Hall of Fame
Jack Elway, considered as one of the primary innovators of the passing game, came to Washington State as a quarterback in 1950. When a knee injury ended his playing days before he could get on the field, he turned to coaching. His career brought him full circle when he served as an assistant coach on Jim Sweeney’s Cougars, 1972-75. During his time as an assistant on the Palouse, Elway helped guide the Cougs to seven wins over Pacific Northwest rivals of wins, including two in the Apple Cup against Washington, as well as an 84-point outburst in 1975 against Idaho. Elway left Washington State to become the head coach of Cal State Northridge. In 13 seasons with the Matadors, San Jose State and Stanford, he won 58 percent of his games. The two-time Pacific Coach Athletic Association Coach of the Year while at San Jose State, Elway also served as a head coach in the Blue-Gray and East-West Shrine all-star games and is a member of the Cal State Northridge Hall of Fame. His son, John, went on to star at Stanford and with the Denver Broncos and later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
