END OF AN ERA: DONAHUE RESIGNS : DONAHUE 101: HOW TO RUN A REVERSE

The night before UCLA was to play Washington at Seattle in 1990, I called Donahue in his hotel room to get an update on the Bruins.

UCLA’s prospects were bleak. Washington was ranked second in the country, had already clinched a berth in the Rose Bowl and was a three-touchdown favorite over the Bruins, who had a 4-5 record.

As the interview with Donahue wound up, the coach said in jest, “We’re going to get killed. I wish you were coaching the team, so I could go home.”

UCLA then proceeded to upset Washington, 25-22, with a masterful game plan by Donahue and his staff. Moreover, the victory gave Donahue an 8-4-1 record over Washington’s Don James, one of the premier coaches in the country.