If Tyrone Willingham honestly cares about the best interest of this team and program he will work out a deal with administration immediately so that he gets paid, and he will step down at the end of the season. Let the AD start the search Monday morning!

John – I’ve got a bone to pick with you. I am in full agreement, I saw way too many smiles on the sidelines during the second half. Willingham never seemed to have any sense of urgency, and the players seemed like they didn’t care about the game. BUT, to call out Jake for having chewing tabacco crossed the line! Do you honestly think Jake had a wad of chewing tabacco? Has Jake ever done anything to make you think he’d be that stupid? Do you honestly think Willingham would let a player have chewing tobacco on his sideline??? Did Jake have a cup he was spitting into? I don’t know if it was gum or sunflower seeds or what, but you better be damn sure you are right before you accuse a really good kid of doing something really stupid!

Yep, that is what it was.

You would be pretty surprised what players have on the sideline.

I don’t think the chewing is the problem. Bad habit yes, but he can make his own decisions. It isn’t like he was tipping back a Budweiser.

When you are getting your butt beat for the fourth straight game of the year and you are on the sidleines there isn’t anything to be laughing about.

I commented on the other thread – but I really can’t see Ty quitting. He wouldn’t do that to the kids. He owes those kids more loyalty than he owes us fans and the right thing for him to do is stick it out until he is removed … which will happen soon enough.

As for Jake, it certainly did look like a huge plug in his cheek. I must admit, though, that I saw neither a cup nor any spitting. It could have been seeds, I guess.

I agree the appearance of the wad looked bad. But Locker has never seen like the tobacco type. In all the glances at the sideline I never once saw him spit, or saw any cup or spittoon.

I’ll bet you dinner at any restaurant in Seattle it wasn’t tobacco!

I think they are all great kids. I just don’t think there is anything to yuk it up about when your team is getting its ass kicked.

If he chews who cares? Its his own choice, a stupid one, but his. Laughing on the sidelines is what i would be worried about, just goes to show that Washington accepts losing to lesser teams.

I don’t think anyone has anything against Jake, but you have to question the levity on the sidelines. It just shows that these guys are used to losing.

Based on our experience, I would not expect the separation from Willingham to go too smoothly. Once the end game arrives, the ‘no excuses’ attitude goes out the window. Ty has a cool affect, but at heart he is a players coach who will be leaving a mess for your next skipper. If you are lucky you can get out of this mess without a lot of bitterness developing in the locker room and without an ugly public scene like we had at Notre Dame.

UW needs a solid exit strategy to avoid that.

Starting 0-4 and facing a ceertain thumping against Arizona next week should do the trick.

He brings up the point I’ve been thinking a lot about.

Is it worth it to get a replacement installed mid-season or is it better to let your current staff ride it out and then go full-bore for your top 2 or 3 targets (who are most likely already employed) at the end of the year?

JB – you say we should have an “exit plan”. I’m not sure what a good exit plan is – but what do you think the right answer is? My take is that it is better to leave Ty in place ’til the end of the year if for no other reason than to protect players from the open criticism that, as of now, the coaching staff is absorbing for them.

He brings up the point I’ve been thinking a lot about.

Is it worth it to get a replacement installed mid-season or is it better to let your current staff ride it out and then go full-bore for your top 2 or 3 targets (who are most likely already employed) at the end of the year?

JB – you say we should have an "exit plan". I’m not sure what a good exit plan is – but what do you think the right answer is? My take is that it is better to leave Ty in place ’til the end of the year if for no other reason than to protect players from the open criticism that, as of now, the coaching staff is absorbing for them. Try to take the anger and frustration out of the equation – tactically, what’s the best move?

I guess the best exit plan is to continue to lose games. The biggest fear Washington administration has is the national backlash that could come if Willingham is fired. The fear of that backlash is the ultimate reason Willingham was retained last December and Jim Mora Jr is not currently the head coach.

I guess the best scenario is for Willingham to resign but continue coaching for the rest of the season. That allows Washington plenty of time to find a new coach, and it allows Willingham to leave with some dignity. It isn’t like Tyrone Willingham is Jon Mackovick.

At LSU Emmert fired the coach and there was no longer an AD in place. He went off and hired Saban with a search committee of one. It was a ballsy move but he also had the support of the LSU board of regents. the board of regents actually like football down there. Presidents in the SEC get fired for losing football programs as crazy as it seems. UW is a whole different culture.

From what I hear Emmert made up his mind to fire Willingham before the Hawaii game. Politics got involved and he reluctantly kept him for another year. It was close, but they felt the firestorm created by firing Willingham would have a negative effect in the state legislature. Nationally the NCAA didn’t want to lose another black head coach, and of course the NAACP was also waiting in the wings. It might have gotten pretty messy.

I don’t think there will be any flak if he gets fired this year. He has had four years and the program is in worse shape than when he took it over.

The fascination with Mora is all about being a former DJ Husky , Hugh Millen’s best friend, and the son of Jim Mora Sr.. Mora be the answer but, I think the best bet is picking someone who has experience building a college football program.