Eastern Washington football brings back Beau Baldwin

Beau Baldwin spent last year as the head football coach of his alma mater Central Washington University after spending the previous four with Eastern. When former Eagle Head Coach Paul Wulff departed from Eastern to test the waters in the Pac-10, it didn't take long for Baldwin's name to be called.

On Jan. 4, 2008, Baldwin was named the head coach of Eastern Washington football. With several key players returning after a stellar season, Baldwin said the transition won't be as tough as one may think.

"Beau is an individual who is going to help us move the program forward," said EWU President Dr. Rodolfo Arévalo. "We obviously did very well this year, so it was our intent to look for an individual that could continue to move us forward."

"I knew what I was coming into," Baldwin said. "I learned a lot under coach Wulff and I was around great coaches during the four years that I was here."

Baldwin said the transition will be easier because the offensive philosophy will be similar to the one that was run last year.

"The idea is to tempo people and to get on people and to stay on people. But the whole philosophy of that no-huddle is to keep the defense off balance. And from there it's nice to be able to spread people out and that's always been my philosophy," he added. "But you have to be balanced. You have to have the threat of both and I think that goes for any sport. To be a championship-caliber offense, you have to be balanced."

Baldwin said the same philosophy of balance applies for the defense as well. He also said that he will have a lot of help from Defensive Coordinator John Graham, who is in his first season at Eastern after spending 13 years at Central. Together, they both want to attack offenses and try to keep them off balance.

"I've worked with Coach Graham, our defensive coordinator for a long time and he's always had a great philosophy," said Baldwin.

The Eagles are coming off a successful year that ended late in the playoffs to the eventual champs, Appalachian State. Many personnel changes have occurred with the departure of Wulff, so establishing a rapport with current players and getting them to understand new ways may be a challenge.

"Sometimes it is tough to work harder when you're coming off a great year," he said. "Players need to focus and try to do the things that got them in that position last year and try to improve on that to get over the next hump."

"I believe that players want discipline and structure. I try to be fair and honest and treat them like people but without that discipline and honesty, you'll never get over the hump and win a championship."

Baldwin said that the team will need to achieve its immediate goals before it can achieve the big goals.

Right now, he said, the focus is on getting stronger, faster and quicker. He said the winter and summer play a large role in the success that a team has in the fall.

"They didn't win those games in the fall," Baldwin said of last year's team. "They won them from January to August and this year, we're going to have the same approach."

Baldwin wants his players to improve in three ways: academically, socially and athletically. He added that succeeding in any of the three will help to improve in the others. But ultimately, Baldwin wants his players to leave with a degree.

Off the field, Baldwin likes to golf and spend time with his wife Nicole and his two daughters, Mia and Macie. In 1996, Baldwin earned his bachelor's degree in education from Central Washington University, where he played quarterback.

With a tough schedule, Baldwin maintains that family is his first priority.

"Whether you're a player or a coach, family and faith are still the biggest things in your life," he added.

Perhaps that is why the athletic department didn't take long in their decision to rehire Baldwin in a new era of Eagle football.