USC offensive line coach Pat Ruel held the same position for the Cougars in 1978-81, and was also the offensive coordinator in his final two seasons in Pullman. In 1981, Ruel helped coach Washington State to the Holiday Bowl, the team's first bowl game in 39 seasons.USC is Ruel's ninth stop since Pullman nearly 30 years ago, and he said he enjoyed his four seasons in eastern Washington.
"In recruiting, other teams used to say that you could see the end of the earth from there," Ruel fondly recalled about his time at Washington State. "We'd tell the recruits, 'Yeah, the view's nice, you should come check it out.'"
