Expect Steve Sarkisian to name at least three assistant coaches by the end of the week to assist him with the huge job of recruiting for a 0-12 football program. I am sure he has had a short list for some time that he wants to put into action ASAP.
We have learned that one of the first targets that Steve has in mind is UCLA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker. Washington coveted Walker last season but he ended up staying at UCLA. Word has it that Walker feels that he has to get out of the shadow of Chow and Neuheisel to get a shot at a head coaching job. Sarkisian reportedly spoke with Walker about the opportunity after the USC/UCLA game.
Ed Orgeron is another name that keeps coming up as a potential defensive coordinator. Ed left USC to become head coach at Ole Miss and was fired after last season. Orgeron is a known commodity when it comes to recruiting on the West coast and is currently the defensive line coach for the New Orleans Saints.
As for taking coaches with him from USC a couple of names have come up. Rocky Seto currently coaches the secondary and Yogi Roth is a GA who works with QB's. both those names have been discussed on the boards.
All the current Washington assistants will be interviewed over the next couple of days. Conventional wisdom is that all will be working for awhile helping out with recruiting while Sarkisian puts together a new staff.
Steve Gervais who was a first year RB coach is likely to stay due to his in state recruiting connections and tenure at Skyline HS. Jake Heaps who is thought to be the nations #1 QB recruit in 2010 was coached by Gervais at Skyline. If Gervais stays on it will likely be as a QB coach since he was a QB in college.
Longtime assistant coach Chris Tormey will get a long look since he is the recruiting coordinator. Tormey could actually use a change of scenery according to insiders. He has been offered jobs at USC and ASU over the past few years. Wherever he ends up it will be likely on his feet.
Ed Donatell is under contract for another year but will likely move back to the NFL to join his friend Jim Mora with the Seahawks. Donatell got high marks from the administration for his work this past year so it is not out of the realm of possibility that he could stay on. Conventional wisdom says Sarkisian will pursure his own guy.
Randy Hart who has the longest tenure on the staff won''t have any problem catching on with another program if he isn't brought back by Sarkisian. Like Tormey he just may benefit from a change of scenery. The rap on Hart is that he doesn't work with the depth enough.
Look for Tim Lappano to rejoin Dennis Erickson in Tempe if there is an opening on that staff. The two have been friends ever since Erickson coached him at Idaho. I would say there is a zero percent chance of him being retained at UW.
WR coach Charlie Baggett and Tyrone Willingham have been friends for almost 30 years. Look for Charlie to head back into the NFL or join Willingham at his next stop.
OL coach Mike Denbrock who came with Willingham from Notre Dame is a young coach worth taking a long look at. Since Sarkisian is an offensive mastermind there is a good chance that he already has someone in mind for the position. If not Denbrock has expressed interest in staying.
TE/ST coach Brian White has only been with the team for a year so he will probably be looking for a new job in January unless Sarkisian see's something he likes. White is known as an extremly cerebal coach and was well liked in his first year at UW.
DB coach JD Williams came in with a lot of great expectations but the defensive secondary hasn't gotten better since he has been there. He may not fit the hard working mold that Sarkisian is trying to build since he left California for Washington because of the workload Jeff Tedford demanded.
Head coach Tyrone Willingham has been rumored to be a candidate at New Mexico State, San Diego State, and Yale. It isn't easy getting another job after finishing 0-12 but he could be a good fit at a place where the expectations are lower.
Update
It looks like Randy Hart and Chris Tormey are the only coaches who have a chance of coming back next season according to word leaking out of Montlake this afternoon.
Hart is responsible for in state recruiting and Tormey is the current recruiting coordinator. Steve Gervais was a guy I thought had a good chance of sticking because of his ties to Skyline but apparently he will be moving on. Not to worry about Gervais who will have his pick of any open HS job in the state next season if he chooses to go that route.
Update II
Looks like both Hart and Tormey will be out by the first of the year.