PROFILE

SUNDAY MAY 20, 2012

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HOQUIAM HIGH SCHOOL TRACK COACH | C5

Q&A TIM PELAN

CROSSWORD C4 | SUDOKU C7

DEREK HARRISON

WSU baseball head coach Donnie Marbut motivates his team in the dugout during its game against Arizona State University on April 28 at Bailey-Brayton Field in Pullman.

Bobcat grad sets the bar high

Donnie Marbuts goal as baseball coach at WSU is to win the national championship
BY RICK ANDERSON The Daily World wall-length poster of TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb., the home of baseballs College World Series next month, adorns Donnie Marbuts office at Washington State University. It represents a Holy Grail of sorts for the Aberdeen High School graduate. In his eighth season as WSUs head baseball coach, Marbut has already restored the luster to the Cougar baseball program. His teams have won more than 200 games and twice made NCAA Tournament appearances. The College World Series, however, represents an objective yet to be fulfilled. My goal is to go to the College World Series and play for a national championship, Marbut said. I dont think its even (just getting there), Cougar assistant head coach Gregg Swenson added. Its winning it. I think thats what gets him out of bed every Monday. Hes thinking, what do I have to do to win a national title? Marbut isnt entirely singleminded in that pursuit. Hes a devoted family man who makes repeated reference to his two daughters. He spends the majority of his time on baseball, but he absolutely adores his girls, said Aberdeen chiropractor Cy Dohrmann, an Aberdeen High classmate and longtime friend. Marbut acknowledged, though, that his interests dont extend much beyond job and family. He even regards College World Series tapes as his favorite baseball movies. FAMILY AND COACHING ARE HIS LIFE People ask what my hobbies are. My hobbies are my coaching and my kids, Marbut said. The 38-year-old Marbut is usually in his office in the Bohler Gym athletic complex by 6 a.m. (Im just not a big sleeper, he said). Even on days when the Cougars arent playing or practicing, he usually hits the road in the early morning for recruiting trips to Western Washington. Yet Marbut revels in the routine. I love work, he asserted. I love my job and Im not sure many people do what they love to do. While not necessarily foresee-

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Donnie Marbut
Age: 38. Family: Wife, Jennifer; daughters Avery, 9, and Olivia, 7 Teachers and coaches who had the greatest influence: Third-grade teacher Steve McMillan, high school coaches Rob Lonborg, Ron Langhans and Randy Hancock, longtime youth baseball coach Al Dick Favorite major league team: The Seattle Mariners Favorite baseball player, active or retired: New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter. Retired Baltimore shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. Favorite high school memory: I loved being a Bobcat. I loved growing up in Aberdeen and loved playing all three high school sports with my good buddies.

DEREK HARRISON

WSU baseball head coach Donnie Marbut talks with sophomore outfielder Jason Monda. Marbut has the Cougars coach for eight years. ing his future profeston State and Seattle sion, some of his Seahawks offensive former teammates lineman Jason McEnand coaches recall doo), Marbut ranked that Marbut had the among the most necessary qualities versatile. to be a successful He earned allcoach even in high Black Hills League school. recognition in three Donnie was one of sports football, the smarter players I basketball and coached as far as unbaseball and derstanding not only established a school his job but the other record in football for players jobs around interceptions. him, ex-Aberdeen His fierce competifootball coach Rob tiveness is reflected Lonborg rememin one of Lonborgs bered. In football, favorite stories. A he used his scouting Mount Vernon player reports and instincts broke free and apas well as his athletipeared destined for a cism to make plays. touchdown during a I definitely saw tightly fought Bobcat leadership skills, non-league game. Dohrmann said. Despite having a poor He always rose to angle on the play, the top, especially Marbut took off in at game time. Most pursuit and eventuof us looked toward ally made the tackle DEREK HARRISON him, to see which on Aberdeens 3-yard WSU baseball head coach Donnie Marbut motivates his way he was going, to line. team against Arizona State. His players say he loves to win see how the direcHe didnt give up and they respect him for that. tion of the team was on the play, Longoing. borg related. As It took Marbut a few years folerdeen High athletes (his footluck would have it, they didnt lowing his 1992 AHS graduation, ball teammates included future get in the end zone (on that however, to recognize that college University of Washington and possession) and we wound up coaching was his calling. National Football League tight winning the game in overtime, In an era of outstanding Abend Mark Bruener and Washinglargely because of his unwilling-

I definitely saw leadership skills. He always rose to the top, especially at game time. Most of us looked toward him, to see which way he was going, to see how the direction of the team was going.
Cy Dohrmann
Aberdeen chiropractor, high school teammate and longtime friend of Marbut.

ness to give up on the play. A middle infielder, Marbut went on to play baseball at Edmonds Community College and Portland State University. After toying with the idea of becoming a professional baseball scout, he considered a career as a high school teacher and coach. STARTED AT CAPITAL His first baseball coaching assignment was as an assistant at Capital High in Olympia. In his only year there, in 1998, the Cougars won a state championship. Marbut then accepted an assistant coaching position at Bellevue Community College. Once I was at Bellevue, I knew I wanted to be a Division I (college) coach, he remembered. SEE MARBUT | PAGE C4

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SUNDAY, MAY 20, 2012

THE DAILY WORLD

PROFILE
entering the closing stretch of the regular season. Before orchestrating the turnaround, Marbut endured a difficult off-field experiBellevue was also where ence. he met his wife of 12 years, During his second year Jennifer. at WSU, he was the subject Before reaching the of a Seattle Times article major college level, Marbut alleging that he had padded spent four years as the head his resume and, as athletic baseball coach at Edmonds director, had been involved Community College. He won in improper rentals of the two conference titles during Edmonds baseball field. that tenure and doubled as Marbut doesnt like to the schools athletic director publicly discuss that inciduring his final two years. dent, but said he was able to Junior college is a good refute the allegations. learning environment, It was an unfortunate Marbut said. I learned what situation and Im glad theres to do and what not to do. We been vindication, he said. had a lot of success there Theres little doubt that and it gave me the opportuMarbut has set the bar nity to coach (at WSU). high in his expectations for Despite that success, WSU players, coaches and Marbut jumped at the ophimself. He is frequently portunity to join the Cougar described as demanding, a baseball staff in 2003. After reputation he doesnt deny. one year as an assistant, he Id say I try to be firm was elevated to head coach but fair, but firm is probfollowing the resignation of ably an understatement, he Greg Mooney in 2004. reflected. We have a saying here that were not interestYOUNGEST COACH ed in good, were obsessed At 29, he was the youngest with great. Im assuming Im head baseball coach in what pretty difficult to deal with was then the Pac-10 Confer- I tell the players to listen ence and one of the youngest to the message, not the delivDivision I coaches in the ery. Sometimes the delivery nation. isnt very good. A perennial conference Hes intense and has high and national power under expectations, Swenson legendary coaches Buck noted. He doesnt allow Bailey and Bobo Brayton, guys to have an off-day. He the Cougars had slipped into likes to say, The only easy a decade of mediocrity folday is yesterday. lowing Braytons retirement Cougar outfielder Derek in 1994. Jones says the players acMarbut was unfazed by cept that message, in part the challenge. because Marbut is equitable I dont know what the in his criticism. expectations were (from Hell get on you, Jones other people), he said. The said. It doesnt matter if expectations were my own. youre a senior or a freshThe expectations were to put man. He has no favorites. WSU on the map and be a Hes good in that regard. national contender. He doesnt care what He was able to convey people think of him, he that vision to his players and added. He just wants to coaching staff. win. It doesnt matter if its Theres an underlywinning on a Little League ing idea that were going field or a big-league field. to have the best program He loves the team and we in the league, said Swenrespect him. son, whose family lived in Raymond. The culture has HANDS-ON COACH changed because of that. Unlike some college Theres one thing that coaches who tend to be more Don doesnt lack and thats CEOs than instructors, Marconfidence, Dohrmann but is very much a hands-on related. When Don enters leader. He continues to work a room, he definitely draws one-on-one with Cougar inpeoples attention, most of fielders, coaches third base the time for the good. and pitches batting pracYet Marbut now admits tice. Swenson said that, in that some of that early confi- football terminology, Marbut dence was misplaced. serves as his own offensive When I first got the job, I coordinator. thought I was prepared, he Marbut also does much of said. I thought I was ready his own recruiting, a part of and I wasnt even close. Im his job that keeps him constill not the coach I should stantly on the road during be. Ive got to get better. Ive the summer. got to be a better leader or You recruit non-stop, manager. he asserted. If you stop Despite that admission, recruiting for one day, its Marbut oversaw dramatic like not shaving, you look improvement almost from like crap. the outset of his WSU career. College baseball recruitBy his second season, the ing is complicated by the Cougars posted a winning Major League Baseball draft record. In 2009, they qualiin June, which often forces fied for the NCAA Tourcoaches to re-recruit prosnament and tied a school pects they believed they had record with 19 conference already landed. victories. The following During a coaches recruityear, they advanced as far as ing meeting last month, the NCAA Regional finals. Marbut fretted about the This years club has expossibility of losing Chehalis perienced an up-and-down High School pitcher-position season, with five wins over player Mitch Gueller. Top-10 teams on the road but The Evergreen 2A Conferalso what Marbut calls some ence Most Valuable Player bad losses at home. award recipient, Gueller Due to the strength of the (whose parents both hail Pac-12 Conference, Marbut from Grays Harbor) signed believes his team would rea letter of intent with the ceive another NCAA tourney Cougars last year. Marbut, bid with a .500 conference however, is fearful that a record. A sweep dealt by na- professional team might tionally ranked Stanford last make Gueller an offer he weekend, however, leaves couldnt refuse. the Cougars five games He could change our under .500 in the Pac-12 program, Marbut said. We FROM PAGE C1

Marbut

DEREK HARRISON

WSU baseball head coach Donnie Marbut disputes a call during a game against Arizona State. Marbut is driven by goals to get to the College World Series and eventually win a national championship

I dont know what the expectations were (from other people). The expectations were my own. The expectations were to put WSU on the map and be a national contender.
Don Marbut
On his goals, expectations while he is coach at WSU

think he could be the best player in college baseball. Because of Pullmans remote location and frigid winters, Marbut faces recruiting challenges that are not found in many other conference locales. I dont think theres a tougher job in the Pac-12 in baseball, Dohrmann maintained. Recruiting for Washington State has got to be stressful, but he manages. Marbut brushes off such reservations. Were not necessarily trying to get the best guys. We try to get the right guys sometimes the best guys are the right guys, he said. Sure, there are probably easier places to recruit. There are challenges, but thats why I like the job. Coincidentally or not, the right guys tend to resemble Marbut as a player bluecollar types who perform in more than one high school sport. During the recruiting meeting, Marbut expressed reservations about one prospect who played only baseball, saying he might lack the proper competitive instincts. Although he hasnt lived in this area for 20 years, Marbut maintains strong ties to family and friends on Grays Harbor. His mother, Connie, still lives in Aberdeen and he continues to phone Dorhmann, among others, on a regular basis. Rarely does he start out a conversation about baseball, Dohrmann said. He always asks me about my family. I always have and will continue to appreciate the support and encouragement I have always received from Harbor people, Marbut said. I love and miss all those people very, very much. Pullman also seems to be a good fit for Marbut. He likes the small-town atmosphere that gives him an opportunity to unwind with his family.

You cant coach many places and be able to take out five minutes and pick up your daughter for lunch, he said. Theres something special about being a Coug. Hes also active in promoting the program in the community.

Donnie sells more than Cougar baseball, said WSU Associate Athletic Director Mike Marlow, a Hoquiam High graduate. Hes a good ambassador for Cougar athletics overall. Ive had opportunities to go into professional baseball and I dont see that happening, Marbut said. I dont think Id be a very good fit there. College baseball is about development and I like to put my time into seeing things grow. In professional baseball, youre sort of a nomad. Youre on the road and away from your family

all the time. I dont see that happening for me. While not closing the door to another college job (I dont want to say absolutely), Marbut doesnt dismiss the possibility of making Washington State his final career destination. I wouldnt mind being here forever, he said. Except, perhaps, for one week every June, when hed rather be in Omaha.
Rick Anderson, Daily World sports editor, can be reached at 537-3924, or by email: randerson@thedailyworld.com

SUNDAY CROSSWORD PUZZLE

DEREK HARRISON

WSU baseball head coach Donnie Marbut talks with his team . You recruit,non-stop. If you stop recruiting for one day, its like not shaving, you look like crap, the coach says.