WSU Men's Basketball | Alumni launch e-mail campaign to keep Bennett

Washington State men's basketball coach Tony Bennett.


SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Some influential Washington State alumni concerned about retaining national coach of the year Tony Bennett have launched a drive to raise money to try to entice Bennett to remain at WSU.

Cougars athletic director Jim Sterk said Tuesday an e-mail campaign to alumni in recent weeks has raised "pledges of upwards of a quarter-million dollars."

Sterk said one of the leaders of the movement is Mikal Thomsen, former president of Western Wireless, a part-owner of the Seattle Sonics before their sale to an Oklahoma City group, and a member of the board of governors of the WSU Foundation.

"He sent a letter out: 'If you like what's going on, support the Cougars,' " said Sterk. "It's kind of like people passed it on.

"There's actually been quite a bit of response."

In his first season, Bennett has become one of the hottest young (37) coaches in the country, having led a team picked 10th in the Pac-10 to a 25-7 record and No. 3 seed in the East Region of the NCAA tournament. The Cougars open play here Thursday against Oral Roberts.

Bennett this week was named national coach of the year by The Sporting News. Earlier, he won that same honor from Basketball Times magazine and was Pac-10 coach of the year.

Sterk said weeks ago he would likely make revisions after the season to Bennett's contract, which calls for about $2 million over five years. One likely provision is for some type of deferred compensation, whereby Bennett could earn a lump sum if he remains at WSU a specified length of time.

Sterk said the mailing "was a good way to get more people involved. There are a lot of people that haven't done anything before and some that have."

Sterk said no school has contacted him about speaking with Bennett. Minnesota is one school believed interested in him.

"We've talked, and he wants to focus on what's ahead here [the tournament], which is fine," Sterk said.

WSU Arrives

The Cougars left Pullman about 2 p.m. and arrived at their Sacramento hotel before 5 p.m. On their bus trip from their campus to the Lewiston, Idaho, airport, they were greeted by 50 to 60 supporters in Colton, cheering and waving signs.

WSU practiced before leaving campus. Today, the Cougars have the mandatory practice at the game site, along with the seven other participants, plus a news conference.

Not-So-Fond Memories

WSU has played Oral Roberts only once, romping to a 98-50 victory in coach Kelvin Sampson's final season of 1993-94.

But the Cougars, in Dick Bennett's second season (2004-05), did run afoul of an Oklahoma State team coached by Eddie Sutton, father of ORU coach Scott Sutton. The Cowboys put an 81-29 licking on the Cougars, easily the most gruesome loss in the senior Bennett's three-year WSU run.

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