THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE: The Best way to get Eastern Washington football back to being EWU football again

Ah, Eastern. 

For much of the past couple decades, while Idaho was mostly scuffling in FBS before returning to the FCS level, Eastern Washington was one of the top football teams in the Big Sky Conference, if not the country. 

An FCS national title in 2010. 

Twelve FCS playoff appearances in an 18-year stretch. 

But ... 

Nothing since the Eagles’ last playoff appearance in 2021.  

Just seasons of 3-8, 4-7 and 4-8. 

MEANWHILE, IDAHO struggled in its first four seasons back in the Big Sky. With Jason Eck coming to Moscow in 2022, the Vandals reached the FCS playoffs in each of the past three seasons, and Eck rode that success to a job as New Mexico head coach. 

Idaho has won five of its last seven games against Eastern, including the last three. 

No word on whether the natives are getting restless in Cheney.  

If there is noise, Aaron Best doesn’t care

He’s been there since 1996, first as a player, then as assistant coach before taking over as head coach in 2017. In his second season, he had EWU in the FCS title game. 

But, after three straight losing season, the question begs: 

How does Eastern get back to being Eastern again? 

“What we were is what we were,” Best said last month, at the Big Sky Football Kickoff in Airway Heights. “The people that were there aren’t the guys sitting next to me. They saw it, they read it, they watched it, but they weren’t a part of it. So that can almost be a positive — that they didn’t do it, but they saw it done. We’re trying to be the best version of 2025 Eastern; we’re not trying to be the 2010 team. Now, the success was evident when the end result was a national title, but we can’t worry about being the 2014 team that Eastern had, or the team that beat Oregon State, or the team that went to the semifinals in ‘16 against Youngstown.” 

Then he got down to the crux of the issue — defense. 

"We’ve got to worry about stopping people on third down first, and if those dominoes happen, then there’s a chance to be more successful from a record standout,” Best said. “ ... we have the players to do it, we just have to be able to do it more consistently when the lights get a little brighter.”

AT THE Big Sky media day, Best said he liked the conference’s decision to add a ninth conference game to what will be an annual 12-game schedule, saying it’s hard enough to find three nonconference games. 

He also shared thoughts on the transfer portal, as well as on North Idaho players on the EWU roster. 

ON SHEA ROBERTSON, A REDSHIRT FRESHMAN LINEBACKER FROM COEUR d’ALENE HIGH 

Robertson saw action in two games last season in his first year in Cheney, recording one tackle. 

“I’d love to see him in there more this year,” Best said. “We have to get more competitive on defense, and part of that is those guys looking forward to true reps after coming off their redshirt year. Just him picking up the defense with the reps, and continued experience will help him. We’re excited about Shea; he’ll for sure find himself on special teams. He’s not scared, and like a lot of those redshirts, excited to get their opportunity without wondering, ‘am I going to redshirt or not’ ... well, it’s done.” 

ON ASHER BOWIE, A REDSHIRT FRESHMAN TIGHT END FROM POST FALLS HIGH 

Bowie, like Robertson, redshirted at EWU last season. 

“Same deal. In the mix (at tight end),” Best said. “We have one old (veteran) in that room, so he’s going to get an opportunity to compete. Gotta put on weight (listed at 210 pounds). He’s put on some, but he’s still ... he’s probably a legit 6-3 ½, 6-4. 240, 250 should be the weight most of those guys are at. We utilize tight ends a lot, but if we’re utilizing a guy that’s 220 when we need to be 245, then that can work against us. But he’s certainly going to be in the mix, along with a few other young tight ends.” 

ON TYRAS BLAKE, A TRUE FRESHMAN LINEBACKER FROM POST FALLS HIGH 

"He’ll be a redshirt for us,” Best said. “He’s a big kid, long kid; that’s one thing that turned us on at the linebacker position, to see what kind of range he has. We’re excited about Tyras Blake.” 

These days, players can see action in up to four regular season games, and unlimited playoff games, and still count it as a redshirt season. 

(Best also commented last month on Jace Eastlick, a long snapper from Coeur d’Alene High who transferred to EWU from Idaho after last season. But since then, Eastlick is no longer on Eastern’s roster, and is now on the roster of NCAA Division II Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo., listed as a redshirt freshman.) 

ON THE TRANSFER PORTAL 

Eastern lost a few players to the portal after last season — nothing like the number of players Idaho lost. But two of the Eagles’ losses were pretty dynamic ones — quarterback Kekoa Visperas, who transferred to Tennessee Tech, and a returner/running back/receiver/whatever-else-they-need talent in Michael Wortham, now at Montana. 

How do you handle that? 

“Go to sleep and wake up the next day,” Best said. “You coach who’s here. I think you have to appreciate the time you have with the guys, because it’s not a five-year journey for most kids. ... It’s part of the process. It’s not ideal, that isn’t what we anticipated to happen, but it’s a reality.” 

Best gets it when players leave because other schools, especially in the FBS, can offer more NIL money than Eastern. 

Best recalled his conversation with EWU star receiver Efton Chism III, when he was entering his senior year in 2024. 

“’I love you either way,’” Best told Chism. “That’s our conversation in a nutshell. ‘I don’t have anything for you to convince you to stay, other than who I am, and what you decide.’ That’s it.” 

Chism stayed in Cheney, had a record-setting season, and is now opening eyes as an undrafted free agent with the New England Patriots. 

“But if he goes (leaves for an FBS school for his senior year), I look at him the same way,” Best said. “As long as you do all your homework, I support you either way. I don’t have to like the decision, but I’m going to support those kids. We recruited them. We were part of their journey. Why would you cast them aside? I’m a father, too, and a husband. Why would I change my stripes just because I’m a coach, and I didn’t like what I heard? I support those guys; I love those guys. I pour as much into those guys that I can, whether they’re here for five years or they’re here for five months.” 

Sounds like the kind of guy invested in making Eastern Eastern again. 

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 208-664-8176, Ext. 1205, or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @CdAPressSports.