Washington to hold Don James memorial on Sunday
Oct 21, 2013, 11:55 AM | Updated: 12:02 pm
By Shannon Drayer
The University of Washington will hold a memorial service for former football coach Don James – who passed away Sunday after a battle with pancreatic cancer – at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27 at the Alaska Airlines Arena. The service will be open to all.
In addition to the memorial service, a number of tributes are planned for Saturday night when Washington hosts Cal at Husky Stadium. Members of the James family will serve as most honorary captains for the coin toss before the game and the UW band will perform “A Tribute to the Dawgfather” at halftime. For the remainder of the season, the players will wear “DJ” decals on their helmets and the coaching staff will have similar patches.
James coached the Huskies from 1975-1992 and led Washington to six conference titles and a share of the national championship in 1991.
Washington athletic director Scott Woodward has issued the following statement:
“It wasn’t until I arrived at the University of Washington that I truly understood the profound impact Coach James had on all facets of this university and on our athletic department. He set a standard for excellence that all of our coaches and staff strive for each day, and that legacy will live on forever. It was an honor to spend time with Coach James and I will treasure his words and advice. Our thoughts and prayers are with Carol and the James family and we – along with Huskies everywhere – will be here for them always.”
