THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE: Talkin’ Akey and other WSU, Vandal coaches, past and present

There’s been a lot of names tossed about for the vacant head football coaching job at Washington State. 

We’re told there’s been some stirring locally, and from some past Cougar players, for a familiar face to return to Pullman. 

Robb Akey. 

Akey was a popular assistant coach at WSU from 1999-2006, the last four seasons as defensive coordinator, before taking the head coaching job at Idaho in 2007.  

There was some talk that, had he stayed at WSU, he might be the next Cougars head coach, but that position didn’t come open again until 2008. 

Akey guided the Vandals to a Humanitarian Bowl victory in 2009, and lasted 5 ½ seasons in Moscow before being fired with a 20-50 record. 

He spent some time in the NFL, with Minnesota and Washington, then returned to college coaching at Florida. 

Akey recently finished his sixth season as defensive coordinator at Central Michigan, which beat WSU in the 2021 Sun Bowl. The Chippewas finished 4-8 this year. 

Akey might be a longshot for the WSU job, but he was a lot of fun to be around on the Palouse — as long as you didn’t mind being called “Bubba.” 

Ironically, for two years at CMU, Akey worked with Paul Petrino, who succeeded Akey as head coach at Idaho, and went 34-66 in nine seasons before Jason Eck was hired to replace him. 

Petrino was offensive coordinator at Central Michigan in 2022 and ‘23, and this season is wide receivers coach at South Alabama. 

You don’t think Akey and Petrino shared a few Idaho stories during their two years together at CMU? 

IT’S NOT uncommon for players to push for an assistant coach to take over when the head coach leaves for another job. 

That’s kinda what happened at Idaho — sort of.  

Thomas Ford Jr., was an assistant for the Vandals in 2022 and ‘23, before leaving to coach running backs at Oregon State this past season. 

Still, several of the current Vandals thought enough of him to go on X (formerly Twitter) and campaign for Ford to replace Eck, who left after three seasons to take the head coaching job at New Mexico. 

“I really hope I get a call,” Ford thought when the job came open, “because I don’t think there’s anyone better in the country to take on this responsibility.” 

As for the players wanting him to come back to Moscow ... 

"That part was the most incredible part ... hearing them want me back,” Ford said. “That was one of the highest I've been in my coaching career.” 

Ford is the third straight Idaho head coach who was formerly a Vandal assistant. 

Petrino was an Idaho assistant under John L. Smith in the early 1990s, and Eck coached for two seasons (2004-05) under Nick Holt. 

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 208-664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @CdAPressSports.