The Monday Morning Wash
by John Berkowitz on Dec 28, 2009 9:00 AM PST
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PrintSo much can happen in the span of a single year. It was only twelve months ago that Washington was coming off a 0-12 season and the school was looking for a replacement for the unpopular Tyrone Willingham.
Most Husky fans had their hearts set on names such as Jim Mora, Mike Leach, and Kyle Whittingham. Scott Woodward on the other hand had fallen in love with a USC assistant coach named Steve Sarkisian over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Sark was never the first choice in this coaching hunt but as time went on he became the best choice. Jim Mora pulled out to reaffirm his allegiance to Paul Allen and the Seahawks. Leach was interviewed twice and wasn't what Emmert and Wooward were looking for. Whittingham who was preparing for a victory over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl felt Utah was a better fit for his family and future.
A year later it is hard to imagine anyone other than Steve Sarkisian coaching the Huskies. The young coach has captured the imagination of the Northwest in a way that hasn't happened since the first days of Jim Owens.
Owens and Sarkisian arrived under similar circumstances and faced similar challenges. Both were relative unknowns and neither had head coaching experience. Both of them were young. Owens was only 29 while Sarkisian is only 34. Neither of these guys were the first choice but they both earned the job by blowing away the administration during the interview process.
When the public was introduced to these guys approximately 50 years apart any question marks seemed to disapear during that first press conference. We all saw what the administration had seen during the interview process. We saw guys who were on fire and who were going to work extremely hard getting the program turned around.
We all know what Jim Owens did. He didn't win big the first two years of his tenure but he recruited well and changed around the culture of his team with the infamous "Death March". By his third year he had upset Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl and had turned Washington into a national championship contender.
Steve Sarkisian impressed all of us in his first season which finished 5-7. Close losses to Notre Dame, ASU, and UCLA prevented the team from going to a bowl game but a season ending thrashing of California paints a clear picture of the direction this program is headed. A stellar top ten recruiting class waiting in the wings also signals that the days of staying home to roast chestnuts during the holiday season is coming to an end.
We like our sports figures to be bigger than life in the Pacific Northwest. Back in the early 1960's Owens could have run for Governor and one in a landslide. They used to say that he walked on water to get to work each day from his waterfront Laurelhurst home.
Don James was just as popular during his 17 year tenure at Washington. James didn't have quite the personality that the big fellah did but he was a straight shooter who was respected by both the fans and players. Most kids growing up in the region at the time had a pecking order of God, their own father, and Don James.
Seattle is a much bigger city in 2009 then it was in 1957 and 1974 but Steve Sarkisian has the same type of opportunity on a more crowded stage to take it to the same level and beyond. It all starts with winning of course but he has shown that he is more than capable of understanding, respecting, and communicating with the fan base.
2010 is a year of high expectations. Jake Locker returns to lead the charge one last time on the football field while Scott Woodward, Mark Emmert, and Dan Evans will be leading the charge in Olympia to secure funds for the remodeling of Husky Stadium. The landmark stadium is overdue for a complete overhaul to allow it to serve future generations of Husky fans.
The bowl which was built in 1920 will be ninety years old this coming season and has come to the end of its useful life. With construction ramping up in the South parking lot of Husky Stadium for the light rail project the time to start the stadium remodeling project is now. Construction and material costs will never be lower. A region that has lost many jobs in the economic downturn could use the stimulus that such a project can provide. Most importantly preserving the legacy of the public stadium on the lake for future generations simply makes sense for the region.
There are still challenges to face in 2010 but I firmly believe we have the right team assembled on the field and in the administrative offices to achieve those goals and return Husky football and the athletic program as a whole to the forefront of the conference where it deserves to be.
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Great Article JB!
Love the parallel between Owens and Sark! His press first press conference just blew Husky Nation away. His first recruiting banquet was packed and Sark/Holt and the rest of his staff just had that crowd rockin’! I am SO looking forward to the future, it is a Husky World that has been picked up, shaken and put back into the drivers seat. I’m trying to make sure I get my recruiting banquet tickets early, it sold out last year and I think they’re going to sell like hot cakes for this one. The incoming class is big and laden with talent, can’t wait to view all of the film! GO DAWGS!!
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
Jim Owens and Mickey Rooney
I recently watched an old Rainier Beer commercial on you-tube featuring Jim Owens and Mickey Rooney hunting for “Wild Rainiers”.
I love the old Rainier commercials.
by John Berkowitz on Dec 28, 2009 10:51 AM PST reply actions
They were the best!
Only the older locals remember those commercials! Remember the motorcycle “Rainier Sound”? Whoever the guy was behind all of those was a genius!
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
The Pond?
Rainier Beer in the buzzing of the bugs and the croaking of the frogs? Do ya remember?
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
Henry's
I remember they came up with a few good ones too, obviously trying to imitate the success of the wild Rainiers. I remember one with a truck driving up a river(Schludwiller painted on the side) trying to import crap beer into Oregon. I think KGON, rock radio station from PDX at the time, tried something similar. I think it was a disco truck doing the same thing, but some of those years are a little foggy.
by hairofthedawg on Dec 28, 2009 10:13 PM PST up reply actions
Was Sark at the top of the list?
I don’t think Mora, Leach, nor Whittingham were serious candidates for the job. I think each one was contacted to see how this job reflected other jobs around the country. This is no disrespect to Mora, Leach, or Whittingham, all three were extremely qualified for the job. But I think Woodward had other ideas on how to revamp the program.
To create excitement for a program that falls flat on its face, you need to go after a youthful and energetic coach. Was Leach going to bring excitement, passion and energy? He doesn’t appear to be. Was Mora going to bring what Sark brought? Mora has spent too much time in the business-like approach of the NFL. Whittingham had a rock solid program at Utah, but could he bring substance to Montlake just the same? We went through that when we hired Willingham from ND. We didn’t need a CEO type head coach, we needed a young proteige that had new exciting ways of doing things in order to bring this program out of the dark ages. We were not relevent any longer. We needed someone that had no fear, someone that could infuse the current players on the roster, and someone who could bring much excitement to a stale program. That is coach Sark!
I distinctly remember when Woodward was interviewed on the sideline of the 08 Stanford game. Woodward mentioned that the new coaching regime would be tough and play tough. Now I’m not sure and I don’t have insiders knowledge to anything, but I believe Sark had already been contacted in some way about the Washington job prior to the 08 Standford game. And I would also suggest that it is possible that the converstaions with Sark also meant that Washington wanted Nick Holt too.
Now I know Sark didn’t accept the job until after the season and Holt didn’t fly in to Seattel until after the 08 USC Rose Bowl victory, yet many times we don’t always see what’s going on behind the curtain. Many times (not always), but many times these high profile jobs are already filled prior to the media getting involved. Was Sark hand picked? I think Sark was that guy if the contract stuff could be worked out, who had to pry Holt away from SoCal. I don’t however think Nick Holt was onboard until later on. I think as the USC season was wrapping up, Holt thought about his perfect situation at USC, but I also believe it bothered him some that the media and all of college football thought Carroll was the defensive guy and not Nick. Holt had the name plate, but Carroll received all the credit type of thing.
Holt had no choice but to follow Sark to Washington. If Holt wants to improve his resume, he has to show that he can build something on his own. I think that ultimately led Holt to Montlake with his buddy Sark.
Yet I still cannot believe that Mora, Leach, or Whittingham were serious candidates for the job. I think Woodward used them to gage the interest at Washington. But I do agree with you John, Sark was the right guy for the job- no question.
I Bark for Sark! WOOF!!!
All I saw was purple
USC/UW
I think it should be pretty obvious how much USC was impacted by both Sark and Holt leaving. There is only so much that a program can bear in the way of losses of quality coaches. You look at the way the Husky Football Team played in their last two games of the season, the future is bright! Big credit should go to Sark/Holt and the entire UW coaching staff for just staying the course and finally really seeing a much better football team by the end of the season. GO DAWGS!!
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
Could not agree more
I had an inkling prior to the season start that USC could potentially lose up to 4 games. You can’t sustain momemtum when you have to reload the D line, bring in all new starters at Linebacker, start a true freshman at QB, and lose two key coordinators. This was the most undertaking USC has gone through since the arrival of Carroll.
Steve Sarkisian is going to restore the glory of Washington football- I have no doubt. Nick Holt is going to bring back that aggresive, dominant defense that we enjoyed during the Jim Lambright era. But we have to stay the course and show a little patience. We need to continue to bring in talented players on both sides of the ball, all of which will create competition, player developement, which in turn will create the depth we’ve lacked for years. I’m stoked about the future and can’t wait until John post more exciting news. This recruiting class isn’t complete yet, I still think their are some big fish nibbling. Both Sark and Holt need to reel them in.
Go Dawgs! WOOF!!!
All I saw was purple
Shooting from the hip again, huh?
You don’t fly a guy into town for a SECOND interview if he’s not a serious candidate. That’s a great tale you just told, you should try selling it to Disney!
Let’s be realistic just for a moment, I promise it will only hurt a little bit. Woodward ran a very thorough search, he did not go into the search looking to get Sark, he was looking for the best possible coach that we could afford and convince to come to Seattle. Woodward said many times he was looking for an experienced coach, Sark knocked it out of the ballpark during his interview, that’s why he’s the head coach at Washington.
I agree with Dawgfan22, we should tip our hats to Woodward/Emmert for making the tough choice and going for the unproven coach who is really looking like the right guy at the right time.
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
I always shoot from the hip
It’s more fun that way. I’ll admit, my first choice was Mike Leach of Texas Tech. I fell in love with the guy after the TT/Texas game last season in Lubbuck. Am I glad we didn’t hire Leach? With out a doubt. First of all I don’t like the spread, it doesn’t compliment the style the Huskies have grown accustom to. Secondly the guy shys away from the media, something we all know was not popular on Montlake with our old coach. Last but not least, the current allogations involving Leach at TT could’ve followed him to Seattle.
My hunch tells me that Leach was brought in a 2nd time to discuss proposals on both sides, maybe contract issues, maybe assistant coaches salaries. Yet a 2nd interview doesn’t mean you get the job does it Lear? If I recall correctly, Leach was in the process of getting an extension at TT. A second trip to Seattle would put tremendous pressure on folks in Lubbuck, TX to keep their coach. Was this a ploy of Leach to get what he wanted at TT? Maybe … maybe not. If Leach was such a hot commodity and we pursued him enough to offer him a 2nd looksey then where was Woodward’s comments pointing too during halftime of the Stanford game? Woodward mentioned the next coaching staff would be tough and play tough. Now I don’t know Leach nor much about this RedRaider program, but I don’t see an abundance of “tough” in there. Yet you sure can see it from Sark and Holt. That’s all I am saying…
All I saw was purple
Good
Then we agree that Leach was a serious candidate.
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
Nope
I still think they were looking at Leach, Mora, and Whittingham to gage interest. I think many times the media gets involved and “makes” candidates a serious candidate. I watched very closely and read very carefully during the hiring process. Sometimes you have to read between the lines.
When Woodward said at halftime of the Stanford game that the next coaching regime was going to be tough and play tough, my instict told me that we were gunning for a coach that not only could develop Locker, but had the credentials to bring in a defensive coordinator that could bring the heat. My initial thoughts were going after USC guys, Texas guys, or LSU guys. All three programs play “tough” all around, especially on defense.
To me Mora didn’t have credentials to bring in tough, Leach’s offensive system is finesse. Whittingham was Meyer’s Utah D coordinator and fit the bill, but name recognition was awful. Again sometimes you have to read between the lines Lear. Leach wasn’t tough enough…
All I saw was purple
Yep, I'm reading between the lines . . .
and my BS meter is going through the roof!
I know you won’t listen to me, so listen to John, he is right on! Leach wanted out of TT, Washington was very interested, he was a very serious candidate, but he botched the interviews. As John mentions, turns out Leach would have been a big mistake! Kelly, on the other hand, would have been an awesome hire, but he waited for his dream job and it paid off.
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
Leach
He was a very serious candidate but both interviews left Emmert and Woodward scratching their collective heads. In other words they didn’t go well and even though he would have been the big splash they were looking for they didn’t like the way he was going to run the program.
In hindsight Leach would have been a bad pick at the wrong time. If you think things were secretive under Willingham it would have been much worse under Leach who was a PR disaster waiting to happen as we saw this week with his suspension.
The guy they really would have liked to get their hands on was Kelly but he wisely decided to wait for his dream job at ND to open up.
Locking a kid with a concussion in a dark room under guard without being able to sit or lean? Sounds like Mike will be unemployed in a couple of weeks. Just a stupid and cruel thing to do if the accusations are true.
by John Berkowitz on Dec 29, 2009 10:06 AM PST up reply actions
Oh by the way...Leach wanted out of TT badly.
Make no mistake that he wanted the Washington job.
by John Berkowitz on Dec 29, 2009 10:07 AM PST up reply actions
That is sort of new news to me
By popular opinion, many thought Lubbock was the perfect place for both he (Leach) and Bob Knight. Both coaches had a dislike for the media and since Lubbuck is not a media hotbed it felt like the perfect location for both coaches.
Honestly, imagine Leach in Seattle for a moment. The guy had a strange love affair with pirates, vey odd behavior for a man who is a major college football coach. And like I said, I heard numerous reports that while the Leach talks w/ Washington were ongoing, Leach was trying to secure an extension with TT- sort of a backdoor ploy. Seattle media would’ve had a field day with Mike Leach. If you think the local media went ape wild over Neiheisel, then surely that same media woud’ve dug very deep into Leach. Everybody has their opinions and only the Dr. Emmert, Scott Woodward, and the University of Washington brass, who were apart of the search committee can tell you how much they were persuded by Mike Leach. My opinion does not falter- I still think they were looking at Leach to gage interest. Leach would’ve been a very bad fit, but that is my opinion.
All I saw was purple
Leach had an unsigned agreement on the table for a year
Leach was trying to get out and not stay. He had an unsigned contract on his desk with Tech for over a year so I doubt it had anything to do with leverage.
by John Berkowitz on Dec 29, 2009 3:05 PM PST up reply actions
SMOKE SCREEN
Probably to throw the press off and have the greatest affect for the program. I just can’t imagine any other outcome than what we have.
Woodward/Emmert
I think those guys should be congratulated for doing a fine job of evaluating the prospective coaches and making what may not have been the most popular choice at the time. But a decision that makes a lot of sense and has completely turned the program around. Now with Locker coming back, man, it doesn’t get much better than this!
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
Totally agree...
hats off to Woodward/Emmert for making a very tough & unpopular (at the time) choice…It looks like they hit it out of the park. GO DAWGS!!!!
I was worried about Crazi
but he’s in playoff form talking about the Huskies. I was afraid that the game in Honolulu featuring the Pistol vs Run & Shoot might drive Crazy crazi.
It's a bad watch if you ask me
I haven’t sat through any bowl games other then BYU/Oregon State. These games are almost unwatchable. Not because of play, but because these games don’t mean a helluva a lot. The BCS really needs to look at ways to bolster tv viewing. Is there too many bowl games? Do they need to explore the possibilities of some sort of playoff featuring the bowls? Or do they revert back to the old way?
Yet this is the third straight season where I have the time to watch, but refuse due to the games are awful. Boise State vs. TCU in the Fiesta Bowl? Laugher at best! This is the worst possible situation for college football fans. Hell fellas, BSU and TCU might as well be playing this one in the H Bowl in Boise. Two mid majors squaring off in Tempe? Has the flavor of a minor bowl game if you ask me [yawn].
All I saw was purple
Yeah with those two...
…doesn’t everyone want to see them go up against one of the big boys? I mean there is always so much controversy with these non bcs schools and whether they could play with the BCS schools?
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
Maybe the BCS stepped in
Pittsburg got clobbered by Utah in the 04 Fiesta Bowl, Oklahoma got beat by Boise State in the 05 Fiesta Bowl. Alabama got clobbered by Utah in the 08 Sugar Bowl. What happened to Hawaii?
Is it possible the BCS had enough sway to tell the bowl committees that they wouldn not be interested in playing the Broncs or Horned Frogs? Why would the Fiesta Bowl choose small market Boise State and TCU? Why not get a big television school that could bring fans and much hype? Yet I think it stinks of big schools pushing their muscle around.
All I saw was purple
G Biggens ON ESPN reports
“I’m going to visit Washington (Dec. 15) now,” Ducre said. "That will be my last visit and then I’ll make my decision between those three schools. Washington came in kind of late but I like the coaches a lot and I’m looking forward to getting out there and see the school is all about.
I had to go way down the list to post this. Wish we could have a current RECRUITING blog up all the time.
Ducre and Pullard are teammates
If one or the other commits, would the other follow? You have to be impressed with the way our defense stepped up the final 2 games of the season. I think we finally figured out how to play in Holt’s system, which is also the Pete Carroll system. We’ve got a lot more room on the defensive depth chart then most others. What we saw from Hot’s defense the last two games is what is to be expected from here on out.
I’m dying to welcome Ducre and Pullard to HuskyNation- reel them in coach Holt! WOOF!!!
All I saw was purple
I think Ducre will be a Husky
Pullard is likely to pick between USC and UCLA but we are still in there. Same thing goes for Shirley.
by John Berkowitz on Dec 29, 2009 5:47 PM PST up reply actions
By the way Ducre is a Plan B
I can’t understand why everyone is so excited about the 99th ranked CB in the country. We have about struck out in that lean category this season which means Keanon Lowe is headed for the secondary eventually. No biggee because that is really his best position. We have some guys to move around and will be fine.
RECRUITING BLOG
This blog will be moved off the first page soon and gone forever. This is why we need a recruiting blog to follow each basketball game on page one. The comments are priceless to a rookie follower.
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