Bill Doba

Bill Doba (born September 7, 1940) is a former American football coach. He was the head football coach at Washington State University from 2003–07. He was fired on November 26, 2007.

Early life and career
Doba grew up in New Carlisle, Indiana playing football for New Carlisle High School. He played halfback and defensive back for two years at Ball State University before hip injuries derailed his college football career. After graduating from Ball State, he started his coaching career at Goshen High School in Indiana as an assistant. After two years there, he worked as the head coach at Angola High School (Indiana) for two years, then went back to Goshen High for three years as the head coach. During this time, he earned a master's degree from Western Michigan University in physical education. His high school coaching career ended with a six-year stay at Mishawaka High School in Indiana, where he led his 1974 team to the big school state championship game.

Moving to the college ranks, Doba became an assistant to Lee Corso at Indiana University for six years, coaching linebackers for five years and quarterbacks/wide receivers for one. He moved to Purdue University to work as the outside linebackers coach for three years and the tight end/tackles coach for one year. He left Purdue to become defensive coordinator at The Citadel, his first job outside the state of Indiana. He left The Citadel after two years to go to Washington State University.

At Washington State
In 1989, Doba became the linebackers coach at Washington State under Mike Price. In 1991, he became a defensive assistant. In 1994, he became defensive coordinator and also reclaimed his linebackers coaching job. After Price left Washington State for the University of Alabama at the end of the 2002 season, Doba was named head coach, and took office immediately following the Rose Bowl.

As a head coach, Doba led the Cougars to a 30–29 record during his 5 seasons, with a Holiday Bowl win over Texas and a #9 final ranking in 2003, and Apple Cup wins in 2004, 2005, and 2007. He was also named Pac-10 Co-Coach of the Year in 2003 (along with Pete Carroll of USC). Doba oversaw one of the greatest WSU victories of all time in the 2003 Holiday Bowl and won three of five Apple Cup rivalry games against Washington.

Unfortunately, the Cougars slumped after their sterling 2003 season, and Doba was unable to put together another winning team. The Cougars 42–35 victory in the 100th Apple Cup was not enough to save Doba's job. It was announced that Doba would not return for the 2008 season after compiling a 5–7 record for the 2007 season, the Cougars' fourth straight non-winning season. (Washington State went 6–6 in 2006, but was left out of a bowl game)

Personal
Bill Doba and his late wife, Judy, were married for forty-three years. They had three children. Judy Doba died on April 21, 2006, after a four-year battle with cancer.

Doba was inducted into the Mishawaka Hall of Fame in 1986, and later inducted into the Indiana Hall of Fame in 2001.