I missed getting "The Monday Morning Wash" out yesterday because I was simply too busy to get it written. This is of course tax week and like most taxpayers out there we waited till the last week to meet with our accountant and get it all done. As usual you leave the office a little lighter in the wallet but at least you don't have to worry about it again till next year.
Yesterday's Husky news was dominated by Saturday's scrimmage which came off pretty well. It is pretty evident that the squad picked up a couple of running backs that can contribute right away and that bodes well for the rest of the class which will arrive in July to start school. If you can play and contribute better than the upperclassmen ahead of you the coaches are going to give you the opportunity to play.
Competition has become the mantra of Husky football. There is healthy competition going on in every aspect of this program right now. Every player on the squad feels that they have a chance to break into the lineup if they keep improving. When you are able to build that type of culture into a program improvement is expected and the wins keep increasing.
Every new coach that comes in says the same things. "We are going to change the culture, we are going to compete, we are going to win more games". Every new coach will also tell you that they need more bullets to get to where they need to be.
The lack of bullets mantra seems to be the quote Ty Willingham will most be remembered for. Nick Holt was on the same page last season when he said basically the same thing. What is different about this staff is that they are actually getting it done with what they were left with. They weren't passive in their recruiting either. From the very first day this staff has been among the most aggressive in the country.
The bullets are coming in the form of one of the top recruiting classes in the country. The Huskies will add around 30 bodies to the roster this August. The staff is also well on the way to securing a potential top ten class in 2011 with a record seven verbals already in place.
The competition in this program never stops on the playing field, the film room, the weight room, or on the recruiting trail. Washington is putting together a winner that will contend for Pac 10 and BCS Championships in the near future and as it did in 1975 when a unknown coach named Don James showed up on the scene and built a premier program over 17 years by paying attention to every minute detail. Attention to detail and a tireless work ethic seems to be what Sarkisian and James have most in common.