Are you excited about hiring a lot of ex Idaho guys?

by John Berkowitz on Jan 13, 2009 9:01 PM PST Comment 11 comments

This question came up on the message board and I decided to answer it with a list of coaches that have done time at Idaho as an assistant or a head coach over the years.

You have a lot of coaching tree's that have emerged from Idaho over the past fourty years. For some reason it seems to be the cradle of coaches in the Northwest because it is a great place to get a lot of experience on your way up.

This is a real incomplete list but it gives you a little idea of why it isn't a bad thing to have stint at Idaho on your resume.

By the way it looks like Doug Nussmeier who is another guy with Vandal coaching ties is the new Quarterback coach at UW.

Dennis Erickson - HC Idaho, Wyoming, WSU, Miami, Seattle NFL, OSU, Idaho, ASU

Nick Holt - HC Idaho, Assistant coach at Louisville, USC, and UW

Tom Cable - HC Idaho, Raiders NFL

Chris Tormey - HC Idaho, Nevada

John L Smith - HC Idaho, Utah State, Louisville, Michigan State

Keith Gilbertson - HC Idaho, California, Washington

Pat Fitzgerald - AC Idaho, HC Northwestern

Greg McMackin - HC Hawaii

Bobby Petrino - AC Idaho, HC Louisville, Falcons NFL, Arkansas

Ed Lamb - AC Idaho, HC Southern Utah

Scott Linehan - HC Rams NFL

Doug Nussmeier - AC Fresno State

Eric Yarber - AC ASU, UW, Oregon State, Idaho

Jamie Christian - AC Idaho, Oregon State, 49ers NFL, Arizona State

Gregg Smith - AC Idaho, Wyoming, Miami, Seahawks NFL, Oregon St, ASU

Greg Burns - AC Idaho, USC, Louisville, ASU

Dan Cozzetto - AC Idaho, Cal, 49ers NFL, Oregon State, UW, ASU

Dee Andros - HC Oregon State

Craig Bray - AC Idaho, Wyoming, WSU, Nevada, Oregon State, Minnesota, ASU

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Really doesn’t bug me at all. As you point out, it’s a good place to get a start in coaching, and the recent lack of success there doesn’t dim my view of Nansen, Mills, Holt and Nussmeier. Just because Holt didn’t turn things around as head coach doesn’t mean he won’t be a very good DC, and there’s only so much that assistants at Idaho can do to turn the ship around. The fact that Nussmeier got offered an OC position at Fresno speaks pretty well for his abilities as does his stint as a QB coach in the NFL.

I think it’s a very good staff considering Sarkisian’s relative lack of coaching tree connections himself. He’s leveraged his connection with Holt quite effectively, and grabbing Michalczik was a big-time coup.

by kirkd on Jan 13, 2009 9:50 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Hahaha, I wrote the same kind of article over on Bleacher Report John. My whole thing is that all these Idaho guys are basically Northwest guys, and I mean a lot of them have coached all over, so it means they can coach. I think it’s good for the program as a whole.

by kolonelk on Jan 13, 2009 11:08 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Good Pick-Up in Nussmeier!

Wow! I think this is a steal in getting him away from Fresno State. Yes, he is an Idaho guy but the coaching lineage is there, he has mentored both college and pro QB’s. Plus we get a guy that also has Co-Ordinator experience, this will only help in gameday planning. I know Jake will enjoy the time spent preparing, QB101. It wiould be nice to see Gilby, but I feel he may go a little younger for TE and WR. But you never know, I am still in shock we got Nussmeier. I am glad that Sark has went with all new coaches, a good way to seperate from the 0-12 disaster.

by DawgMan44 on Jan 14, 2009 1:26 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

They could come from Ore for all I care

pedigree is nice, nice to have a husky connection, but those are fringe bennies, I want this to be a winning staff, and not embarass the UW in recruiting violations, or for personal misdeeds. That’s the bottom line
On a side note, johnb, it will be 85-89 in parts of SoCal today, how is Chi town the next few days? lol

by prrbrr on Jan 14, 2009 7:22 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

A chilly 10 degrees this lovely morning

Not exactly tropical.

by John Berkowitz on Jan 14, 2009 8:24 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Nice line about Oregon

Its not about where they started out, but what they’ve done with their career. No doubt they worked with other guys at Idaho that fizzled out. We got the winners that moved on and upgraded. Just one more spot to fill, and I think we all have confidence in the pick, no matter who it is.

by dawgdude on Jan 14, 2009 12:01 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

A lot of PNW guys

with Idaho connections is what I see. That means to me, they all know what Husky football was at one time and are making a committment to bring it back. I’m excited to see what they can do to restore the program. Maybe they will get it done, maybe not.

Jack

by T9ODawg on Jan 14, 2009 7:38 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

That is what I see

I would say I am pretty excited about the staff with one more slot left to fill.

The addition of Doug Nussmeier is a big deal because he comes with an excellent reputation.

by John Berkowitz on Jan 14, 2009 8:26 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Experience

The most important part of having worked at Idaho is the experience of coaching a school with very little resources and equal little talent. They should all be that much more qualified to take these current players and coach them up to play well above their current playing abilities.

"Bow Down to Washington"
"Kick the tires and light the fires!"

by Lear Pilot on Jan 14, 2009 12:18 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Excited? No.

The list of Idaho alums is impressive but really isn’t much more than a list. There’s no legacy of success at Idaho nor is there some Idaho coaching model they all follow that is a reliable predictor of future success.

I’d like to know if there’s a long term Idaho AD that’s been picking the coaching talent, because he would be the definition of a coaching talent guru. Otherwise, it seems like Idaho is lucky and good at picking coaching talent but unlucky and awful at turning that coaching consistency into a winning program.

What’s more important is where these Idaho coaches have gone afterwards and the experience and tutelage they’ve received from other excellent coaches in other programs.

Coach Sark is smarter than that and he’s even stated that he’s considering assistant coaches with personal ties to the NW as well as personal ties to the other coaches on the staff. This is the chemistry that will lead to wins no matter where these coaches come from.

by 206 on Jan 14, 2009 5:10 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Erickson & John L. Smith

Their is great coaches that stem from Idaho. But most of the good ones came either duirng the time Erickson or John L. Smith were there. I’d welcome any Idaho coach that either served or played under either one of these good coaches.

by crazidawg on Jan 14, 2009 5:13 PM PST reply actions 0 recs