Coach: WSU lost its innocence

Paul Wulff in a Tuesday press conference said he did nothing wrong and did not take responsibility for the worst four-year record in
Pac-12 or Washington State University history.

Wazzu lost its innocence in firing him, Wulff told reporters in a press conference. It was held an hour after Athletic Director Bill Woos
officially announced he was cancelling Wulff’s contract as head football coach
a year early.

Wulff finished his prepared statement by saying the players
and their parents believed in him and that, “The great thing about Washington State University and being a Cougar is that we don’t do it like everybody else. We stick together and we don’t beat our own. The innocence of Wazzu was lost
today. I have a heavy heart today.”

A reporter asked what he meant by that, and the former coach
and Cougar player said that when schools care about winning over everything
else, they begin recycling people and fall into a rut.

"They never draw the line and grow. I don’t want that for my
school. That is my concern,” he said.

Wulff told reporters he felt he was in an unwinnable
situation with a series of player injuries. Without those injuries, he said the
team could have had six or seven wins, in contrast to the four he earned after
losing the Apple Cup on Saturday.

The former coach emphasized again and again that the coming
years are going to see great success because of his efforts.

He said his replacement will be “fortunate to walk into this
situation” and predicted the team will see eight or nine wins next year.

“We took the hand that was dealt, shuffled it around,
cleaned it up and it’s a pretty good hand right now,” Wulff said.

No coach, not even the legendary Vince Lombardi, can win
without seniors, he said. Next year’s seniors will accomplish great things, and
Wulff said he hopes people will credit his staff.

Wulff said he had no regrets and would have done nothing
differently.

When asked if he’d consider returning someday under
different circumstances, he said he would if guaranteed a full five years.

At that point the former coach was cut off by a school
official standing to the side and the press conference ended.