PULLMAN, Wash. – Former Washington State Director of Athletics Sam Jankovich passed away Wednesday morning at the age of 85.
 
"Our thoughts and prayers are with Sam's family at this time," said WSU Director of Athletics Pat Chun. "Sam was one of the great administrators in college athletics history. He served WSU with tremendous distinction, as a football coach, administrator, and eventually as athletic director from 1976-83. His vision surrounding the football program, enlarging Martin Stadium and making conference opponents play in Pullman, was crucial to the program's future success and kept WSU relevant in the then- Pac-10 Conference. His impact at WSU is still felt today."
 
Jankovich began his tenure at Washington State in 1968 as an assistant on Jim Sweeney's football staff. After four seasons, he moved into administration, serving as an assistant to Athletic Director Ray Nagel from 1972-76. In that role he oversaw the Cougar Club, now known as the Cougar Athletic Fund, and doubled the organization's membership and tripled fundraising dollars.
 
In 1976, he replaced Nagel as WSU's director of athletics, a position he held for the next seven years. Jankovich left an indelible mark on Cougar Athletics, undertaking the monumental project to increase the Martin Stadium capacity by over 10,000 from the 27,500 it seated at the time. His forward-looking facility improvements, including the lowering of the stadium floor 14 feet and the reworking of Washington State's football schedule, allowed the Cougars to play key games in Pullman and impacted future football successes for many years.
 
He championed the creation of the WSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1978, and was an inductee in 2006, pushed for other facility improvements and expanded staff areas focusing on student support. In 1983, Jankovich was named athletic director at Miami (Fla.). He later served as the general manager of the NFL's New England Patriots.