​Former Washington State football coach Jim Walden, who in 1981 led the Cougars to their first bowl appearance in 50 years, died Thursday in Coeur d’Alene. He was 88. WSU Vice President and Director of Athletics Jon Haarlow expressed, in a release, that the school is saddened by Walden’s passing and that he will be remembered as a great Coug who deeply loved Washington State. Our hearts go out to Walden’s family, friends, and all the former players whose lives he positively influenced. A memorial service will be announced at a later date.
Walden, inducted into WSU’s Hall of Fame in 2009, led the Cougars from 1978 to 1986, finishing with an overall record of 44-52-4 before moving on to the head coaching position at Iowa State. He earned Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors in 1981 and 1983, guiding WSU to an 8-3-1 season and the 1981 Holiday Bowl, the program’s first postseason appearance since the 1931 Rose Bowl. In 1983, his team went 7-4, but he departed for Iowa State in 1987, where he compiled a 28-57-3 record over eight seasons. Much of his tenure with the Cyclones was affected by scholarship reductions, some resulting from infractions by the previous ISU coach and broader Division I-A scholarship cuts in 1988. By 1989, Walden had just 47 scholarship players when Iowa State visited Nebraska, which won 49-17.
Walden retired from coaching in 1994 and returned to the Palouse as Bob Robertson’s broadcast partner for 11 seasons. During that period, he became beloved by Cougar fans for his expansive and colorful commentary. An All-American quarterback at Wyoming, Walden was inducted into the Cowboys’ Hall of Fame in 2011. He was drafted by both Cleveland (NFL) and Denver in the first AFL draft of 1960 but chose to sign with the Canadian Football League’s BC Lions, playing several seasons in Canada.
Walden began his coaching career in 1964 as head football coach at Amory High School in Amory, Mississippi, near his hometown of Aberdeen. Five years later, he moved up to the college ranks at Nebraska, contributing to back-to-back national championships in 1970 and 1971. He then spent 1973–76 at Miami, where he assisted with the offensive backfield and served as defensive coordinator. Walden’s first year at WSU was 1977, coaching the Cougars’ backfield, and a year later, at 39, he became WSU’s head coach, guiding players such as quarterbacks Jack Thompson and Mark Rypien, offensive lineman Daniel Lynch, safety Paul Sorensen, and running backs Rueben Mayes and Kerry Porter.
“I am thrilled beyond measure,” Walden said shortly after accepting the WSU head coaching job, telling the Spokane Daily Chronicle, “I’ve waited 14 years for this.” In 1985, WSU captured its third Apple Cup in four seasons—a feat the program had achieved only in 1954 and again in 2007—highlighting Walden’s impact on Cougar football.