Originally published Friday, January 21, 2011 at 6:28 PM

Tormey back in Palouse at WSU

Chris Tormey back in the Palouse to coach the WSU linebackers.

Chris Tormey — Linebackers/Recruiting Coordinator University of Washington Football 2007 UW Football Coaches and Staff

Spokane native Chris Tormey will join Washington State's football staff as linebackers coach, according to a report in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and confirmed by WSU athletic department sources Friday.

Tormey, who played at Gonzaga Prep and Idaho (where he was an All-Big Sky linebacker), will replace Travis Niekamp, who took a new position in the football offices.

The 55-year-old Tormey has coached the University of Hawaii's special teams and safeties for the past two seasons.

Before that, he served three stints as an assistant at Washington, including a season as coach Jim Lambright's defensive coordinator in the early 1990s.

Tormey left that spot to become Idaho's head coach, where he posted a 33-23 record and led the Vandals to a Humanitarian Bowl victory in 1998.

From Idaho he moved to Nevada, where he was 16-31 in four seasons.

After being replaced at Nevada, Tormey returned to Washington under coach Tyrone Willingham, where he coached linebackers and was recruiting coordinator.

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