Bill Doba

College coach infobox


Name = Bill Doba
| Caption =
DateOfBirth = Birth date and age|1940|9|7|mf=y
Birthplace = South Bend, Indiana
DateOfDeath =
Sport = Football
College = Washington State
Title = Head Coach
CurrentRecord = 30-29
OverallRecord = 30-29
Awards = 2003 Pac-10 Co-Coach of the Year
Championships =
CFbDWID = 2834
Player = Y
Years = 1959-60
Team = Ball State University
Position = halfback, defensive back
Coach = Y
CoachYears = 2003-07
CoachTeams = Washington State
FootballHOF =

Bill Doba (b. September 7, 1940 in South Bend, Indiana) was the head football coach at Washington State University from 2003-07. He was fired on November 26, 2007.

Early life and career

Doba grew up in New Carlisle, Indiana playing football for New Carlisle High School. He played halfback and defensive back for two years at Ball State University before hip injuries derailed his college football career. After graduating from Ball State, he started his coaching career at Goshen High School in Indiana as an assistant. After two years there, he worked as the head coach at Angola High School (Indiana) for two years, then went back to Goshen High for three years as the head coach. During this time, he earned a master's degree from Western Michigan University in physical education. His high school coaching career ended with a six-year stay at Mishawaka High School in Indiana, where he led his 1974 team to the big school state championship game.

Moving to the college ranks, Doba became an assistant to Lee Corso at Indiana University for six years, coaching linebackers for five years and quarterbacks/wide receivers for one. He moved to Purdue University to work as the outside linebackers coach for three years and the tight end/tackles coach for one year. He left Purdue to become defensive coordinator at The Citadel, his first job outside the state of Indiana. He left The Citadel after two years to go to Washington State University.

At Washington State

In 1989, Doba became the linebackers coach at Washington State, and in 1991, he became a general assistant coach. In 1994, he became defensive coordinator and also reclaimed his linebackers coaching job. After Mike Price left Washington State for the University of Alabama at the end of the 2002 season, Bill Doba was named head coach, and took office immediately following the Rose Bowl.

As a head coach, Bill Doba has led the Cougars to a 30-29 record during his 5 seasons, with a Holiday Bowl win over Texas and a #9 final ranking in 2003, and Apple Cup wins in 2004, 2005, and 2007. He was also named Pac-10 Co-Coach of the Year in 2003 (along with Pete Carroll of USC). Doba oversaw one of the greatest WSU victories of all time in the 2003 Holiday Bowl and took three of five games in the coveted Apple Cup. His legacy was mared by four of the most frustrating years in WSU football following the 2003 season and the Cougars inability to win critical games.

The Cougars 42-35 victory in the 100th Apple Cup was not enough to save Doba's job. It was announced that Doba would not return for the 2008 season after compiling a 5-7 record for the 2007 season and failing to lead the Cougars to bowl game for a fourth straight year.

Personal

Bill Doba and his late wife, Judy, were married for forty-three years. They had three children. Judy Doba died on April 21, 2006, after a four-year battle with cancer.

Doba was inducted into the Mishawaka Hall of Fame in 1986, and later inducted into the Indiana Hall of Fame in 2001.

Coaching record

CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name=Washington State Cougars
conf=Pacific Ten Conference
startyear=2003
endyear=2007CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2003
name = Washington State
overall = 10-3
conference = 6-2
confstanding = 2
bowl = yes
bowlname = Holiday Bowl
bowlopp = Texas
bowloutcome = W 28-20
bcsbowl =
ranking = 9CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2004
name = Washington State
overall = 5-6
conference = 3-5
confstanding = 7
bowl = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2005
name = Washington State
overall = 4-7
conference = 1-7
confstanding = 9
bowl = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2006
name = Washington State
overall = 6-6
conference = 4-5
confstanding = 8
bowl = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2007
name = Washington State
overall = 5-7
conference = 3-6
confstanding = 7t
bowl = noCFB Yearly Record Subtotal
name=Washington State
overall=30-29
confrecord=17-25CFB Yearly Record End
overall = 30-29
bcs =
poll =
polltype =

External links

* [http://wsucougars.collegesports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/doba_bill00.html Washington State Official Bio]