Doba Gives Defense A Lift Assistant’s Internal Drive Has Helped Make Cougars Tough To Move Ball Against
Bill Doba works without a contract. His boss has the right to fire him without warning. There is no grievance committee.
“That creates great loyalty,” Doba said, laughing earnestly, “and a great work ethic. You either get it done or you’re gone.”
Washington State’s 57-year-old defensive coordinator has been getting it done for 36 years, the last nine under Mike Price at WSU.
Doba’s 1994 defense allowed just 2.0 yards per rushing attempt and ranked among the nation’s statistical leaders.
Three years later, Doba finds himself working in the shadow of the most prolific offense in Pacific-10 Conference history. His defense, meanwhile, gave up 25 points per game, although it showed signs of improvement.
“I realized how dumb I could become in one summer when Mark Fields and Ron Childs and all those guys left (after the ‘94 season),” Doba cracked. “It’s amazing.”
While much of the Rose Bowl hype has centered on the matchup between WSU’s offense and Michigan’s defense, Doba has been quietly working as hard as ever.
He knows, for example, that Michigan’s offense has run 134 plays with one running back, compared to 84 out of two-back formations.
Assistant coaches can spend hours analyzing such nuances, and they generally do. But that’s not why they coach.
“The real rewarding part is seeing a Brandon Moore come in here as a little snot-nosed kid and come out of here a man,” said Doba, the father of three grown children. “To see a guy like Leon Bender, who’s coming out of here married and being a good father and has a chance to go on.
“A Todd Nelson walks on. He’s got some physical shortcomings - he’s not Mark Fields - but he’s tough and he’s giving you everything he’s got and he’s doing a helluva job. You get tight with those kids.”
And you win. Or you move on.
The pressure can be intense.
“As an assistant coach, if I don’t do my job, it affects 10 families,” Doba said.
That’s the reality. If Bill Doba or Lawrence Livingston or Mike Levenseller fails to recruit good players, or if one of them goes home early and doesn’t come up with a solid game plan, the entire coaching staff might be looking for work.
“And now you’re talking about Lawrence and his two little kids, selling their house and moving,” Doba said, using WSU’s offensive line coach as an example. “So there’s a responsibility to each other.”
Most assistants aspire to be head coaches, and it’s easy to see why.
Doba makes roughly $75,000 at WSU - great money in Pullman, but hardly what he might make as a head coach. Price, for example, makes around $200,000 in base salary and outside income, a figure that could double next season.
“So I’m going to make 75 or whatever,” Doba said, “but how many color TVs can you buy? I’ve got a nice house, a good old truck I like to drive, got a little cottage in Michigan.
“The other thing is, and people think I’m crazy, but I love Pullman. You’ve got two stoplights before I get to work. There’s little or no crime. There’s pheasants in my back yard, there’s fishing down the street - steelhead - there’s good skiing. I really enjoy the area.”
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo
MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: THE DOBA FILE Born: Sept. 7, 1940, South Bend, Ind. Years coaching: 36 Education: Graduated from Ball State in 1962 with degree in physical education and minor in mathematics; earned master’s in P.E. from Western Michigan University, 1969. Career recap: Coached high school football in Indiana from 1962-76; assistant under Lee Corso at Indiana University, 1977-82; assistant under Leon Burtnett at Purdue, 1983-86; assistant under Charlie Taaffe at The Citadel, 1987-88; assistant under Mike Price at WSU, 1989-present.