Northwest Notes: July 28, 2021

Dowd named assistant

women's hoops coach at NIC

Samuel Dowd has been named assistant women's basketball coach, North Idaho College Athletic Director Bobby Lee announced.

“We are fired up to have Sam Dowd join the staff,” Lee said. “His energy and basketball expertise placed him above all others in a competitive application process. Sam bleeds Cardinal red, and I am excited to watch the impact he and Coach Baker will have on the program while working together.”

For the last year, Dowd has been helping coach the NIC women’s basketball team. Now, he joins NIC Athletics as a full-time employee.

A Seattle native, Dowd placed two times at the state basketball tournament, while attending Gonzaga Preparatory High School. Following his high school career, he played on the men’s basketball team at NIC and received an associate degree in communications. Dowd was a guard on the 2014-15 team that advanced to the NJCAA Tournament, finishing with a 31-2 record.

He then transferred to Idaho State University where he played NCAA Division I basketball from 2017-2019.

During his time at Idaho State, Dowd received the NCAA Most Courageous Award and earned his bachelor’s degree in communications. He then signed a professional basketball contract with the University of Philippines UAAP League. Upon his return to the United States, he began to assist in coaching the NIC women's basketball team while pursuing his own basketball training business.

Cougars tackle Lucas named

to Outland Trophy Watch List

Washington State right tackle Abraham Lucas was named to the 2021 Outland Trophy Watch List, the Football Writers Association of America announced.

Lucas is one of 80 interior linemen (offense and defense) named to the watch list for the award given to the nation’s top interior lineman. The redshirt-senior received the same recognition prior to the last two seasons.

Lucas, a three-time All-Pac-12 Conference second-team selection, started all four games at right tackle for the Cougars in 2020 and was rated the fourth-best offensive tackle in the country by ProFootballFocus College. The Everett, Wash. native started all 13 games at right tackle in 2019 and was rated the best pass-blocking offensive tackle in the country by PFF College. Lucas, who earned Freshman All-America honors by the USA Today in 2018, was rated the fourth-best overall offensive tackle in the country by PFF College last season and earned a Pac-12 Offensive Lineman of the Week honor following the win over Oregon State where he played every offensive snap and did not allow a sack in 70 pass attempts that saw WSU throw for 606 yards and six touchdowns.

The Outland Trophy, now in its 75th year, is the third-oldest major college football award. Created in 1946 when Dr. John Outland presented the FWAA with a financial contribution to initiate the award, the Outland Trophy has been given to the best interior lineman in college football ever since. Dr. Outland, an All-American at the University of Pennsylvania in the late 1890s, eventually took up practice in Kansas City, Mo. An avid outdoorsman, Dr. Outland believed linemen did not get the credit they deserved and wanted an award to recognize them.