A Grip on Sports: WSU’s new president decides to change the athletic department’s direction by firing the school’s most-loyal employee Anne McCoy

A GRIP ON SPORTS • It took me years to realize Pete Townshend lied to everyone. The new boss is not the same as the old boss. Not always. And sometimes the new boss is actually a lot worse.

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• That lesson was driven home with a rusty nail Wednesday.

The relatively new boss in Pullman, Washington State president Elizabeth Cantwell, told athletic director Anne McCoy her services would no longer be needed. After just 17 months as head of the department she served faithfully for 24 years. Harsh. And, if reports bear out the firing was done via a phone call, as reported by John Canzano, completely disrespectful.

But totally in character for a new boss wanting to shake up the status quo. To change direction. To send the message business as its done in the past will no longer be the same.

Make no mistake. College athletics is a business. Has been for decades. But the two meteors of player pay – known in the bureaucratic environment of the NCAA as Name, Image and Likeness – and court-ordered freedom of movement have wiped out prehistoric thinking. Or is well on the way of doing that.

The answer to every university’s quest for relevance is money. At least that’s the perception. In truth? Money can buy wins. It can paper-over incompetence. But it can’t buy success – depending on how one defines that word.

The harsh reality Washington State has been dealing with recently is the Cougars were part of college sports’ extinct ecosystem. The underpinnings of the school’s athletic relevance – a regional foil for more financially well-endowed and nationally relevant universities – is no longer needed. The landscape has not just changed, it has been wiped clean.

To rebuild in this environment is beyond the wherewithal of the university and its supporters. The money just isn’t there. Never has been. Never will be. And yet, Wednesday’s ax-fall was another attempt by Cantwell to stave off the inevitable. At the expense of basic humanity.

Cantwell moved to Pullman seven months ago. The school had been battling financial shortfalls for years under her predecessor Kirk Schulz. It is a common story in higher education these days. But what was uncommon for Washington State is what happened in 2023. When 10 members of the Pac-12 left it (and Oregon State) behind as they chased answers to impossible-to-answer financial questions. The university’s front porch was demolished by the storm.

Turns out the contractor charged with rebuilding it, Pat Chun, had been chipping away at its foundations for years, more focused on raising money – yes, it was needed even then – than nurturing the people who had given their lives to the place. When a new job was offered, he jumped ship, leaving those above, and below him, a half-finished project with little in the way of underpinnings.

So Schulz did what bosses often do. He replaced an unpopular manager with his polar opposite.

McCoy was the perfect choice. She had already given the department two decades of her life. Now she would give it a stability it needed, as the Pac-12 –nothing more than a name and a financial settlement with the departing 10 at the time – strived to rebuild itself. The calm after the storm, so to speak.

The personnel issues – successful football (Mike Leach) and volleyball (Jen Greeny) coaches, among others, left following disagreements with Chun, the former replaced by a hire that blew up during the pandemic – dissipated. A sense of calm, and purpose, returned to Bohler. Then Schulz retired. And Cantwell stepped in.

The former Utah State president made it immediately obvious the status quo would not hold. Changes were needed throughout campus. In that, she is right. Every institute of higher learning in this nation is dealing with unprecedented challenges, financially and politically.

Cantwell has stepped forward. Tried to pull the entire ship off the financial shoals. And expressed an understanding of how important the athletic department’s success is to that effort.

A department that has more than $100 million in debt, a debt that began to grow long before the financial demands of paying the athletes became part of the equation. One that lags way behind in the race for NIL money, the most-faithful indicator of on-field or on-court success these days.

But Cantwell has not only tried to change the future direction, she has taken a swing at changing the past. The Cougars’ underdog mentality has been disowned. A phrase, not used in this space but perfectly encapsulating the schools’ athletic foibles, was declared dead. And the athletic department’s rebuild after Chun’s departure?

No longer relevant. Despite a degree in Human Behavior from the University of Chicago, Cantwell seems more focused on the lessons learned at Penn, where she received her MBA. McCoy’s dismissal seems to be the most-recent example of that.

Does the Cougar athletic department need to raise more, to have $20 million available each year in NIL funds? Seems like a prerequisite for membership in the top level of college sports these days. The president, in recent interviews, has made it clear that’s the goal. It wasn’t happening under McCoy’s watch. And probably wouldn’t.

Someone who would make fundraising a priority – you know, like Chun did, though the department never could raise enough to balance the books consistently – seemed to be the goal.

And McCoy was the fallout.

Gone are the days when two decades of faithful service counted for something. When taking on an impossible task for the good of the university earned respect. When a change included creating a soft-landing spot before bringing in someone new. It’s too expensive, financially and emotionally.

McCoy exemplified the past. When Washington State athletics understood its strength was in the people who loved the place, loved the institution, loved the work it took to succeed despite the disadvantages. The new world order demands a never-ending blank check that has to be funded by the very people – Coug fans – who are actually a lot like those who work in Bohler.

Cantwell more than likely has someone in mind to fill the athletic director chair. An exceptional fundraiser. A squeeze-water-from-a-stone savior. A past-is-gone personality. Someone who reflects her goals.

Funny thing, though. People of that ilk have been brought in to fill the department before. To run it actually. And haven’t had anything like the success called for these days. Caused a lot of commotion, sure. Brought in new money. Alienated the old guard. And then took off when they could.

McCoy wasn’t like that – in every way. She is no longer in charge. The president is. And the next hire will be all Cantwell’s.

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WSU: Back to the on-field stuff. After all, we linked Greg Woods’ story on the changeover above. And here too. (ESPN has a story on the change as well.) But you probably want a football story. Greg has one on recruiting and one on Leo Pulalasi’s bid for more playing time at running back. … We linked this L.A. Times story on Charlisse Leger- Walker before. It is on the S-R site today. We link it again. … Elsewhere in the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, the conference announced its final media partner for next year and beyond. Nope, not ESPN or Fox. It is USA, which actually has gobbled up the lion’s share of football and basketball content. Jon Wilner has more in his column on the S-R site. … Canzano had a notebook yesterday as well. … The new Colorado quarterback made a good first impression.

• Here are the rest of the (current, old and future) Pac-12 games this week, with the latest Associated Press rankings and listed chronologically. All are on Saturday unless noted. The schedule below also includes any game in which finding news turned out to be nearly impossible.

– Minnesota at No. 7 Oregon (Friday, 6 p.m., Fox): The Gophers have an elite pass rush. Will it be enough to disrupt the Duck offense? … The increased travel distance has not kept some Duck fans from seeing away games.

– Arizona at Cincinnati (9 a.m., FS1): The Wildcats will be without a key defensive lineman.

– Oregon State at Tulsa (10, ESPN+): Here is another name to consider for the open head coaching position. Nick Rolovich. And, yes, he carries a lot of baggage.

– West Virginia at Arizona State (10, TNT): The Sun Devils will be without their best receiver again.

– Colorado State at New Mexico (Noon, Mountain West): New Mexico will get back a key defender this week.

– Iowa at No. 17 USC (12:30 p.m., Fox): The defense needs to step up.

– Texas State at Southern Mississippi (12:30, ESPN+): Is this really a chance for the Bobcats to get back on track?

– No. 15 Utah at Baylor (4, ESPN2): There is probably no way the Utes make the playoffs as an at-large team. 

– Purdue at Washington (4, FS1): A home field advantage? Sure. But the Huskies also have an injury disadvantage.

– Utah State at UNLV (4, CBS Sports): The Aggies have one player who is having a breakout season.

– UCLA at No. 1 Ohio State (4:30, NBC): Court proceedings gave UCLA and the Rose Bowl wins yesterday.

– Boise State at San Diego State (7:30, CBS Sports): The Broncos still have an outside chance at making the CFP field. … Even the Aztecs’ coach feels they are coming off a bad game. 

– Wyoming at Fresno State (7:30, FS1)

• In basketball news, it looks as if LeBron James’ son Bryce may redshirt this season at Arizona. … Stanford topped Montana State. … Oregon attempted a school-record number of 3-point shots in its Wednesday win. … A late Chris Webber-like mistake helped Oregon State top North Texas. … Utah State defeated visiting in-state rival Weber State. … Colorado State topped Cal Poly to stay undefeated. … Next up for Arizona State is this weekend’s visit by Gonzaga. … What is different this season for the Oregon State women? … Colorado came up short at No. 22 Louisville.

Gonzaga: One undervalued aspect of GU’s win Tuesday? It was held in the Kennel, not at some neutral site in the desert or islands. Theo Lawson talked with both coaches about that and has this story. … The early basketball signing period hit yesterday and the Zags’ received signatures from two recruits. Theo has that information as well. … The Bulldog women are at home tonight for their first official game. Greg Lee mentions the game with Colorado State – soon to be a Pac-12 contest – prominently in his women’s basketball notebook. … Elsewhere in the WCC, USF’s men held off a spirited Portland State rally.

EWU: Dan Thompson has a story today on three Eastern seniors who have seen it all in their football career. The Eagles will have their last home game this season Saturday. … The men’s basketball team posted their worst loss of the young season, falling 94-67 at Seattle University. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, Montana and Montana State are locks for the FCS playoffs. … The Griz have a defensive back who is solid every possession. … After the coaching change, the interim coach is asking the Weber State players to stay together. … In women’s basketball, Northern Arizona’s new coach picked up her first win at the school. 

Idaho: The Vandal men were on the road last night and, despite a spirited second-half rally, fell to USD 78-74.

Preps: Mead’s soccer team traveled across the middle part of the state to open the State playoffs. And posted a 3-0 win over Wenatchee. That news leads off today’s roundup. … Greg Lee covers a prominent decision on the first day of the NCAA’s signing period. Mead thrower Simon Rosselli picked Oregon to continue his career.  

Mariners: Cal Raleigh will find out today around 3 p.m. if he is the American League MVP. I am on record as believing Aaron Judge will win again. I have been wrong before. … Maybe when they win the league title. That is what this offseason is aimed at producing. 

Seahawks: This Sunday’s game is why Mike Macdonald was hired to coach the Seahawks. To win it. … Cooper Kupp is not worried about revenge against the Rams. … The Tush Push is now in the Hawk arsenal, though with a twist. … Sam Darnold. Too high or too low in these quarterback rankings?

Sounders: Everything I am reading makes me happy I have no desire to watch World Cup matches in person. As for the 2028 Olympics, that’s a different story.

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• When the story of Cantwell’s legacy at Washington State is written, I am of the mind Wednesday’s announcement will mark a turning point. I have my suspicions which way the trajectory will be, but maybe I’m reading the tea leaves incorrectly. Until later …