Washington State athletic director Bill Moos said he would work quickly after the season ended, evaluating the direction of the program and where head coach Paul Wulff stands. Just one day after the Apple Cup, Moos did just that, electing to retain Wulff for 2011. The announcement ends the speculation and, for the moment, takes Wulff off the hot seat.
The Cougars showed improvement all year, putting together a competitive stretch against ranked opponents before finally breaking through, dropping the Oregon State Beavers in Corvallis. Washington State finished the season at 2-10, with wins over Montana State and Oregon State.
Though improvement may not have shown the Cougars’ record, but Washington State looked like a legitimate Pac-10 football team for the first time in years during the 2010 season. Opponents were quick to praise the Cougars, observing how close Washington State was to getting over that hump and moving up in the Pac-10 standings.
In 2011, Wulff gets a chance to finish what he started and bring the Cougars back to respectability. With a solid recruiting class on the horizon, should all the verbal commitments stick, and a returning core of underclassmen, the Cougars should continue to progress under Wulff. As it was this year, however, 2011 may be make or break for Wulff and his staff.