NEWSWIRE: Familiar sound in Sterk on Doba

JIM STERK ON Monday borrowed a year-old page from Oregon State's athletic director when asked about the direction of Cougar football under Bill Doba. "We are obviously concerned," Sterk said in a Seattle PI story today. The headline describes Doba's position as "shaky" following a 2-3 start, including a blowout loss to Arizona.

Last season in Corvallis, the Beavers were off to a 2-3 start when OSU Athletic Director Bob De Carolis said of his football program under Mike Riley: "Anyone who says they're not concerned is not dealing with reality."

The 2006 epilogue in Corvallis saw OSU streak to a 10-4 season. Riley's contract was subsequently extended through the 2012 season -- a turn of events nearly unfathomable a few months prior when the outcry among OSU alums could be heard from Medford to Hermiston.

The PI article today quotes Sterk as saying "what happens from here on out" will help determine if Doba, who is under contract through 2009, will be retained beyond the current season.

The Cougars' next four opponents have a combined record of 18-2, starting with unbeaten Arizona State this week in the Cougars' homecoming game.

Here's the link to the Seattle PI story:
Doba's job linked to Cougs' success the rest of the way in '07

With alumni support eroding and a note of concern on record from the AD, Oregon State in '06 pulled a shocker and won 8 of next 9 games. Can the Cougs pull off a similar turnaround in '07?