31 Notable alumni of Eastern Washington University
Updated: June 12, 2026 EliteDegrees
Eastern Washington University is ranked #1,850 in the world and #457 in United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 31 notable alumni from Eastern Washington University sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. Many individuals affiliated with Eastern Washington University won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Wendy J. Fox
1979-. (aged 47)
writer
Wendy J. Fox is an American author born in Washington. She is most known as a writer of fiction and has thrice been a finalist for the Colorado Book Awards. In 2015, she was nominated for her collection "The Seven Stages of Anger and Other Stories" and in 2020, she was a finalist in literary fiction for "If the Ice...
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2. Adris Deleon
1984-. (aged 42)
basketball player
Adris Geraldo De León Jiménez is a Dominican professional basketball player for Metros de Santiago of the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto. He has previously played in Canada, Spain, Puerto Rico and Poland, and is well known in Australia, having played for the Gold Coast Blaze, Wollongong Hawks and Adelaide 36ers while claiming the NBL Best Sixth Man Award in 2013.
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3. Paul Butorac
1983-. (aged 43)
basketball player
Paul Butorac is an American former professional basketball player. He currently coaches Lilac City Legends of the American Basketball Association (ABA).
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4. Dario Romero
1978-. (aged 48)
Canadian football player
American football player
Dario Romero is an American former professional football defensive tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL). He was signed by the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL as a free agent in 2001. He played college football at Eastern Washington.
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5. Bruce Barnum
1964-. (aged 62)
head coach
Bruce Eugene Barnum is an American football coach. He was the head football coach at Portland State University from 2015 until 2025.
6. Ryan Phillips
1982-. (aged 44)
teacher
American football player
Canadian football player
Ryan Phillips is the secondary coach and pass game coordinator for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and a former professional Canadian football defensive back. He played most of his career with the BC Lions, where he has been part of two Grey Cup championship teams (94th Grey Cup and 99th Grey Cup) and was the last...
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7. Jill Bakken
1977-. (aged 49)
bobsledder
coach
Jill Bakken is an American Olympic bobsledder who has competed since 1994. As the driver, she and partner Vonetta Flowers won the gold medal in Bobsleigh at the 2002 Winter Olympics for the U.S. Bakken's best Bobsleigh World Cup season finish was second in the two-woman event in 1999–2000. Bakken was a Specialist in the Utah Army National Guard and...
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8. Lee Watkinson
1966-. (aged 60)
poker player
Lee Watkinson is an American professional poker player, originally from Longbranch, Washington.
9. Leslie Wong
1949-. (aged 77)
academic
Leslie Eric Wong is an American academic, university administrator, and psychology professor. He was President of Northern Michigan University and San Francisco State University. Effective July 1st, 2023, he became the interim President of Connecticut College.
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10. Chris Crutcher
1946-. (aged 80)
novelist
writer
family therapist
children's writer
author
Chris Crutcher is an American novelist and a family therapist. He received the Margaret A. Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 2000 for his lifetime contribution in writing for teens.
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11. Erik Meyer
1982-. (aged 44)
American football player
Erik Meyer is an American former professional football quarterback and current coach. He is the offensive coordinator for St. Paul High School in Santa Fe Springs, California, a position he has held since 2025. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at Eastern Washington. He was also a member...
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12. Fouad al-Farhan
1975-. (aged 51)
blogger
Fouad Ahmad Alfarhan is a popular Saudi Arabian blogger and political commentator noted for his advocacy of political reforms on his blog. Farhan is unusual among Saudi Arabian bloggers because he uses his real name rather than blogging under a pseudonym. Farhan had stopped blogging for a period after being told by government officials to "tone down" his commentary. He...
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13. Clarence D. Martin
1886-1955 (aged 69)
politician
Clarence Daniel Martin was an American politician who served as the 11th governor of Washington from 1933 to 1941. A member of the Democratic Party, he was appointed to fill a vacancy in the Washington House of Representatives in 1944 and was the first governor born in the territory of the state.
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14. Derrick Jensen
1960-. (aged 66)
writer
environmentalist
novelist
philosopher
Derrick Jensen is an American environmental activist, author and ecophilosopher in the anarcho-primitivist tradition. He believes that human civilization is and has always been unsustainable for the planet.
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15. Jess Walter
1965-. (aged 61)
novelist
writer
journalist
Jess Walter is an American author of seven novels, two collections of short stories, and a non-fiction book. He is the recipient of the Edgar Allan Poe Award, and was a finalist for the National Book Award in 2006.
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16. Michael Roos
1982-. (aged 44)
American football player
Michael Roos is an Estonian-born former professional American football offensive tackle who played his entire career for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Titans in the second round of the 2005 NFL draft. He played college football for the Eastern Washington Eagles.
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17. Dave Christensen
1961-. (aged 65)
head coach
David Joe Christensen is an American football coach and former player. He was assistant coach at Arizona State. He previously worked as the offensive line coach and run-game coordinator for the Texas A&M Aggies. He previously served as the offensive coordinator for the University of Utah. He was previously the head coach at the University of Wyoming from 2009 to...
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18. Taiwan Jones
1988-. (aged 38)
American football player
Taiwan Asti Eric Jones is an American former professional football running back, return specialist, and special teamer. He played college football for the Eastern Washington Eagles and was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL draft. During his NFL career, Jones was primarily a gunner and jammer on special teams.
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19. Gary J. Volesky
1961-. (aged 65)
military personnel
Gary J. Volesky is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who commanded I Corps from 2017 to 2020. He previously served as commander of the 101st Airborne Division and commander of the American ground forces in Iraq as part of Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve. Volesky retired in February 2020, being succeeded by Lieutenant General Randy...
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20. Tom Sneva
1948-. (aged 78)
racing automobile driver
Thomas Edsol Sneva is an American former race car driver who won the Indianapolis 500 in 1983. He primarily raced in Indy cars, and was named to the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2005.
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21. Tyler Harvey
1993-. (aged 33)
basketball player
Tyler Jordon Harvey is an American professional basketball player for the Illawarra Hawks of the National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for the Eastern Washington Eagles, where he led Division I in scoring as a junior. He primarily plays the point guard and shooting guard positions. Harvey graduated from Bishop Montgomery High School of Torrance, California, in 2011.
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22. Kendrick Bourne
1995-. (aged 31)
American football player
Kendrick Bourne is an American professional football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Eastern Washington Eagles and signed with the 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2017. Bourne has also played for the New England Patriots.
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23. Bo Levi Mitchell
1990-. (aged 36)
gridiron football player
American football player
Canadian football player
Bo Levi Mitchell is an American professional football quarterback for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at SMU and Eastern Washington, leading Eastern Washington to an FCS national championship victory in 2010. He also won the Walter Payton Award in 2011 as the best offensive player in the FCS.
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24. Rodney Stuckey
1986-. (aged 40)
basketball player
Rodney Norvell Stuckey is an American former professional basketball player. He played seven seasons for the Detroit Pistons and three seasons for the Indiana Pacers and played college basketball for the Eastern Washington Eagles.
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25. Thomas Hampson
1955-. (aged 71)
opera singer
Walter Thomas Hampson is an American lyric baritone, a classical singer who has appeared world-wide in major opera houses and concert halls and made over 170 musical recordings.
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26. Cooper Kupp
1993-. (aged 33)
American football player
Cooper Douglas Kupp is an American professional football wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Eastern Washington Eagles, winning the Walter Payton Award in 2015 and setting the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision records for receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. He was selected by the Los Angeles...
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27. Colin Cowherd
1964-. (aged 62)
author
radio personality
journalist
Colin Murray Cowherd is an American sports media personality. He began his broadcasting career as sports director of Las Vegas television station KVBC and as a sports anchor on several other stations before joining ESPN in 2003, where he hosted a radio show on the ESPN Radio network and also became one of the original hosts of ESPN's television program...
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28. Jim McElwain
1962-. (aged 64)
American football player
coach
James Frank McElwain is an American former football coach. He was the head football coach at Central Michigan University, a position he held from 2019 to 2024. He announced his retirement at the end of the 2024 season and remained at CMU within the athletics department. McElwain served as the head football coach at the University of Florida from 2015...
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29. Edward Kienholz
1927-1994 (aged 67)
artist
assemblage artist
conceptual artist
painter
installation artist
Edward Ralph Kienholz was an American installation artist and assemblage sculptor whose work was highly critical of aspects of modern life. From 1972 onwards, he assembled much of his artwork in close collaboration with his artistic partner and fifth wife, Nancy Reddin Kienholz. Throughout much of their career, the work of the Kienholzes was more appreciated in Europe than in...
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30. Todd McFarlane
1961-. (aged 65)
cartoonist
film actor
sculptor
film director
screenwriter
Todd McFarlane is a Canadian comic-book creator, best known for his work as an artist on The Amazing Spider-Man and as the creator, writer, and artist on the superhero horror-fantasy series Spawn, as well as being the current President and a co-founder of Image Comics.
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31. Alfred Nganga Mutua
1970-. (aged 56)
politician
Alfred Nganga Mutua is a Kenyan journalist and politician who is serving as the Kenyan Minister (Cabinet Secretary) for Labour and Social Protection, an appointment he received as part of the July/August 2024 cabinet reshuffle. He previously served as the Minister for Tourism and Wildlife. Before that he served as the Cabinet Secretary (Minister) for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs under...
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