Changes Come to WSU Staff….?

So some of that change that LucasCoug alluded to yesterday is starting to happen, but it’s not exactly what people were thinking?  Per WSUCougars.com, linebackers coach Travis Niekamp has been assiged the role as coordinator of football development.  It sounds as though Niekamp will be the guy in charge of camps, on-campus recruiting activities, as well as other administrative-type duties with the football program.

Hmm.  Well, I don’t know what to make of it.  Is this a temporary thing until Niekamp’s contract  runs out at the end of March (3/31 to be exact)?  Is he a happy camper with this change, to no longer be on the sideline trying to coach up the LB’s?  And who will succeed him to coach those linebackers? 

This all started, if you recall, a few days ago when Footballscoop.com reported that Malik Roberson was out as D-line coach at WSU, and then later that same day, Niekamp too would be let go.  But it’s been a little murky since then.  Cougfan got some quotes from a source initially that said yes, these changes were coming, but then threw out a not-so-fast-my-friend style stiffarm, that nothing has actually happened.  And per Grippi’s latest today, they still say that per a WSU spokesman, no changes with Roberson have been made at this time. 

But there is yet ANOTHER twist.  Earlier today, an article ran on WSU commit TJ Poloai, a defensive linemen from Burbank, CA, who will be making a visit to Pullman this weekend.  In the story, he dropped this little nugget:

“My coach from high school is also going to be there, so that’s cool.”

Poloai will be following his high school coach, Dave Lose, who will be working with the same position for the Cougars next year.

Hmm, again.  

It’s kind of hard to imagine that the Cougs would go from Malik Roberson to a high school coach to be in charge of the defensive line?  Perhaps Dave Lose will be coming to be an assistant to the d-line, maybe as a grad assistant, something along those lines? 

I guess we’ll find out soon enough.  This is a big weekend for the Cougs, where Bishop Sankey, Logan Mayes, Max Hersey and TJ Poloai are all scheduled to make their official visits.    The last thing we would need right now is a bunch of questions regarding WSU assistants! 

All for now.  GO COUGS!