Mike Sando

The grass at Woodward Stadium remains. That means Eastern Washington won't be playing many football games on paper this season. Head coach Mike Kramer is grateful. "On paper, we've got nothing," Kramer said Friday afternoon, after the Eagles' first practice of the 1995 season. "You're new on the defensive line, you're young in the secondary, your quarterback has thrown only one pass against competition, your tailbacks have never really run for a lot of yardage, your offensive line has never pushed anybody off the ball. So on paper, man, it doesn't look good."

McElwain

Spokane has scored a major decision against three major-league cities, securing the 1996 Final Olympic Trials for Freestyle Wrestling to be held next June 7-8 at the new Veternas Memorial Arena. "This is a culmination of a six-year strategic plan," said Toby Steward, president of the Spokane Organizing Committee, which helped bring the event here over bids from Houston, Pittsburgh and Oakland, Calif. The event determines which 10 wrestlers, plus 10 alternates, will represent the United States at the 1996 Games in Atlanta.

The Woodward Stadium football field, mangled beyond recognition by the end of last season, featured green plant life that looked suspiciously similar to grass Saturday afternoon. The Eastern Washington defense blended in.

EWU's new head basketball coach, Steve Aggers, right, greets fans at press conference. Photo by Craig Buck/The Spokesman-Review

Aggers

Kansas State men's basketball assistant Steve Aggers was offered the head coaching job at Eastern Washington on Sunday evening, shortly after former Idaho coach Kermit Davis declined the university's offer. Aggers, 44, will speak with EWU president Dr. Mark Drummond this morning. "Right now, I just need to get a few specifics worked out and talk to them about some detail things and then make a decision," said Aggers, who was nearly hired to succeed Tom Asbury as Pepperdine coach last year. Aggers, head coach at College of Great Falls (Mont.) from 1979-85, ended up following Asbury to Kansas State. Drummond had offered the job to Davis on Thursday, hours after interviewing Seattle Pacific coach Ken Bone, the third finalist. "That's not bad - I came in third out of three," Bone quipped. "Steve will do a great job (if hired). I think Steve's a good choice. Hopefully, he'll get it going in the right direction. That would be great for Eastern." Davis, 35, was given the weekend to consider Drummond's offer. "It was the toughest decision I've had to make professionally," Davis said. An assistant at Utah State since last September, Davis has moved five times since 1990 - a reality that has been particularly difficult for 7-year-old daughter Alli, who has Down's syndrome. "If this was a year later, or two years later, it would have been a decision that I think we would have done," Davis said. "It's just the thing of moving Alli again and our family again after 7 months." Aggers is also eager to become a Division I head coach - enough so to take a pay cut. "I'd be taking a salary cut to go there, no matter what," said Aggers, who earns $75,000 at Kansas State. "That's just the way it is. I'm the top assistant at a Big Eight Conference school, so the resources here are a little different." John Wade, fired as coach after going 34-98 in five seasons at EWU, signed a one-year contract worth $45,547 before last season. "But that's another thing I can't be concerned about," Aggers added. "I mean, money is not the only thing when you're talking about a job. Opportunities and quality of life for your family and those kind of things - living where you want to live - I mean, that obviously factors well, also." Aggers left Great Falls in 1985 to become head coach at Wayne State College in Nebraska, where he coached until joining Asbury at Pepperdine in 1990. Aggers and Asbury were assistants at Wyoming in 1978-79. Aggers appeared to be the leading candidate to replace Asbury at Pepperdine until that university's president intervened. "That's a real touchy subject with me," Aggers offered, leaving it at that. When Aggers learned Saturday that Drummond had offered Davis the EWU job, he had visions of Pepperdine. "I talked to one of the assistant athletic directors on Friday," Aggers said Saturday, referring to a conversation with EWU's Ron Raver. "He kind of indicated maybe I'm wrong that the selection committee and the athletic director kind of wanted me and the president wants Kermit because he's proven he can win in that league." All was forgotten Sunday. "They didn't say a word whether they had offered it to anybody else," Aggers rejoined. "That doesn't concern me, really. I mean, Roy Williams was the sixth choice at Kansas ... and look what happened. That doesn't offend my ego or bother me in the slightest." Drummond could not be reached Sunday. EWU athletic director John Johnson confirmed Davis had withdrawn, but was unaware Aggers had been offered the job. Davis was the highest-profile candidate, for reasons impressive and dubious. He coached Idaho from 1988-90, leading the Vandals to consecutive 25-6 seasons, but had his reputation damaged by scandal shortly after leaving to coach Texas A&M.; Allegations of recruiting violations, coupled with the university's claim that Davis lied to A&M; investigators, forced him to resign after just one season. Now, after an unsuccessful run at the Idaho job two years ago and Sunday's decision, Davis will call Logan, Utah, home for the immediate future. "The other decisions (to accept jobs) kind of came pretty easy," Davis said. "I really believed that it was probably the best thing professionally for me now to be a Division I head coach, but just the family things that we talked about, it outweighed professionally this time."

Kermit Davis will speak Monday with the president of Eastern Washington University in a phone conversation that will likely determine whether Davis becomes the school's next men's basketball coach, a source indicated Saturday. EWU president Dr. Mark Drummond is in Seattle this weekend. Davis, an assistant at Utah State, coached at Idaho from 1988-90. Davis could not be reached at his home in Logan, Utah. The other candidates are Seattle Pacific coach Ken Bone and Kansas State assistant Steve Aggers.

Kermit Davis

John Wade's voluntary resignation as Eastern Washington University men's basketball coach turned out to be a firing. The settlement that didn't exist turned out to be for $75,000.

Second-year Eastern Washington football coach Mike Kramer isn't sure what to expect as spring practices begins today. He has a better idea what not to expect. Namely, a team that will contend for a Big Sky Conference championship. That's what Kramer and an Eagles team stocked with seniors felt justified in expecting one year ago, before awakening to a 4-7 season.

Eastern Washington has narrowed its search for a men's basketball coach to three and today will interview Kermit Davis, a proven winner at Idaho who later resigned from Texas A&M; amid allegations of recruiting violations. Davis, an assistant at Utah State, met with EWU athletic director John Johnson, among others, over dinner Monday night. Kansas State assistant coach Steve Aggers will interview Wednesday, while Seattle Pacific head coach Ken Bone visits Thursday. The job became available when John Wade was fired April 6. Davis coached Idaho to a 50-12 record from 1988-90, then left for Texas A&M.; He lasted one season, going 8-21 before his March 1991 resignation. Davis then spent three years at a Florida junior college before joining Larry Eustachy's staff at Utah State. Eustachy had been an assistant to Davis at Idaho, and coached three years there after Davis left. Davis' record on the court, including consecutive 25-6 seasons at UI, is hard to overlook. But so is his record with the NCAA, which put him on two years' probation in 1991 after Texas A&M; officials said he repeatedly furnished false or misleading information when questioned regarding alleged recruiting violations. That baggage doomed Davis two years ago, when he was a finalist to replace Eustachy at Idaho. "You hire guys about character, and I think they know I have good character," Davis said. "People in this area know me, and know what we represented at Idaho." Like Davis and Bone, Aggers has ties to the West, most recently as an assistant to Tom Asbury at Pepperdine from 1990-94. The Waves visit Gonzaga annually in West Coast Conference play. "Coming to Spokane to play at Gonzaga," Aggers said, "the quality of life is very appealing to me and my family." Aggers followed Asbury to Kansas State before last season. The two spent the 1978-79 season as assistants at Wyoming. The 44-year-old Aggers compiled a 287-196 (.594) record in his three head coaching jobs - at Mid-Plains (Neb.) Community College from 1974-78; at College of Great Falls (Mont.) from 1979-85; and at Wayne State (Neb.) College from 1985-90. "While at Pepperdine we recruited extensively in the Northwest," he said. "I've always felt there are a lot of quality players in the Northwest. I'm guessing there are 10-12 players from the state of Washington on other Big Sky rosters." Bone, 36, led Seattle Pacific to a 20-9 record this season and into the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division II tournament. In five seasons, the former SPU player has guided the Falcons to a 99-46 (.682) record. "Seattle Pacific University being in Division II basketball and being a small Christian school is not always an easy sell to a prospective college basketball athlete," said Bone, whose brother, Len, coached at University High. "It's not easy to land top prospects at a university like (SPU). "But we've been able to get those kinds of players and have success at the Division II level. Like last year's team, every player on this team was from Washington except two." Bone is the only candidate without Division I experience. EWU expects to name Wade's replacement by early next week.

Don Monson has met with Eastern Washington athletic director John Johnson regarding the men's basketball coaching vacancy, and the former coach is seriously considering applying for the position. A former head coach at Idaho and Oregon, Monson has been out of college coaching since fired by the Ducks in March 1992. The EWU job became available when John Wade was fired last week after five seasons. "It looks to me like it's definitely a workable situation," Monson said Thursday, "and I just had to talk to them a little bit about assistants, about assistants' pay, about budget."

John Wade was fired as Eastern Washington men's basketball coach last week, and will be paid $75,000 by the university as part of a settlement after Wade threatened a lawsuit and alleged racial discrimination. According to a copy of the seven-page settlement provided by the university, Wade alleged racial discrimination after learning of "reassignment in his employment position." Wade's resignation from the university, announced Thursday, is part of the settlement and becomes official June 30. EWU then has 10 days to pay the $75,000.

John Wade couldn't find winning formula at EWU. Photo by Dan Pelle/The Spokesman-Review

Coaches, friends and teammates were having a difficult time Tuesday understanding the death of former Eastern Washington University star defensive tackle Craig Steinmetzer, who apparently committed suicide in his Streeter Hall dorm room early Saturday. "We were all pretty much in shock Saturday," said EWU head coach Mike Kramer, who worked out Friday with Steinmetzer, 21, and had planned a bike ride with him for Sunday. "The kid had been working out in hopes of a possibility of an NFL tryout," Kramer added, "and had been doing really well in school and making progress toward obtaining his degree. All the signs were that he was healthy and enjoying life."

In preparation for Saturday night's boys State A championship against Medical Lake, the Cashmere Bulldogs spent several hours reviewing film. Not just any film, but the tape of the 1986 title game, when Cashmere won its last state crown. Good vibes, the Mustangs reasoned, and they were right.

There was one recurring question after Weber State defeated Eastern Washington 83-74 in men's basketball Thursday night at Reese Court. Who was guarding Weber forward Kirk Smith? Smith wasn't sure, and didn't much care. "Coach just said to get the ball inside so I could do my work," explained Smith, Weber's 6-foot-7 forward from Belize.

A slimmer Melvin Lewis (left) has become a bigger force for the Eastern Washington men. Photo by Dan Pelle/The Spokesman-Review

Kramer

Eastern Washington jumped off the Melvin Lewis Express a couple of stops too soon, and it cost the Eagles a chance at their first Big Sky Conference victory since 1992-93. The leaner, meaner Lewis - 23 pounds lighter than the 290 his 6-foot-8 frame carried a few weeks back - powered Eastern into a six-point lead with 10 minutes to play, then went mostly ignored as Montana rallied for a 74-65 men's basketball victory before 2,178 at Reese Court. "He should've been getting the ball at the end," said EWU off-guard D'mitri Rideout, whose 0-for-8 shooting display kept him scoreless after a 16-point performance the previous night. "If we would keep on feeding him the pill, we would've won the game."

Dribbling into a trap is easier than dribbling out of one, as Eastern Washington probably knows after Friday night's 74-55 men's basketball loss to Montana State. "We were just like a bunch of chickens running around with our heads cut off," Eagles point guard Brett Thompson observed. "We really showed no poise."

Eastern Washington University's recruiting strategy couldn't accurately be described as get-rich-quick. After finishing 4-7 last season, despite a roster full of seniors, getmiddle-class-quick is more like it.

Eastern Washington University's recruiting strategy couldn't accurately be described as get-rich-quick. After finishing 4-7 last season, despite a roster full of seniors, get-middle-class-quick is more like it. Second-year coach Mike Kramer and his staff pursued more junior college talent this offseason than in the past as part of an effort to add experience to what Kramer called a "frightfully" inexperienced team.