Saneholtz Interim A.D. At WSU

As expected, Marcia Saneholtz has been named interim athletic director at Washington State.

Saneholtz, who has been with WSU for more than 20 years, replaces Rick Dickson. Dickson left WSU for Tulane on March 5.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge,” said Saneholtz. “We will carry on and continue to make progress until the new athletic director is named.”

Lane Rawlins, incoming WSU president, said he did not expect a new athletic director to be named until summer. But current WSU president Sam Smith said in a released statement it could be earlier than that.

“I will be working with incoming president Lane Rawlins to fill the post this spring,” Smith said.

Rawlins, the Memphis president, will not move to Pullman until after his school’s commencement in early May. And while naming a new athletic director is a high priority, there are also several other administration positions he will be required to fill.

Pengelly speaks

Blake Pengelly, who left the WSU men’s basketball team in December because of conflicts with coach Paul Graham, finally broke his silence on the subject.

“… he (Graham) just made it clear, the way he looked a me, like he thought I was the waterboy or something,” Pengelly told The Oregonian in Portland. “I mean, I knew the new coaches would want their own people, but I didn’t think they would be so blatant.

“This year was the future, and it was horrible,” the former point guard said. “It was like seeing a train coming at you and not being able to do anything about it. Not only that, but you have a guy over there who doesn’t respect you, who clearly doesn’t want you. It just gets hard to go fight a war with someone you don’t even like.”

Pengelly was fifth in career assists for the Cougars and had started 56 games. Since his departure, the Cougars are 3-17, 1-15 in the Pac-10.

Pengelly, a Eugene, Ore, native, is scheduled to graduate with his degree in psychology in May.

Building for the future

One of Dickson’s last goals as athletic director was to secure the financing for the Cougars’ indoor practice facility. He appears to have accomplished that goal. Expect a name sponsor to be announced in the next few weeks as well as a total of more than $14 million in commitments.

The facility is projected to be complete by the fall of 2001.

Crosby picked

Senior Chris Crosby has been invited to participate in the Portsmouth (Va.) Invitational Tournament. The PIT showcases the top 64 seniors who may not be on the radar of pro scouts.

Crosby, a 6-foot-8 wing, is averaging 15.5 points per game and four rebounds. He shoots 43 percent from the field, 39 percent from the 3-point line and 83 percent from the stripe.

Coaching change

Chris Ball, defensive coordinator at Idaho State, is expected to be named to the Cougars football coaching staff in the next few weeks. Ball will replace Craig Bray as the secondary coach. Bray left last month to become the defensive coordinator at Oregon State.

Ball’s defense allowed 39 points per game, 264 rushing yards and 227 passing yards. Ball has coached the past two years with Aaron Price, the son of Cougars coach Mike Price. Both were at Missouri Western in 1998. This was Ball’s first year in Pocatello under former Cougars assistant Larry Lewis. The Bengals were 3-8.

Ball was an All-America defensive back for Missouri Western in the mid-80s, and still ranks among the school leaders in all-time interceptions.