hawks were not an exception. … The Patriots have a special place in the memories of Seattle fans – and coaches. … The Hawks know their running game has to improve, no matter who is the main back. … Kam Chancellor was back at practice.

• Mariners: The M’s are trying to improve at shortstop. It won’t be easy. … Danny Hultzen is a free agent, but he’s not giving up.

• Sounders: Seattle has failed more than once as a playoff favorite. Maybe this time the Sounders can prevail as an underdog.

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• I was invited to one of the local signing day events yesterday as one of the players wanted to thank me for the (minor) help I provided. It was an honor just to be asked. Then life got in the way and I couldn’t get out of the house. It struck me as ironic. The retired guy getting stuck at home. Anyway, congratulations Tanner. Until later …