Jake Dickert had a moment of clarity last December as he looked back on a season that was unique in the history of Washington State football.
With uncertainty about the future of the Cougars, Dickert realized he needed to stop trying to handle everything — the rumors, realignment, loss of history, and all the drama from the Pac-12’s collapse that left Washington State in a tough spot.
“I think early on I tried to battle everything. And it wasn’t a distraction but you allowed the noise in, right? Instead of just staying internal and what we can do and how we’re going to invest in the future of Washington State,” Dickert said.
“So I learned a lot about that. I tried to take everybody on and the best thing I can do is provide the best experience for our players, our football program that will continue to let Washington State shine.”
The Cougars, along with Oregon State, will spend the season trying to prove their worth in the changing college football world, and in doing so, secure their future beyond the next two football seasons.
The easiest way to draw attention and improve the program’s standing is to win.
“This next year, we’re going to have a spotlight on us. Everyone wants to know what’s going to happen to the Cougs,” Dickert said. “A year from now, that story goes away.
So we have an opportunity to represent ourselves, our football team and why 95% of this team stayed here, it’s because of this opportunity and what we can go out there and do together.”
