Hall of Fame
Jim Walden was not one to hold back as a player or a coach, and neither were his Cougar football teams from the time he took over between the 1977 and 1978 seasons through his final campaign in the fall of 1986. The Cougars displayed many of the same characteristics Walden exhibited, including a passion for the sport and an outspoken and charismatic personality, plus a willingness to take more than a few chances. Taking the reins after WSU had three head coaches in three years, Walden assured the Cougar faithful he not only would stay around, but he would stay to build a winner. Four years later he guided WSU to the 1981 Holiday Bowl, WSU’s first postseason bowl game since the 1931 Rose Bowl. Walden delivered on his promises while defeating every team in the Pacific-10 Conference. He finished his nine-year Cougar stint with 44 wins, second on the Washington State all-time list. After retiring from coaching in 1994, Walden showed his Crimson colors by returning to the Palouse, where he has served as Bob Robertson’s broadcast sidekick for 11 seasons. Walden was inducted into the University of Wyoming Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011, where he was an All-American quarterback.
