Let’s get rid of the track, not Tyrone
A symbolic bludgeon hanging over Turner's head
Richard Linde, 14 December 2007

Maintaining continuity in the coaching staff had to have helped more with the recruiting of super stud Chris Polk rather than to have had a hindering effect. Let’s give the defunct Todd Turner, who is on his way out, some credit with maintaining a steady ship while under heavy bombardment.

The winning at all costs attitude Turner complains about sounds like both a copout and a touch of sour grapes to me. The fact he supported Coach Willingham during the movement for Tyrone's firing was not the reason for Turner's resignation. School president Mark Emmert made that pretty clear.

The following is a quote taken from a letter Turner sent to members of the athletics department.

"In recent days, I've seen a side of athletics that sickens me with the incessant interloping of uninformed, unenlightened, self-anointed experts who look upon intercollegiate athletics solely as entertainment to satisfy their own self interests. That's why competitive success at the UW without compromising values, character, and integrity is so essential. Someone has to be the example. It might as well be the Huskies."

Sure, the Internet helped bring him down; that is where most of the flak came from. I suspect that the school president may have had a meeting with some disenchanted high rollers, who voiced their displeasure with Turner. If so, that must have had chilling effect on him. He needs $400 mil to fund the renovation plans and with Turner around, ugh, not so sure. Right now, moving that antiquated track to another place is off the table.

Really, I think the track -- i.e., the renovation plans, in toto -- at Husky Stadium forced Turner's resignation, not his paradigm for success. By the way, he's right about the Huskies being an example. Turner deserves a tremendous amount of credit for implementing that splendid example, and the Huskies better keep it in place after he's gone or else it's off to "probation nation" again.

The potential of keeping that antediluvian track in the first go-around of the stadium remodel was a keen disappointment to me. How do we know if the track will ever go if it’s not in the first wave of demolition? Its planned retention disenchanted me somewhat with Turner and made me wonder if he wasn’t over his head with the horrendous task and fundraising effort needed to save Husky Stadium. The daunting task of renovating the decrepit stadium in the midst of Sound Transit’s migratory plans is almost too much to ask of anyone.

In the face of the Don James bigots, I wouldn't want Husky history to portray me as the man who killed the venerable stadium by moving to Qwest Field. Removing the track means lowering the field and getting fans closer to the action. If that is not affordable, moving to Qwest Field makes a lot of sense to me. It's also a symbolic thing with me, like in the fact that Montlake is finally facing the realities of 21st century football.

Here's part of a conversation I had with Turner last spring, the topic being the stadium remodel and possible move to Qwest. 

"You have a daunting task ahead of you," I added.

"It's the most complicated thing I've ever dealt with."

"If you can make this all work out, you will go down in Husky history as one of the greats."

"All I want to do is win a few football games," he said sincerely, with just a smidge left of his North Carolina birthplace.

To some people, winning on the football field may make the task of raising funds for the sinking stadium seem more palatable. But winning at all costs? An emphatic, no. I think Dr. Emmert would agree with that, as would the coach.

Getting rid of the track when the initial renovation plans are finally off and running, with calls being made to sugar daddies, says it all about the future of Husky football and the new AD. Otherwise, taking the simple and obvious path to Qwest Field is as understandable as was keeping Tyrone around for next season. That was an “Internet half brainer” with me.

In my mind, the “track, et al” hung as a symbolic bludgeon over Turner’s future as an AD, and not with Tyrone Willingham’s winning or losing.

As for Willingham, he has impressed me at every alumni event I have attended. At the last one, I told him that he comes across as a “winner,” on and off the field. Maybe, I am taken in too easily; his pep talks certainly rally me to his side. I think I know an honest man when I see one.

Tyrone is his own man, a sycophant to none, a credit to his self-reliant father. A well-educated man, he makes his mother proud, just as Cody Ellis must make his mother proud.

His loyalty to his assistants is admirable. If his captaincy sinks with the whole crew on board, I will understand. I trust his judgment and will blame an iceberg for the shipwreck if he maintains his current staff. I know nothing about coaching, other than drawing up plays in the mud. Because of that, I refuse to join the fire-coach-Baer bandwagon until the coach is on board with it, too.

What an excellent role model Willingham is for PSAs and enrolled student athletes to follow.

His reserved, honest personality has to affect recruiting positively. PSAs must trust him to make good on his promises. A simple call made to a friend at the Dub will address one’s concerns. “Can I trust the coach?” “Yep,” must be the answer.

Tyrone’s current recruiting class, which is ranked fifteenth in the nation by scout.com, says that PSAs must see something about the coach that his detractors don’t see. Obviously, his critics have never talked with the coach on a personal basis. BTW, it’s nice to see Charlie Baggett in on another big one, having paid a home visit to Polk, along with his boss.

In the minds of some, getting rid of Turner may make it easier to fire Willingham if next season is another losing one. In their minds, Turner rode shotgun for Ty, ready to mow his rope-carrying adversaries down at the hint of a lynching.

Let’s get rid of the track, not Tyrone. Let’s not tie Ty’s future with being satisfied with having that track in place once the bulldozers have finished their work.

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Photo above: Todd Turner posed most graciously for me at a band function a couple of years ago -- with that damned track behind him. Little did we know at the time it would help bring him down.