Keep Price And All That Is Right With WSU

Guest columnist

As the student body president at Washington State University, I want to present a little different perspective to this past season of Cougar football that ended so unrepresentative of what we have accomplished as a team at the Apple Cup.

Obviously, the student body at Washington State University supports our team, as the full student section of Martin Stadium is about the most consistent thing about Cougar football since the Rose Bowl year. But, regardless of the overall low attendance and the disappointing record, the football team that we all witnessed this year is a perfect example of the point I want to make.

Being a Cougar is about so much more than a postseason berth, or a whipping of the Huskies at Apple Cup. I know that sounds pretty fluffy and maybe a little too forgiving of the reality that we, as students, all walked home from Martin Stadium with a pit in our stomachs five times this year, but I do ask you to consider what is good about our program.

Don’t get me wrong, I am still sick to my stomach that the Huskies beat us so badly in our stadium. I hate the color purple, and I despise losing to that school, but when we do, it does serve as a great reminder that the team we cheer for and the program we have are about more than what happens between the lines on Saturday.

It is for that reason, that I am puzzled as I hear the criticism of a disappointing football record fall on coach Mike Price’s shoulders.

Some of my most amazing memories at WSU have revolved around football games, and I have had the opportunity to see Coach Price up close on the sidelines, in the locker room and outside of the competitive arenas of his job.

Through many interactions, it has become very obvious to me that Mike Price is a true gentleman, a fine coach and great representative of WSU.

The fact that WSU athletics lack the facilities that nearly every other school in the nation has, that we have the smallest budget in our league, and that we face unique recruiting problems, has not stopped Mike Price and his staff from demonstrating exemplary character.

I have seen Price hug a senior, with tears in his eyes, and whisper in his ear that he loved having him play so hard for him. I have been in classes where Price has shared his philosophy of leadership with the class so they can see how leadership is implemented in football. I have attended alumni events that Price dedicated himself to without prompting. I have watched Price embrace a player, whose simple mistake cost the team the game, and ultimately direct the blame to himself.

These are things that should mean something.

We have a fine football coach at Washington State University who has dedicated himself to our university and most importantly, his players.

I wish every student and fan could have the amazing chance to actually be present at many of the situations I have been able to see with Mike Price.

When you see what really goes on behind the scenes of a sport, or even the entire WSU athletic department, you begin to see that our athletes represent so much of what makes WSU the place it is.

Our athletic affiliation at WSU links and associates us with nine other fine academic institutions, it represents us to national audiences, and it allows some of our best and brightest to shine.

It is probably unfortunate that the sport of football has such a great effect on our university, but the reality is that it does have a massive impact at WSU.

For this reason, it is vitally important that we have leaders in our athletic department and specifically on the football coaching staff who represent what we are all about. Mike Price and his staff do that and for that, they must be commended.

As students and the ultimate representatives of WSU, we should be proud of a person who does reflect what it means to be a Coug.

I wanted to go to a bowl game this year and I wanted to beat the Huskies this year.

I really wanted to shave the head of my friend who is the student body president at the University of Idaho instead of being humiliated as he shaved mine at their homecoming bonfire due to our bet over the outcome of the game.

And, I wanted to have our record reflect the quality of the men who play and the institution they represent, but it simply didn’t wind up that way.

It boils down to a test that faces us all. Can we ultimately realize that football is just a game?

The effort is there, the players have the ability, and the pride of our institution stands strong.

Therefore, the coaches should stay, the alumni should contribute as they always have, and the fans should be proud of what we have, because next year is coming, and being a Cougar is about so much more than bowl games.