The 1986 Washington State Cougars football team was an American football team that represented Washington State University in the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) during the 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their ninth and final season under head coach the Cougars compiled a record in Pac-10, eighth place) and were outscored 312 to 221.
The Cougars tied eventual Rose Bowl champion Arizona State in Tempe in late then beat USC by twenty points in Pullman, but lost their final five games and dropped in the standings.
WSU's statistical leaders in 1986 included senior quarterback Ed Blount with 1,882 passing yards, Kerry Porter with 921 rushing yards, and Kitrick Taylor with 523 receiving yards. Notable underclassmen included quarterback Timm Rosenbach, guard Mike Utley, and future head coach
Walden departed for Iowa State in the Big Eight Conference in and was succeeded by Dennis Erickson, who returned to the Palouse (four years at Idaho) in after just one season
Four Cougars were selected in the 1987 NFL draft.