Bill Doba

William Anthony Doba was born on September 7, 1940, in South Bend, Indiana, and grew up in nearby New Carlisle. At New Carlisle High School he was a multi-sport athlete, lettering in football, basketball, track and baseball, and he graduated in 1958. He had a brother, Merlin "Bud" Doba, who died before him.

Doba attended Ball State (then Ball State College) in Muncie, Indiana, where he played halfback and defensive back for two seasons until hip injuries ended his playing career. He graduated in 1962 with a degree in physical education and a minor in mathematics. He later earned a master's degree in physical education from Western Michigan University while coaching high school football.

Doba began coaching in 1962 as an assistant at Goshen High School in Indiana, then coached at Angola High School before returning to Goshen as head coach from 1968 to 1970. From 1971 to 1976 he was head coach at Mishawaka High School, going 46-15-1, winning conference titles in 1972, 1974 and 1975 and reaching the 1974 Indiana state championship game. He was named district Coach of the Year and coached the 1973 Indiana North All-Star team.

In 1977 he joined Lee Corso's staff at Indiana University, coaching outside linebackers for five seasons and quarterbacks and receivers for one. The 1979 Hoosiers went 8-4 and beat BYU in the Holiday Bowl. From 1983 he spent four seasons at Purdue coaching outside linebackers and later tight ends and tackles, and the 1984 Boilermakers played in the Peach Bowl. He then spent two seasons as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at The Citadel, whose 1988 team went 8-3 and reached the Division I-AA playoffs.

In 1989 he joined Mike Price's staff at Washington State as linebackers coach, became assistant head coach in 1991 and defensive coordinator in 1994. His 1994 "Palouse Posse" defense finished second in the nation in total defense, allowing 229 yards per game, and held Baylor to three points in the Alamo Bowl. His defenses helped Washington State reach the Rose Bowl after the 1997 and 2002 seasons and win the 2001 Sun Bowl. In 2002 the Cougars set a school record with 55 sacks.

On December 18, 2002, Doba was named Washington State's 30th head football coach. His 2003 team went 10-3, finished second in the Pac-10, beat No. 5 Texas in the Holiday Bowl and finished No. 9 in both major polls. The Cougars then went 5-6 in 2004, 4-7 in 2005, 6-6 in 2006 and 5-7 in 2007. After a 42-35 win in the 100th Apple Cup in November 2007, the university announced he would not return. He finished 30-29 overall and 17-25 in conference play.

Doba met his wife, Judy, in college, and they were married for more than 43 years. They raised three children, Scott, Beth (Lizabeth) and Kristen, and had six grandchildren. Judy, remembered in Pullman as a frequent kindergarten classroom volunteer, died on April 21, 2006, after a four-year battle with ovarian cancer.

After his coaching career Doba moved back to the Midwest to be near his family, living on Birch Lake near Vandalia in southwestern Michigan, about 35 minutes from his boyhood home. He fished the stocked lake, took fishing trips to the Yukon and the Amazon, attended practices at Michigan as a guest of his friend Brady Hoke and ran clinics at Notre Dame.

Doba's defenses were known for speed and an attacking style. He demanded relentless effort: in preseason scrimmages all 11 defenders had to sprint to the ball on every play, and a player caught loafing was pulled off the field for the second team. Former players described him as a coach who told them the truth and demanded accountability, toughness and character. He placed weight on education, coordinating academic support at The Citadel and taking pride in players who earned degrees as well as those who reached the NFL.

Doba is remembered as one of the central figures of Washington State's most successful football era. Over 19 seasons on the Cougar staff the program won two Pac-10 titles and made two Rose Bowl trips, and his 2003 Holiday Bowl win over Texas is regarded by the university as its biggest bowl victory of the modern era. Twelve of his former players were selected in the NFL Draft and another 18 signed professional contracts. He remained a beloved ambassador for the school long after his dismissal, returning for games, reunions and flag-raising ceremonies.

Pac-10 Coach of the Year (2003, shared with Pete Carroll). Mishawaka Hall of Fame (1986). Indiana Football Hall of Fame (2001). District Coach of the Year and Ball State Alumni Coach of the Year during his Mishawaka High School tenure.

Doba was a popular storyteller with Spokane and Seattle media, and his interviews after the 100th Apple Cup and his dismissal in 2007 were widely covered by The Spokesman-Review and KXLY. He appeared in ESPN College GameDay coverage in Pullman in 2024, and his death prompted tribute reports from KING 5, The Seattle Times, The Spokesman-Review and many former players on social media.

Doba suffered a stroke in late August 2026 and died about a week later, on August 28, 2026, at the age of 85, in Michigan. Washington State announced his death the same day. Visitation and a funeral service were held on September 2, 2026, at Stemm-Lawson-Peterson Funeral Home in Elkhart, Indiana, and he was buried privately beside his wife at St. Joseph Valley Memorial Park in Granger, Indiana. The family asked for memorial donations to the Birch Lake Water Quality Fund or Washington State University Athletics.