Inside the Locker Room – Speakers
Date & Time
November 1, 2023
5:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Location
Ballroom 100A-C
Spokane Convention Center
334 W Spokane Falls Blvd
Spokane, WA 99201
Sponsored By
WSU Network Statistics
Panel Moderator
Greg Witter
Co-Founder of Cougfan.com
Greg Witter is a public relations consultant based in Seattle. His firm, The Witter Group, is an alliance of independent contractors with expertise in crisis communications, issues management, media relations and marketing communications. Witter is a long-time airline industry veteran, having spent 15 years in a series of senior communications and government affairs positions at Alaska Airlines. He was a primary architect of Alaska’s crisis communications plan and directed the airline’s media response and internal communications efforts in the hours and days following the Flight 261 tragedy in January 2000. He pioneered the strategy to use the Internet to “tell the story as we would have written it” in the weeks and months after the accident.
Prior to joining Alaska, Witter was a U.S. House and Senate press secretary in Washington, D.C. Before that, he was an award-winning business writer and sports reporter for daily newspapers in the Pacific Northwest. He is the co-founder and publisher of Cougfan.com, an award-winning sports website devoted to Washington State athletics. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Washington State University’s Murrow College and a master’s from Seattle University.
Session Panelists
Pat Chun
Director of Athletics
Washington State University
Pat Chun is the school’s 14th Director of Athletics and the first Asian-American athletics director to lead a Power Five school. In 2019, Chun was named Under Armor Athletic Director of the Year, the first WSU Athletics leader to receive that honor.
Since arriving in Pullman, Chun has overseen an incredible transformation of Cougar Athletics, both on and off the fields and courts of competition, including record-setting student-athlete academic achievements, unprecedented fundraising totals, transformative facility projects, and innovative student-welfare programming.
Under his leadership, ten Cougar programs have made NCAA Tournament appearances and the Cougars have won six Pac-12 Conference Championships. In the classroom, the academic performance of WSU student-athletes continues to set records.
Prior to arriving at WSU, Chun spent five-and-a-half years as the Director of Athletics at Florida Atlantic University and the previous fifteen years at his alma matter, Ohio State University, in a multitude of roles from 1997 through 2012, culminating in his role as the Executive Associate Athletics Director.
A native of Strongsville, Ohio, Chun earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Ohio State University and a Master’s degree from Duquesne University. He and his wife, Natalie, also an OSU alumna, have three daughters (Vanna, Kennedy and Gretta) who enjoy their dog (Little Brother).
Dustin White
Head Coach
Washington State University Men's Golf
A Cougar through and through, Dustin White returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach in the January of 2014 and was named the Washington State men’s golf head coach prior to the 2016-17 season.
The Cougars made a return to postseason play in 2022-23, as the Cougars earned a bid to play in the 2023 National Golf Invitational Championship at AK-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club in Maricopa, Arizona. It is only the second time in program history that WSU has played in a postseason tournament, marking the first time since Washington State played in the 2002 NCAA West Regional. The Cougars finished in a tie for sixth at the NGI after shooting 3-over; 867 as a team.
White returned to his alma mater after being a standout for the Cougars from 1999-2003. He was a three-time All-Pac-10 selection, including a first team honoree in 2002. That season, his junior campaign, he set a school record with eight top-10 finishes, earned his first-tournament victory and won a national player of the week honor.
A native of Pueblo, Colo., White was a winner on the Gateway Tour in 2004, 2006 and 2007. He played on the Nationwide Tour in 2005, 2009 and 2010. His career highlight came when he qualified for and participated in the 2006 U.S. Open. He is married to former WSU women’s golfer, and current women’s golf assistant coach, Emma Betland White.
Jaden Hicks
Defensive Back
Washington State University Football
Jaden Hicks is a current Redshirt Sophomore and standout Defensive Back for the WSU Cougar Football team.
During his RS-Freshman year, he was named to Freshman All-America Third Team by College Football News…named to Midseason Freshman All-America Team by College Football Team…appeared in all 13 games, starting the final 11…second on team with 76 tackles, most among Pac-12 Conference Freshmen defenders…made two tackles-for-loss including one sack, one interception, six pass breakups and one fumble recovery returned for touchdown…recorded double-digit tackles in 3 straight games games (10 - Colorado State, 11 - Oregon, 11 - Cal)…first career tackle was a sack in season-opening win over Idaho…made three tackles in win at No. 19 Wisconsin…made first career start, recorded career-high 10 tackles including first career interception in win over Colorado State, earned 9th-best overall defensive grade, second-best by an safety during week three according to PFF College…made career-high 11 tackles with two quarterback hurries against No. 15 Oregon…recorded third-straight double-digit tackle game, started and made 11 tackles in win over Cal…made five stops at No. 6 USC…made three tackles and broke up one pass at Oregon State…made eight stops against No. 14 Utah • named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week, made six stops and returned a fumble 17 yards for a touchdown in win at Stanford…made five tackles and one pass breakup in win over Arizona State…recorded two tackles and broke up one pass in win at Arizona…made four tackles in Apple Cup…made seven tackles and broke up two passes against Fresno State in LA Bowl.
