Waiting for the paint to dry
Richard Linde, 6 July 2006

Because he is a man of few words, some members of the media call UW head coach Tyrone Willingham, ‘Paint-dry Ty.’

However, before the paint has even dried – being just one season on the job – a few Husky fans have tarred the taciturn coach with pejoratives such as incompetent, lazy and indifferent, all adjectives that are detrimental to the Huskies’ future success on the gridiron, and, certainly, not apt for him.

Tyrone Willingham needs time to restore the faded purple jerseys to their once bright color, to bring Washington back to a blazing purple powerhouse.

Willingham has brought a new coat of paint to the program and it’s sparkling. This fan, for one, is waiting for the paint to dry.

I. Repainting public relations.

-- Tyrone Willingham will do his best to keep himself and Washington out of trouble with the NCAA and his student athletes out of trouble with the law.

It has been 28 months since any Husky football player has had a run-in with the constabulary, as far as anyone knows. Credit the prior and current coaching staffs with this phenomenon.

Although Washington's probationary period expires seven months from now, it is subject to the provisions of NCAA Bylaw 19.5.2.3, concerning repeat violators, for a five-year period that began on the effective date of the penalties in the 2003 football infractions case (October 20, 2004).

Conservative and honest, Coach Willingham will not jeopardize Washington’s improving relationship with the NCAA and bring on the so-called “death penalty.” You can bet your booty on that.

-- Most recently, he wined and dined the deep and little pockets on the Coaches golf tour, a painful but necessary task, a testosterone alert for all its braggadocio. Geez, fellows, keep those one-irons in the bag, plainly covered.     

-- Has good rapport with AD Todd Turner, who is openly communicating with the fans using a Blog and an exchange of e-mails. I’ve never felt closer to the program thanks to Turner and a remarkably improved UW web site (gohuskies.com). 

-- He is playing golf to a six-handicap and is keeping himself in shape -- no beer gut  showing, even on stretched out TV screens.

-- Has flexibly agreed to meet with reporters after closed practice if that’s what they want

-- Is not as standoffish as some of the other UW coaches I have met.

-- He stands as tall as other African American role models, such as Tiger Woods, Condoleezza Rice and Lorenzo Romar -- all people I admire.

-- His troops are more disciplined on Picture Day, which, to me, reflects a change in attitude over past years. No more of that big-man on campus behavior. Remember those conceited, strutting jocks that used to bully and bore us in high school.

II. Repainting the gridiron

-- “Ty Willie,” as he has been affectionately called, has minimized distractions in practice despite the complaints and negative press – with nothing sub-rosa, so I have heard.

-- Ty recruited for need in 2006 rather than for show, bringing in six J.C. players who should provide immediate help.

-- He signed Montlake Jake (four-star quarterback Jake Locker out of Ferndale) and stayed with him, the persistent baseball rumors notwithstanding.

-- Hired JD Williams (Curtis Williams' brother), along with other fine assistant coaches.

-- He is off to a good recruiting season on 2K7.

-- Along with offensive coordinator Tim Lappano, turned quarterback Isaiah Stanback into a more focused, disciplined player last season—the improvement curve seemingly exponential and, hopefully, a continuing exponentiation.

-- The team looked much better during the recent spring scrimmage than it has looked during the spring scrimmages of the past couple of years. (1)

-- For the 2006 season, the talent level at Washington is better than the pundits are saying, something Willingham has recognized and is taking advantage of. From punter Sean Douglas to Stanback, the Huskies will field a number of athletes with pro potential. (2)

-- Compared with the previous year (2004), the Huskies, under Willingham, improved on 13 of the 21 critical stats that my website maintains. (3) Some of the defensive stats worsened; however, an improved defensive corps, with eight returning starters, should ameliorate last season’s defensive statistics for the fall campaign.

-- In 2005, Coach came close to winning more games than the Huskies came close to winning in the 2004 season. Call them moral victories, NegaDawgs.

-- Will win at least six real games this season, with two moral victories, so I’ve been told. (4)

III. Repainting character, where character counts most.

-- Has the players focusing on the classroom and graduation. He has the highest graduation rates of any football coach in the country.

 -- Even though Notre Dame shafted him, never gave him a fair chance to complete his mission, he left the Irish sans high dudgeon—which speaks well for his character.

-- Is not letting the UW alums and media push him around, for he’s his own man. For example, he has steadfastly stuck with his policy of keeping practices closed to the media. (5)

-- Being honest with essential character -- a role model for all to copy -- translate into improved recruiting in years to come, which is no small beer.  

-- He is a God-fearing being of intelligent design.

References, ahem, all my own:

(1) "The spring game was encouraging"

(2) "Was Nuehiesel an effective recruiter at UW?"

(3) "Are the Huskies rising from the dead?"

(4) "A six-handicap for Willingham"

(5) "It’s his nickel, not yours"