2000-2007: Eastern Washington - Head Coach
1998-1999: Eastern Washington - Offensive Coordinator
1993-1997: Eastern Washington - Offensive Line Coach
Most of the new hires for the 2008 season have well known back stories. Bo Pelini is returning to Lincoln where he hopes to recreate his defense of earlier this decade. Rick Neuheisel is coming to his alma mater as a coach, and changed, man. On the other hand, the hire of Paul Wulff by Washington State was somewhat surprising and not covered in detail by the national media. However, the success or failure of Wulff may prompt other BCS athletic directors to make similar hires in the future.
While Wulff was born in California, he is a Washington man through and through. He attended Wazzou and played offensive line under three coaches – Jim Walden, Dennis Erickson, and Mike Price. Erickson and Wulff will be able to get reacquainted once every fall, that’s for sure.
In 1993, Wulff took the offensive line coach position at Eastern Washington. It would start a 15 year tenure at the school, which culminated in Wulff coaching the squad from 2000-2007. However, unlike most FCS coaches who move up to the FBS, Wulff was not tremendously successful at EWU. In 8 seasons, he only won more than 7 games twice, and never had fewer than four losses. His career record of 53-40 was solid, but not spectacular.
One thing that Wulff has going for him is that he is a Cougar. In fact, from an outsider’s perspective it appears to be the only trait that qualifies him for the job. However, Wulff hopes that his no-huddle spread offense will spark his team like it has so many others, and help WSU lay a foundation for the future.
Wulff’s level of success could have a far reaching effect on college football as we know it. If he is able to bring bowl trophies and conference title contenders back to Pullman, athletic directors will look at his passion for his alma mater – and his relatively low salary – as a model for making their next hire. Wulff may be able to usher in a wave of fresh faced coaches to the FCS level, which could significantly change the coaching landscape.
On the other hand, if Wulff falls flat on his face and cannot get the job done, it may prompt some BCS programs to think twice about hiring FCS or up and coming coaching. Quite honestly, while ADs settling for the loyal and cheap hire may not be good in the long run, their dismissal of such candidates would be even worse.
Paul Wulff may not be a household name, but he may be one of the most important hires of the 2008 season. It is rare that programs look to Pullman for influence, but Wulff’s performance may leave a legacy that reaches well beyond the Idaho border.
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