The UW coaching search
Rich Linde, originally published 5 November 2008; 5 Dec update.

This article, originally published on 5 November, will be updated on a continuing basis by entries to the table immediately below:

12/05/2008 -- Apparently O/C Steve Sarkisian (USC) has accepted the offer to fill the vacant head-coaching slot at the UW. It's not official yet, but I think it looks solid. An official announcement is expected on Sunday. (Link). Odds: Sarkisian off the board; Venables 5-1; Whittingham 10-1; Petersen 20-1; Haywood 50-1; Leach 100-1; Hill 200-1.

12/04/2008 -- Pat Hill and Mike Leach have both withdrawn their names as candidates for the head-coaching vacancy (Link). Odds: Venables 2-1; Sarkisian 5-2; Whittingham 6-1; Petersen 9-1; Haywood 15-1; Leach 20-1; Hill 50-1.

12/04/2008 -- According to two sources of whom the Seattle Times' Bob Condotta is privy to, D/C Brent Venables of Oklahoma may have talked with Husky officials. (Link). A recruit says Hill is staying at FSU. (Link). See link in Tulsa World on Venables. (Link).  D/C DeWayne Walker (UCLA) says he has not been contacted by UW officials. Odds: Sarkisian 5-2; Venables 4-1; Leach 5-1;Whittingham 6-1; Hill 7-1; Petersen 9-1; Haywood 15-1.

12/3/2008  -- Mike Leach (Texas Tech) met with UW officials on Monday to talk about the coaching vacancy. On Tuesday, Brian Kelly announced he intends to stay put, amidst the stadium renovation project at Cincinnati. Boise State's Chris Petersen remains in the picture as contract renegotiations have stalled. (Link). According to sources privy to the Long Beach Press-Telegram, USC O/C Steve Sarkisian interviewed with the Huskies on Thanksgiving day. (Link). Odds: Hill 2-1; Sarkisian 5-2; Petersen 3-1; Whittingham 5-1; Leach 6-1; Haywood 15-1.

12/1/2008  -- Pat Hill confirms discussing job vacancy with UW authorities. (Link).

11/30/2008 -- "Veteran Missouri assistant head coach Dave Christensen is in line to become the next head football coach at the University of Wyoming, according to a source close to the situation." (Link)

11/30/2008 -- Here's a link to a story about job interviews at UW concerning  Pat Hill and Brian Kelly. (Link).

11/30/2008 -- According to a report in the Fresno Bee, Pat Hill boarded a flight headed to Seattle yesterday morning at 7AM (Link). See my take on Hill. (Link).

11/28/2008 - Here's a link to an AP story that says Kiffin has reached a tentative deal with Tennessee. (Link).

11/28/2008 -- According to Bob Condotta, "A Knoxville TV station is reporting that fired Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer has shown interest in taking over at UW." Also, here’s a link to a story that sheds more light on the notion of hiring both Lane Kiffin and Ed Orgeron as a head coaching and assistant coaching duo, respectively. It’s not too flattering. The story says UW hasn’t given Kiffin a sniff. (Link). A lot of people are thinking Pat Hill.

11/27/2008 -- Evidently, UW has approached TCU's Gary Patterson about the vacancy and, according to sources, he says he's not interested. (Link).

11/26/2008 -- Here's an article that links Lane Kiffin and Ed Orgeron to Tennessee. That would be a whale of a twosome if true. (Link). Read "Meat Market," a must read for those interested in the recruiting process; it's about Orgeron and his tenure at Mississippi. Kiffin and Orgeron? A scary twosome, indeed!

11/26/2008 -- According to a Bob Condotta blog entry, UW reportedly has interviewed three candidates, one of them twice. Condotta has been told Dave Christensen is not in the running at this time. Molly Yanity reports that UW contacted Gary Pinkel's attorney. According to Molly, Pinkel is out of the running and Franchione told Softy he has not been contacted. Whittingham seems happy at Utah. (Link).

11/25/2008 -- The Seattle Times' Bob Condotta brings LSU coach Les Miles into the picture. See (Link).

11/24/2008 -- During the TV broadcast of the Apple Cup, color man Petros Papadakis said he'd seen an unemployed head coach in the Seattle airport. Here are my thoughts as to who it might have been. (Link). See  "A Kiffin sighting?"

11/24/2008 -- Footballscoop.com reports that Dennis Franchione is one of the leading candidates at UW. Mark Emmert once offered Franchione the head coaching job at LSU. (Link).

11/22/2008 -- A report from the Idaho Statesman says that BSU is working on a new contract for Chris Petersen. (Statesman report)

11/21/2008 -- Gary Pinkel (Missouri) has agreed in principle to a lucrative contract extension that will make him one of the highest-paid coaches in the country, according to sources of an ESPN story. (Link).

11/20/2008 -- I hesitate even posting this; however, the Jim Mora rumors seem to persist, much like Elvis sightings. Check this link out. Note that the e-mailer is unnamed, as are all of the sources for the rumors.

11/20/2008 -- Molly Yanity of the Seattle P-I says that Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Haywood will interview with athletic director Scott Woodward on Thursday for the vacancy, this from a South Bend source. (Link).

11/19/2008 -- University of Washington President Mark Emmert has appointed a search advisory committee to assist in the UW's search for a new head football coach. (Link). This jibes with our 11/15 report.

11/18/2008 -- "The University of Texas has struck an agreement with Defensive Coordinator Will Muschamp that will keep him in Austin and eventually lead him to the head coaching position for the Longhorns, Athletics Director DeLoss Dodds said on Tuesday. Details of the contract are still being finalized but it will start with Muschamp's salary being raised to $900,000 on January 1, 2009." (Texas website). (ESPN)

11/18/2008 -- Football.scoop.com says Jim Harbaugh is "closer" to signing a contract extension at Stanford.

11/16/2008 -- Lane Kiffin, a former Southern Cal assistant who has strong ties with Syracuse AD Daryl Gross from his days in the USC athletic administration is mentioned as a candidate for the Syracuse head coaching job. Also, they'll look at Ty Willingham. Syracuse Orange football.

11/15/2008 -- A halftime interview (UCLA game) with Washington's AD Scott Woodward implied the Huskies may be looking for a hard-nosed, defensive-minded coach to replace lame-duck coach Tyrone Willingham, this either being a head coach or a defensive coordinator. He didn't rule out either one. Woodward indicated UW is in the beginning stages of the search.

Help Wanted: We need a coach who can talk an impoverished State Legislature out of the inside of a Brinks truck. We need a coach who can talk a kid out of basking in the sun into the thrill of dancing in the rain. We need a coach who can talk a donor out of his last kidney. We need a coach who can read a game-day pep talk off a teleprompter without wearing glasses. We need a coach who can walk down the slippery steps of the lower bowl without instinctively reaching for a handrail. Amid repairs, we need a coach who can talk a boater into being bussed.

The new coach must haul in a group of playmakers, war daddies, decleators and pancake blockers, all to fill a bare cupboard. (Brent Venables, photo left).

For the sake of recruiting, it's a shame that Jim L. Mora said he is not a candidate for the head coaching job at Washington, which was vacated by the forced resignation of Tyrone Willingham. Mora has all of the potential -- the fire, enthusiasm and drive -- needed to bring the Huskies back from what seems as of now to be on the brink of a singularity.

Mora wasn't altogether the perfect fit. His "Softy" interview and the ammonia sniffing and anger incidents somewhat questioned his good judgment in my mind. Also his one-year stint as a graduate assistant at Washington in 1984 is his only college coaching experience.

Coaching the Huskies will be a hard sell to make.

The Huskies are 12-43 over the last five years; it's been six years since they've been to a bowl, and their 87-year old stadium needs a $300 million face lift, this in a bad economy.

The Huskies' nationwide search for a new AD to replace Todd Turner proved fruitless, and UW had to hire a guy from within the ranks, namely Scott Woodward, of whom school president Mark Emmert previously had said was needed for another job.

The new coach will be stepping into an uncertain future, into a job that carries with it a high risk of failure. He will be the Huskies’ fifth coach over a nine-year period, following Lambo, Neu, Gilby, and Ty, as we fans affectionately are wont to call them:

The parameters of the situation -- the bad economy, high salary requirements, the losing record, the prospects of a bad recruiting year, the negative Seattle press corps, the wretched stadium, the coaching carousel, et al -- all diminish the likelihood of hiring a proven, successful BCS head coach. Why step into quicksand when you can take the safe route and stay where you are? Affordability is a huge question, since most of these guys are already making big bucks.

Table 1. The following factors could well affect whom is hired. The list goes on.

Cupboard is bare. Outlook for the 2009 recruiting class is poor

Entrenched: Why step into quicksand rather than take the safe route?

Dollars: Tax money approval is needed from a recalcitrant State Legislature

Miasma: Negative Seattle press corps (e.g., Curtis Williams' pillorying)

Dollars: Poor economy might mean declining attendance, regardless

Carousal: Five coaches in nine years does not speak well for job security

Low tolerance level: Angry fan base is on a short leash

Intrigue: The 12-43 record indicates deeper, underlying problems

For example, when he was chancellor at LSU, Mark Emmert hired Nick Saban to coach the Tigers and he won a national championship. Currently, Saban makes $3.75 million at Alabama.

Also, how are you going to convince the State Legislature that you need $150 million in tax money to refurbish Husky Stadium when you've just spent millions of dollars to bring in a respected BCS head coach? That's not going to play in Olympia or with the taxpayers.

"Willingham has base salary of $425,000, plus money for radio and television appearances ($275,000), speaking engagements and appearances ($200,004) and $275,000 for obligations related to corporate sponsors. There's also the requisite country-club membership and two courtesy cars." (Data from Bob Condotta).

He makes approximately $1.47 million per year. For the sake of argument, if UW is willing to pay a replacement coach $3 million, say, where is the added $1.5 million going to come from in this poor economic climate? Straight out of the athletic fund, as it is, or from a collection of new donors, boosters or whatever? It is estimated that deferred maintenance costs of Husky Stadium will be $100 million over the next 10 years. And then there is the $1 million needed to buy out Willingham's contract.

Mike Leach of Texas Tech could possibly command $3 million at UW, and would make everybody happy with his explosive offense. His quirky personality, along with a few wins, might clean up Seattle's miasmic sports scene, which needs a cultural shock to clear the air. The prospect of coaching Jake Locker is a nice enticement for any state-of-the-art coach.

Last November, Leach was fined $10,000 by the Big 12 conference for his rants concerning the refereeing of the 2007 game with Texas. He has a law degree from Pepperdine, located in Malibu.

As I read up on guys like Leach and Mora, I begin to salivate, the old Dawg I am, but then, unfortunately, reality sets in and I give in to pessimism.

There are a few cheaper coaches around if, indeed, money will be a factor.

Mike Riley, 56, is among the older coaches who have a proven record of transforming a loser into a winner. Riley (47-38 at Oregon State) is making $1.1 million per year and has a buyout clause of $1 million.

Pat Hill, 57, makes $1.25 million per year as coach of Fresno State (85-55), and has been mentioned as another candidate.

I doubt either of them would seriously consider changing jobs at this point in their careers.

Because of most of the negatives associated with the Washington job, it's questionable that a successful, non-BCS head coach would want the job, either, however the more likely his hiring would be than that of a BCS stud. Of course, one of them might apply just to renegotiate a higher salary with his current employer.

For example, Kyle Whittingham, head coach of Utah, has been mentioned as a possible candidate. Whittingham is 49-years old and makes $700 thousand a year, and close to a million with incentives. Add Bronco Mendenhall, coach of BYU, as a potential candidate. See "Mendenhall, Whittingham not going anywhere."

Chris Petersen of Boise State has been mentioned. Last year, he said "never say 'never'" when speculation about coaching another team in a more prestigious conference arose. His salary is close to $1 million a year with incentives.

It's more likely that Washington will choose from the ranks of defensive and offensive coordinators out of successful BCS schools, such as Texas, Oklahoma, or USC, say. These gents are making between $200K and $450K a year; I mean, dangle $2-mil-per in front of one of them and see if he bites, then sign him to five years of purgatory. ;-)

Two candidates at that level may have slipped somewhat on my list.

Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, a potential candidate, gave up 474 passing yards to Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell on Saturday. Don't they teach pass defense in the Big 12? Is it no wonder the conference has so many "great" passers this year. ;-)

UCLA's defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker, another candidate, might have shot himself in the foot when he turned down the defensive coordinator's post at UW earlier in the year. He could have been an heir apparent to the job. But he must have thought of that when Washington contacted him.

Another defensive coordinator who should be high on anyone's list is Brent Venables, 37, out of Oklahoma. According to an ESPN article, Venables is ..." sharp, energetic and charismatic. Players love him, and he's also a great recruiter with a keen eye for talent." Venables makes $260,000 and is said to be interested in the job.

Lane Kiffin, who was recently fired by the Oakland Raiders as head coach, deserves consideration and has reportedly expressed an interest, where interest is half the battle. I'd grab him before somebody else snaps him up if what they say (e.g., Pete Carroll) about him is true. Of course, Al Davis might have another story. See an AP article on Kiffin.

In her blog, Molly Yanity of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer quotes Carroll as saying this about Kiffin, “He's been brought up on football. As a young guy, he was a student coach in college, so he's been around it forever. So, he's way ahead of his years. He is an excellent off mind. He's got philosophy behind him, a system behind him that has worked for him…I think he'll be a very successful guy for a long, long time. He brings with the recruiting that he was in charge of here and set the momentum for us, that and the whole offense, which is always good.”

Here's a list of my favorites for the job. My druthers would be one of the guys from Table 4, but that's not going to happen because of factors concerning entrenchment in current job, high salary requirements and uncertainty about the UW job (See Table 1).

Table 2. Most likely picks based on interest in job and lower salary requirements.

1. Brent Venables, 37, D/C, Oklahoma, $260,000 -- Has that raw-boned, hungry look of the young Jim Owens.

2. Lane Kiffin, 33, former H/C, Oakland, $2 million -- Has expressed interest in the job; Pete Carroll is high on him. UW will compete with Clemson here.

3. Will Muschamp, 37, D/C, Texas, $425,000 -- Texas ranks fourth in the country in rushing defense but is 116th in pass defense. Clemson and Tennessee might want him.

4. Bobby Hauck, 44, H/C, S/T, Montana, 60-15, N/A -- He's questionable because of relationship with Rick Neuheisel and may find Seattle's media tough to get along with.

5. Bob Gregory, 45, D/C, Cal, Unknown -- Cal ranks 3rd in nation in PED, 23rd in Total Defense.

6. Dave Christensen, 45, O/C, Missouri, $197,204 (2007) -- Former UW player and OL coach. Missouri ranks 6th in nation in total offense.

7. Steve Sarkisian, 34, O/C, USC, approx. $700K -- Pete Carroll is high on him. He's expressed an interest.

Table 3. Less likely picks based on less interest in job than coaches in table 2 might have and because of their midrange to higher salary requirements.

1. Kyle Whittingham, 49, H/C, Utah, 33-14, $700K -- Referenced article above claims he's rooted in.

2. Chris Petersen, 44, H/C, BSU, 31-3, $900,000 -- Has a California connection.

3. Bronco Mendenhall, 42, H/C, BYU, 36-11, $650,000 -- See Whittingham.

4. Jim Harbaugh, 45, H/C, Stanford, 37-18, $1 million -- Moving up this list with each win. A quantum electron who may pop into Table 2.

5. Pat Hill, 57, H/C, FSU, 90-58, $1.25 million -- I think he's a bit old.

6. Brian Kelly, 47, H/C, Cincinnati, 154-56, $1.2 million

7. Mike Riley, 56, H/C, OSU, 52-41, $1.1 million. A Corvallis kid at heart.

8. Gary Patterson, 48, H/C, TCU, 71-26, $1.3 million.

9. Todd Graham, 44, H/C, Tulsa, 25-11, $1.1 million -- Said to be an incredible fund raiser.

Table 4. Least likely picks based on less interest in job than coaches in Tables 2 and 3 and  because of their much higher salary requirements.

1. Jim L. Mora, 46, H/C, Seahawks, 26-22, approx. $4 million -- Most unlikely of the unlikely, but never say never. He has Husky roots.

2. Jeff Tedford, 47, H/C, Cal, 56-28, $1.85 million -- probably rooted in.

3. Gary Pinkel, 56, H/C, Missouri, 129-76, $1.875 million -- probably rooted in.

4. Randy Edsall, 50, H/C, Connecticut, 56-58, $1.5 million

5. Mike Leach, 47, H/C, Texas Tech, 74-37, $1.75 million -- Was told to wait for contract extension at beginning of season. Will his quirky personality get in his way?

6. Nick Saban, 57, H/C, Alabama, 108-48, $3.75 million -- Too expensive.

Singularity: Where the laws of physics cease to exist.