A Grip on Sports: Loyalty comes in all forms, with the WSU coaches who stuck around this week showing their version to this year’s Cougar players

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Ask a bunch of Washington State football fans what they will remember most about this season and you may receive a bunch of answers. Jimmy Rogers’ year-long Pullman visit. The Apple Cup blowout. The oh-so-close games in Virginia and Mississippi. This or that great play or player. For me, what’s happening this week is what I’ll remember.

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• Money, bank vaults full of it, has changed college athletics forever. Of that, I’m sure, there will be no argument from anyone, including the Cougar faithful. Or in this space.

It’s not just the pursuit of it from players, something that was, at the least, hidden from view for a hundred years. It’s the inflation. Running a college football program is rising exponentially year after year.

One of the reasons why is the rocketing cost of coaches’ salaries. Not just head coaches, though someone making more than $10 million a year seems excessive on a college campus – no matter their position. It’s also the amount some programs pay their assistants, after decades of underpaying the people who have always been the players’ true connection to the team’s management.

When there is a chance to a chance to double or triple your salary, it is hard to stay loyal to wherever you are at the moment.

Which brings us to Jesse Bobbit.

When he left South Dakota State and followed Rogers to WSU a year ago, his salary jumped from a reported $115,000 to at least triple that. Though 2025 salaries are not available yet online, Bobbit’s defensive coordinator predecessor in Pullman, Jeff Schmedding, was making more than $600,000 before he was fired by then-coach Jake Dickert a year ago.

Defensive coordinator salaries in the Big 12 are higher. A couple of them make more than a million dollars a season.

Why is that important? Bobbit confirmed Monday what just about everyone knew. He will be following Rogers to Iowa State and serves in the same role he held under him at SDSU and Washington State.

“Excited for that opportunity,” Bobbit, told the S-R’s Greg Woods and others yesterday. “It’s what’s best for myself, my wife, our family and just the career moving forward. I had a lot of great conversations with people here, but I’m excited for that journey.”

But that journey is on hold. At least for another week.

Bobbit has stayed on to guide the Cougars in next Monday’s Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. He is the interim coach, holding down Kirby Moore’s spot while next year’s head man – that’s all we can guarantee these days – acclimates himself to his new position and new community.

Why split his duties?

“This ain’t done yet, and that’s why I’m here,” he said. “I’m here to finish it off for these seniors and this team that I care about.”

Such sentiment is not just refreshing, it’s down-right admirable. And it isn’t easy.

“There’s responsibilities in both roles,” he said. “Obviously, there’s a lot of phone calls back and forth between myself and coach Rogers, and trying to build relationships there. But the most important relationships until I do officially get there in a couple weeks, is this team here, and continuing to build on those relationships, letting these guys know that I’m here for them, that we are here for them as a staff.”

That shows something about Bobbit’s character. Which should come as no surprise. Not after watching the way the defense performed for him in his one-season WSU sojourn.

Go ahead. Ask those Cougar fans another question. Ask them which position group stood out for them in the 6-6 regular season. Pretty much everyone’s answer will be the same.

The defense. A group that seemed overmatched early but improved week by week, holding potent offenses at No. 6 Mississippi State, No. 19 Virginia and No. 25 James Madison to an average of 20.3 points after the nine points the offense surrendered are subtracted.

That’s darn good.

And it’s why it is easy to believe Bobbit when he talks about the result he expects Monday against 6-6 Utah State in Boise.

“We’re going to get this win together, and I’ll always be there for them, hopefully lifelong friendships,” he said. (That’s) “what we’ve talked about all the time. So it’s been fun.”

Fun, yes. It may stay that way in Ames, Iowa. Maybe. One thing is probably guaranteed, though. It will be a lot more lucrative.

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WSU: Greg’s story in the S-R today supplied Bobbit’s comments from his Monday press availability. And a lot more. … There are more names in Greg’s transfer portal tracker, though some will be playing Monday. … The Cougar men and Eastern Washington will meet Wednesday in downtown Spokane. It is a revamped three-year series, entitled the 509 Classic. Dan Thompson tells us how it came about. And what the goals are. … One of Utah State’s top offensive performers will miss Monday’s bowl game. … Elsewhere in the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, Jon Wilner took a look at next year’s Pac-12 lineup’s performance thus far this season and sees less success than the conference probably was hoping for. His crystal ball sees three NCAA participants. Mine? Same. Gonzaga and two of the best four Mountain West teams: Colorado State, Boise State, Utah State and San Diego State. That conference will winnow the number some. … The soccer team at Washington won the school’s first men’s outright team NCAA title last night, topping North Carolina State 3-2 in overtime in Cary, North Carolina. Ferris High graduate Jadon Bowton was in goal for the Huskies and posted five saves. … On the football front, the College Football Playoffs begin Friday. Which finals matchups seem most likely? … John Canzano has his usual Monday mailbag. Embedded in the piece is a video of Canzano’s interview with WSU interim athletic director Jon Haarlow. … Washington and its players are still in limbo in some regards, at least until Michigan settles on their latest man. Could it be Jedd Fisch, whose resume includes a stint in Ann Arbor? That will decide what direction the Huskies’ offseason takes. … Oregon State’s criticized Blueprint Sports NIL deal is officially dead. … What is ahead for the Beavers in Pac-12 football?… Oregon’s receiving corps seems to be getting healthy as the James Madison playoff game looms. …  The Bay Area lost another former coach over the weekend. Successful California coach Mike White died Sunday. He was 89. … Does Fernando Mendoza’s success at Indiana help the Bears? … Utah’s Kyle Whittingham had the type of career that is easy to praise. Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham did just that. … As the number of players who have announced their attention to enter the transfer portal when it opens next month grows, here is a wish list USC might have. The Trojans will be missing some players in the Alamo Bowl. … Arizona State is looking for a new quarterback. There are a bunch already headed to the portal. … Colorado State will be losing almost its entire offensive line.

• In basketball news, the regular season is about 1/3 over, which means some players, like Colorado’s Isaiah Johnson, have to adjust to different defensive pressures. … USC has a tendency to start fast. … Arizona State plays at UCLA on Wednesday night. … A freshman is playing with more freedom for No. 1 Arizona as the Wildcats prepare for Abilene Christian. … The Colorado woman used their time off wisely. … Finally, a committee feels San Diego State’s students should contribute more fees to help the athletic department.  

Gonzaga: The latest Associated Press poll was released yesterday. The Zags switched spots with Houston after the UCLA win, moving up to No. 7. Jim Meehan has more in this story. … We also can pass along other stories on the poll and what it means. At this time of year, maybe not a lot. … Gonzaga is the 11th team listed in this top 10 of most entertaining college basketball squads. I guess my definition of entertaining is different than The Athletic writer.

EWU: If you’re interested in reading about Wednesday’s basketball game with Washington State at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, we linked Dan’s preview above. And here too. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, the FCS semifinal between Montana and Montana State in Bozeman is red-hot. The ticket prices show it. … As we said yesterday, Sacramento State won’t be playing football in the conference next season. But once again, we believe it is important to pass along the news the school will hire Arizona running back coach Alonzo Carter to run the program, though it hasn’t been officially announced yet. … In basketball news, the Idaho State women are learning to succeed without their injured point guard. 

Preps: I linked the fall sports all-league teams lists, as put together by Cheryl Nichols, last week. The lists appeared on the website today, so I link them again in case you missed them.

Chiefs: Spokane hosts Wenatchee tonight in the Arena, part of a busy week for the facility. The Chiefs will also welcome in Portland Wednesday night in a rematch of a recent blowout Spokane win. Back-to-back middle of the week games? It must be rivalry week in prep hoops. With a college hoops game thrown in as well.

Seahawks: The best receiver in the NFL this season? The numbers tell you it is Jaxon Smith-Njigba. And the numbers are right. Don’t believe me? Dave Boling makes a persuasive argument in this column. … Smith-Njigba and the Hawks are underdogs at home Thursday night. Rightfully so. The Rams have been better, even if the teams’ records are the same. … Will left tackle Charles Cross be available after being helped off the field following Jason Myers’ game-winning field goal Sunday? Only his balky hamstring knows for sure. … Even with Cross, Sam Darnold and the offense has been in a funk. Especially the running game. … A defensive lineman is finally contributing after a year-long injury rehab. … The Hawks are still third in this NFL power ranking headlined by the Rams. … What’s next for the NFL on the season-expansion front? The two high-profile ACL injuries Sunday – Patrick Mahomes and Micah Parsons – seems to be an argument against 18 games.  

Mariners: As we reported earlier, the M’s seem to be looking for a Jorge Polanco replacement in the trade market, not the free-agent one. … Rick Rizz has done it just about all for a long time. Though there is one thing he hasn’t accomplished.

Golf: Tiger Woods is a legend. Scottie Scheffler is headed that direction. For the first time since Woods was at his peak, a player has won the PGA’s Player of the Year award four consecutive times. Yep, Scheffler is the choice of his peers again.

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• Keep your eye on Bobbit. He seems about ready to make the leap from coordinator to head coach. And be successful at that as well. Until later …