Bert Clark Robert B . " Bert " Clark , Jr . ( February 12 , 1930 – December 13 , 2004 ) was an American football coach . He was the head coach at Washington State University for four seasons , from 1964 to 1967 . Early years . Born in Wichita Falls , Texas , Clark graduated from high school in 1948 and then played college football at University of Oklahoma under hall of fame coach Bud Wilkinson . He lettered on the varsity for three seasons from 1949 to 1951 , as the Sooners posted records of 11 - 0 , 10 - 1 , and 8 - 2 . Clark was a two - time All Big Eight linebacker who helped the Sooners capture the 1950 national title . After a brief stint with the Dallas Texas in the NFL in 1952 and a season with the Calgary Stampeders in the CFL in 1953 , Clark served in the U . S . Army . Assistant coach . Following his military service , he was an assistant coach for a season at University of Arkansas in 1956 under former Sooner Jack Mitchell , and then joined the staff of first - year head coach Jim Owens at the University of Washington in 1957 . Owens and Clark were teammates at Oklahoma in their undefeated 1949 season . Washington State . After seven seasons in Seattle with Owens at Washington , he was hired as head coach at Washington State in Pullman in January 1964 ; his initial contract was a three - year deal for $ 16 , 500 per year . On the Palouse , he was near another former 1949 Sooner teammate , Dee Andros , who was in his third ( and final ) season as head coach of the Idaho Vandals , eight miles ( 13 km ) to the east . Clark ' s first WSU team lost both rivalry games , expectedly to Washington in the Apple Cup , but unexpectedly to Idaho 28 - 13 in the Battle of the Palouse , the Vandals ' first win the over the Cougars in a decade . His 1965 team was nicknamed " The Cardiac Kids " for their dramatic late - game comebacks against Iowa , Minnesota , Villanova , Indiana and Oregon State . It was also the only team in school history to defeat three Big Ten teams ( Minnesota , Iowa , Indiana ) . The Cougars finished at 7 - 3 , and beat Oregon and Oregon State , but lost to both Idaho and Washington for a second consecutive year . It was the first time the Cougars had lost two straight to the Vandals in forty years , done before a record - breaking crowd of 22 , 600 at Rogers Field . Following the 1965 season , Clark signed a new three - year contract , at $ 19 , 700 per year . Expectations were high for 1966 , but the Cougars were 3 - 7 and nearly lost to Idaho for a third straight year in a sloppy mudbath at Neale Stadium in Moscow . Two fourth - quarter WSU touchdowns , one on a fumble return and another on a long run from scrimmage after a Vandal fumble saved the day for the Cougars , 14 - 7 . The Cougars were 1 - 3 in conference , with a win over Oregon and losses to California , Oregon State , and Washington . The Cougars were winless through eight games in 1967 , then thrashed Idaho 52 - 14 and squeaked by Washington 9 - 7 to finish at 2 - 8 and 1 - 5 in conference . Clark was fired in late November , with a season remaining on his contract . After Pullman . Clark coached at the University of New Mexico in 1968 as defensive coordinator to first - time head coach Rudy Feldman , and went to the CFL in 1970 with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers under new head coach Jim Spavital . He later went into the investment business in Texas . Clark died in Katy , Texas , in December 2004 at the age of 74 .