September 30, 2008
As September draws to a close, I believe it is a good time to comment on the beginning of the 2008 Cougar Athletic season.
Soccer just completed a sweep over local rivals Gonzaga and Idaho this past weekend improving its record to 5-2-3. Coming off an 11-5-3 campaign in 2007, the team is once again putting together a season all Cougar fans can be proud of as Pac-10 play draws nearer.
In volleyball, first-year coach Andrew Palileo came to WSU with a proven ability to elevate programs to be nationally competitive. He is rebuilding the Cougar program with the goal to once again become a force in the Pac-10 and nationally. Andrew began his WSU career with a great start toward this objective as the team opened the season by winning the Boise State Bronco Invitational.
On the gridiron, I know how passionate Cougar fans are about the program, and I know all of you want to see the team succeed.
Let me reassure you that, despite the start to this season, our program is headed in the right direction. The rebuilding process will take some time and I ask for your patience during it. Paul Wulff and his staff have a plan in place to once again position the football program back to the heights of where it was earlier this decade.
Having said that, it is important to focus our attention on the players who are here. There is still much more of the season to be played, and despite their youthfulness and inexperience, our players are improving with each passing week. Our student-athletes have the utmost character and their goal is the same as yours: to put together a season that all Cougars can share a sense of pride in.
There is already one area in which the football team has achieved that you can be extremely pleased with, and that is in the classroom. The cumulative team grade point average of 2.73 following the spring of 2008 is the highest ever achieved by the football program.
This academic success is a product of the hard work and dedication our student-athletes have demonstrated, and it is these same attributes that will reflect future success on the field of play.
Finally, I want to thank those of you who have given positive support in helping our team achieve its goals. Your demonstration of positive support (for example, your attendance at football games or donations) plays a significant part in the development of our football program now and in the future.
Go Cougs!
