Search for assistant coaches continues

IT MAY WELL turn out that Montana State offensive line coach Jason McEndoo does indeed eventually join the staff at Washington State. But, according to a WSU spokesman late on Wednesday, neither of the two remaining Cougar assistant staff positions have been filled, and it may be a while before any announcement is made.

Two independent sources confirmed to CF.C Jason McEndoo had the job but the position has not been filled according to a school spokesman.

"The position has not been hired and no announcement is planned at this time," said the WSU spokesman, who indicated a hire may not be made until after Christmas or perhaps the New Year.

McEndoo, the offensive line coach for Montana State the last four seasons, has visited Washington State in years past to pick the brain of George Yarno, who spent the last five seasons on Bill Doba's staff as the Cougs' o-line coach. McEndoo has developed a reputation with the Bobcats for producing highly decorated players and for getting positive results when working around injuries.

Yarno is believed to be in the running for the head coaching job at Eastern Washington, along with two former WSU quarterbacks coaches -- Timm Rosenbach and Bill Diedrick, Jr.

McEndoo, 32, if he were to be hired by Washington State, would be the sixth former Cougar player -- along with Wulff, Malik Roberson, Jody Sears, Steve Broussard and Mike Levenseller -- on the new Wazzu coaching staff. He was a first-team All-Pac-10 performer and honorable mention All-American on the WSU team that ended the school's 67-year Rose Bowl drought by claiming the 1997 Pac-10 title.

Before joining Montana State, McEndoo spent three seasons as a high school assistant -- at Lake Washington in Kirkland and Mt. Spokane in Spokane, where he also picked up a master's degree at Whitworth College.

He is a native of Aberdeen, Wash., and was inducted into the Aberdeen High hall of fame in 2000.

McEndoo was with the Seahawks from 1998-99, and earned All-Pro honors one summer when assigned to play for the Berlin Thunder in NFL Europe. He was with the Saints in 2000.