The Monday Morning Wash
by John Berkowitz
on Oct 6, 2008 12:10 PM PDT
It's one thing to lose, but please be entertaining while you are losing. Last years team lost in a very entertaining fashion. They were in every game, they never gave up, and they invariably folded after being outcoached in the second half of each game. This team is starting to extinguish all doubt in the first quarter and that my friends is when you have to make a coaching change at mid season.
People ask if we have hit rock bottom and I have to sadly tell you no. The bleeding will continue for the rest of the season and this team is in very real danger of not winning a single football game in 2008. There isn't a single thing Washington is doing right now that is better than the competition on or off the playing field. Sadly it is only going to get worse as spirts sag and injuries continue to mount.
It isn't an illusion. Washington's players are not as fast or as well developed physically as the teams they are playing against. Part of that is youth, but a bigger part is a coaching, conditioning, and development program that simply hasn't worked very well over the past five years.
This season reminds me way too much of 2004. Gilbertson was coaching in desperation that year and put the white flag up early. Before he did that he played Ceasar Rayford, Eric Lobos, Greyson Gunheim, and Jordan White Frisbee. That could have been Washington's starting 2008 defensive line.
Here we are in 2008 and Senio Kelmente, Ta'aumu Alameda, and Everette Thompson have all blown a key year to get bigger and better. What make matters worse is WIllingham isn't done yet. He played Cody Bruns, and Terrance Dailey this past weekend way after the game was out of doubt. Once again that is when you have to make a coaching change at mid season.
Whoever the coach is in 2012 will still be feeling the ramifications of the coaching decisions that were made in 2008. It would have been all so simple if Washington had only pulled the plug on the Willingham regime after last years Hawaii game.
What is holding Washington back right now is the fear that things will get worse if they fire Willingham right now. Number one they want to avoid the national political discussion of firing the nations most prominent black head coach and the sitting President of the AFCA at mid season.
Secondly the administration honestly feels the players will be better served by allowing Willingham to babysit them until the WSU game.
I think that benevolent stewardship plan theory may have gone out the window when he played Bruns, and Dailey this weekend.
Woodward watch
One of the things we have been saying is that firing the head football coach is a good start but it won't change anything unless the culture of the UW Athletic Department is radically altered.
Change started Sunday when Scott Woodward fired longtime Senior Associate AD Mary Tuite this weekend. Mary has been in charge of Olympic Sports at Washington for the past 14 years.
Jeff Compher, an executive associate athletic director, left last spring to become the new athletic director at Northern Illinois University. Also leaving since the start of the year was Scott Barnes, UW's senior associate athletic director for advancement who left to become AD at Utah State.
The decisions Scott Woodward and Mark Emmert make over the next six weeks will shape this athletic department over the next decade. Keep a close eye on who they hire to replace Tuite, Barnes, and Compher. Since this is Woodwards first AD job the senior associates he hires will give us a good idea on what direction the department is headed.
Pac Ten Power Ratings
1. USC...Kicking the crap out of the Ducks is always a good thing.
2. California...Getting better every week
3. Arizona...Rose Bowl scouts were in Tucson this week.
4. Oregon...Dominating loss knocks the Ducks for a loop.
5. Arizona State...The Devils just aren't getting better.
6. Oregon State...Close loss to Utah on the road
7. Stanford...Fell short against Notre Dame
8. UCLA...Beating WSU keeps them out of the cellar.
9. Washington...Season in free fall
10. Washington State...Could they beat Central Washington?
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2004 versus 2008
I agree with most of your thoughts. It is sad to be even talking about the 2004 team which found many ways to lose. I wonder who would win today if they were alble to play each other(2008).
One thing of noting is that the Huskies last game is late this year. We play Cal on December 6. When the change occurs the people in charge better have a plan in place. No paw dragging on this one. Time is ticking on getting our next recruiting class.
by huskyslut on Oct 6, 2008 12:57 PM PDT 0 recs
WSU or Bust
They need to make the change after the WSU game.
They also need to know who they are going to hire. They have plenty of time between now and then to see who is available and interested.
by John Berkowitz on Oct 6, 2008 1:00 PM PDT 0 recs
Bruin checking in
For reasons unclear, your game against AZ is being replayed in Tampa.
Believe me, I understand what you’re going through. At UCLA, we had five years of enduring an alleged coach who actually made your coach look good. I felt like the voice crying out in the wilderness when I asked that CTS (that’s Coach Toledo’s successor – I could not and still cannot bring myself to type that pretender’s name) be fired in mid-season. Get ready for all the reasons why You Just Can’t To That. Generally the advocates of the You Just Can’t Do That school of thought are the members of the elite sportswriters fraternity, aka I Know Better Than You Do So Don’t Question Me. In my opinion, no one in that club will ever suggest a mid-season coachectomy because they might “lose access.”
And of course you have to deal with the Black Coaches Association. I always wanted to challenge those guys to put up a list of proven head coaches who happen to be black and they don’t have to be from Division 1-A. And it’s not like your Coach is just marginal. He’s horrible, but I doubt if that makes any difference to the BCA. Their agenda is by no means the same as yours.
Anyway, I think you’re right about trying to dump your coach now rather than later. I think that with the departure of CTS, you now have the distinction of having the worst coach in the Pac 10, and it’s too bad. I wouldn’t wish what you’re going through on my worst enemy, and you guys won’t be my worst enemy until November 15.
by Fox 71 on Oct 6, 2008 2:58 PM PDT 0 recs
good points
Karl Dorrell is a much better coach than Tyrone Willingham.
by John Berkowitz on Oct 6, 2008 8:49 PM PDT 0 recs
I'm curious
It would have been all so simple if Washington had only pulled the plug on the Willingham regime
Not to be too argumentative, because I do think after Hawaii would have been a good time to make a change, but what exactly would have been so simple? We’d still have to start Frosh on the d-line, we’d still have to start frosh at WR, we’d still have to start frosh at RB and we’d still have absorbed killer injuries to Locker, Goodwin, Freeman, C Polk, D Harris, Aiyewa, Savannah (broken arm before he was gone), Middleton, Fogerson, and Wells.
Really, what would have been “so simple”? Good coaches still need time with new teams (look at the route R-Rod is taking at Mich) and I really don’t see any missed opportunities with this team. They are just young, hurt, inexperienced and not as good as the teams they are playing. A different coach very likely is still winless under the circumstances.
Shake that hand that shook the hand of Hustlin' Hugh
by Minny C on Oct 7, 2008 8:58 PM PDT 0 recs
Minny C...
Its tough to say that injuries would have happened with better strength and conditioning. Another thing about freshmen starting is that, yes, we would have had to play a few of them but what a waste of Burns and Dailey. I would rather start a bunch of bums and be 0-4 than waste any of these freshmen’s redshirt and still be 0-4. At least their would still be a glimmer of hope.
by bigdave967 on
Oct 8, 2008 6:10 AM PDT
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2008 is a wasted year
We could have Jim Mora Jr coaching the team…..nuff said.
by John Berkowitz on Oct 7, 2008 9:21 PM PDT 0 recs
agreed
I was BIG on keeping Ty and giving him his last year to prove himself, but now it looks to me as if it was just another wasted year so that washington could win its 2-3 games (which it may not even be that many).
"There aint nothin' over till it's over. "
~Rocky Balboa
by Hook'em13 on
Oct 7, 2008 9:41 PM PDT
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