Hall of Fame
Bob Waits was a two-sport athlete for the Cougars from 1969-71, playing both baseball and basketball and produced one of the most decorated baseball careers in Washington State history. Waits, known for a letter he wrote to Bobo Brayton in high school stating how he would play two sports in college and steal 50 bases, lettered three times in both baseball and basketball during his record-setting career. Waits played his first two seasons in the outfield before moving to second base for his final season, where he enjoyed a breakout season as a senior, earning first-team All-America honors after setting an NCAA record with 59 stolen bases while also posting a .358 batting average. He finished his career with a .304 batting average and a school-record 94 stolen bases. On the basketball court Waits played for coach Marv Harshman. Following his graduation, Waits coached baseball at Olympia High School before he returned to WSU to coach the Cougar JV team and earn his master’s degree in 1975. He later served as an assistant coach under legendary head coach Bobo Brayton in 1977 before entering private business. After a successful stint as a high school baseball coach in the Tri-Cities area, Waits passed away at the age of 35 after a battle with cancer.
