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The Washington State Cougars have decided to promote interim head coach Jake Dickert to the full-time job, according to multiple media reports. Dickert took over after Nick Rolovich was fired for refusing to comply with the school’s vaccination mandate.
Source: Washington State is currently informing the team that interim HC Jake Dickert has been promoted to the full-time job, as @mzenitz and @BruceFeldmanCFB have reported. Dickert went 3-2 since taking over, including WSU’s biggest margin of victory in Apple Cup history.
— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) November 28, 2021
Dickert was previously the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. He took over ahead of the team’s game against BYU, finishing the season with a 3-2 record. Those three wins include a 40-13 win over Washington in the Apple Cup, which likely pushed the administration to promote Dickert to the lead job.
With so many openings across the country, programs are locking in their guys to massive extensions. Washington State’s best opportunity to maintain continuity was to retain Dickert, who appears to be getting the most out of his players. These types of hires have mixed results. Ed Orgeron won a national title with LSU once the interim tag was removed, while Clay Helton eventually got fired at USC. We’ll see how Dickert performs at Pullman as the head coach.