A Grip on Sports: There has been a changing of the guard at WSU, not in a high-profile position but in an underappreciated one

A GRIP ON SPORTS • During my time covering Washington State’s football and basketball programs, ticking someone off was a common occurrence. Coaches, players, heck, maybe even you once or twice. The most-often aggrieved? The Cougars’ sports information director Bill Stevens. It was an almost weekly event. So why stop now? I’m going to give him something to complain about again this morning.

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• Why today? Stevens has retired after two decades in his job, which consisted of, at its core, helping WSU athletics stay in the public eye, helping WSU’s student/athletes, as he insisted on calling them, navigate their time in that unblinking glare and, most-importantly (at least here), helping folks like me do our jobs.

Pretty straightforward, right?

Look, sharing the news of his retirement June 1 is not what will make Stevens cringe. Nor will he be bothered all that much if I tell you he has as much history in Pullman as just about anyone who passed through the place. Nope. What will bother Billy, as he was called when he first stepped on campus as a student in 1982, is this column is all about him. He hates that.

But it is what he deserves.

After all, how many Cougars over the years can say one of their prep teammates grew up to be the University of Washington’s head football coach? And not get hung from Bryan Hall’s clock tower for sharing that tidbit?

Stevens. Maybe. Though former Husky coach Chris Petersen hesitated once when I asked him about his days as a Yuba City, Calif., high school tennis player. It was probably tough for Petersen to admit Stevens was the better of the two, as proven by Stevens’ four-year stint on Rex Davis’ WSU teams.

It was during his undergraduate days in Pullman that Stevens was introduced to the magic world of public relations, spending a couple years working in Rod Commons’ office, back when being an SID was a simpler, less-demanding role. And involved a lot more adult beverages.

After working for the Sacramento Kings – talk about demanding – and UC Davis, Stevens, along with his wife Joni, returned to Pullman, first as an assistant to Commons and then, in 2007, as his replacement.

That’s the year I first headed to WSU. In other words, I was also a rookie in my job. Without much knowledge how Washington State worked. Or didn’t, which is just as important.

Stevens did his best to help me understand both. For that, I am grateful. That he tried to direct me away from anything remotely controversial, I am not. But that’s OK. He was a professional. With a job to do. And he understood I was, and did, as well. There were always going to be clashes. Especially considering we came together in Bohler gym in the final year of Bill Doba’s tenure as football coach. The tension in the building was palpable.

Did Stevens try to discourage me from writing about it? Sure. But he also encouraged me to get to know everyone on the football staff. Heck, everyone on the athletic department staff. I did. Though I’m pretty sure over the years, when some things leaked out before Stevens’ office could officially announce them, he wished he hadn’t done it. Good with bad, right?

The day Doba was let go by then athletic director Jim Sterk, I was sitting in a conference room watching film with quarterback coach Timm Rosenbach. And Doba didn’t seem to notice, mainly because I had been in there so many times before. He came through the door, shared the news and moved on.

I looked at Timm, he at me, and I told him I had to go. He asked how long before the news would hit the S-R. He wanted to tell his family. He had enough time. Though Stevens didn’t. I shared the change before the official announcement.

Over the years, five as the S-R’s beat reporter and then five more being part of KXLY radio’s football postgame show, I was always impressed by Stevens’ professionalism. Even though, like every aspect of Cougar athletics, his department operated with fewer resources than their Pac-10 and Pac-12 counterparts. A lot fewer.

But had to do the same amount of work.

Maybe more, considering Washington State is home to the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, one of the best in the nation. And the undergraduates who wanted to enter sports journalism all find their way to Stevens’ department at some point.

Either to ask meandering questions, for some sort of job or for help on an assignment. All were met with open arms, at least as far as I could tell.

Add it all together and it meant long hours for the staff, though none were in the office more than Stevens. I’m sure that continued in the past decade as well, if not more so.

After 21 football seasons – has it been that long? – it’s time for Stevens, 60, to say goodbye. As a Senior Associate Director of Athletics, Strategic Communications, which is a mouthful. He’s headed off to … well, he’s staying in Pullman. Of course.

Pulling away from the department, sure. Getting ready to travel. Taking care of his health. Moving on. But he’s not in his corner office anymore. Doesn’t have to walk to the back room where some person with a computer and a phone and the charge to share everything they know with their readers or subscribers or interweb buddies sits, and explain to them why they are misinformed. Or just plain wrong. Or right, but don’t have the context.

Will he miss it? Don’t we all miss jobs we love? Maybe not all of it – I mean, college athletics in 2026, right? – but the best part, the people you interact with on a day-to-day basis. Colleagues who become friends. Friends who tell you not want you want to hear but what you need to hear.

That’s what Bill Stevens became, at least for me. And, hopefully, me for him.

And that’s why I’m going to apologize right here. Yep, sorry Billy, this is all about you. Live with it.

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WSU: As is my way here, I will share a couple stories about Stevens, one from when he was hired and another that recently appeared on CougFan. … Former Coug quarterback Ryan Leaf is joining USA Network and will serve as its main football analyst. … Elsewhere in the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, Jon Wilner shares his thoughts on the Senate hearing concerning college athletics and Sen. Maria Cantwell’s proposed fix. It is on the S-R website. … John Canzano has his more personal thoughts as well. On his own website. … My thoughts, which I have been sharing for years? Pac-12 commissioner Teresa Gould finally said out loud what should have been said long ago. College athletes are employees of the universities they play for and need to be treated as such. … Recruiting never stops, right? At Oregon. … At Oregon State. … Utah too. … And Colorado State. … New offense. New players. New results for Colorado’s offense? … The L.A. Times has another hall of fame vote on its website. This time it is USC. … The blue turf at Boise State? Covered over for a monster truck rally. … In baseball news, has Oregon peaked yet? And will it this weekend in Texas? … Oregon State suffered some adversity in its final season of independence. … At the Women’s College World Series, defending champion Texas is one win away from a repeat after winning 7-3 last night. … You know, the sport seems healthy, despite all the hand-wringing. … In basketball news, the recruiting part continues for Oregon State’s men. … Same with Utah.

Gonzaga: The Zags’ nonconference men’s schedule is slowly leaking out, as is the case every offseason. Theo Lawson has this story on a report LSU will be coming to Spokane in November. … Former GU pitcher Eli Morgan has been up and down this season, but has appeared in some games with the Royals.

EWU and Idaho: As always, the upcoming CFL season will feature Eastern quarterbacks and receivers and Vandal players. Colton Clark delves into the local players in the league. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, we shared the news about the best men’s program in the conference this year earlier. The women’s? It was Northern Arizona. … Montana State football is still recruiting.

Indians: Another home game, another loss. Wednesday night’s was 4-2 to Hillsboro.

Mariners: George Kirby has a lot of talent. That’s inarguable. But he also seems a bit fragile mentally. When things outside his control don’t go his way, his history has not been to battle through it with a steely resolve. He didn’t Wednesday, when an error in the first seemed to bother him and ruin the rest of his start in a 7-1 loss to the Mets on getaway day. Then again, he hasn’t pitched well in T-Mobile in a while. … Cal Raleigh is headed out for a rehab assignment. … Rob Manfred is, seemingly, preparing everyone for a work stoppage. He’s criticizing the current system and harkening back to 1994-95.

Seahawks: It’s official. Russell Wilson will be working for CBS this fall, not any of the NFL teams. … Sam Darnold is once again getting used to a new offensive coordinator. … Derick Hall sees Seattle as a special place.

NBA: Jalen Brunson was unstoppable down the stretch. Victor Wembanyama was off all night. The Knicks scored the final 11 points of the first game of the NBA Finals and won 105-95 in San Antonio.  

Storm: Seattle’s first pick in the latest draft received her first start. And the Storm still lost, 72-68, to Phoenix.

Golf: I love golf course architecture. And love stories about old-time courses. … The PGA Tour is about to announce a two-tiered system with promotion and relegation.

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• I can imagine a world in which my time in Pullman would have been a lot worse for the S-R’s readers, due to clashes with the sports information office. It’s hard to imagine how it could have been much better, thanks to Stevens. For that, I will always be grateful. Until later …