Slowly, hopefully inexorably, the misguided loyalty
on the University of Washington football staff is getting a facelift
and some actual competence.
The defensive disaster that has
permeated the U-Dub campus could actually improve next season with the
recent addition of defensive coordinator Ed Donatell and now former
offensive coordinator Brian White.
White was the latest addition
to Ty Willingham's Husky staff. The powers to be lit a fire under
Willingham's backside after last year's season of promise degenerated
into an unacceptable string of losses.
The message was short and
to the point: you can stay another season but fix the defense, and for
God's sake, win more games than you lose before we all forget the great
football tradition you inherited. Willingham, whose 3-year coaching
record at Washington is 11-25, somewhat reluctantly got the message.
Being
a college football coach today is not much fun when you are not
winning. Willingham is one loyal person who sincerely believes in the
goodness of everyone he hires. Unfortunately, one can go "blind" in
this effort to succeed.
In the real world, the lesson that
Willingham has to learn is that there is no reward for good. You can be
the best person in the world and the best coach in the world, but being
good does not mean that you win football games. Think about how many
GREAT pro players have no Super Bowl ring.
The reality of life dictates that there can be only two outcomes as a coach at the end of each game: results or excuses.
Just
because the CEO of a Fortune 500 company makes more decisions does not
mean that he makes better decisions. Loyalty does not translate to the
bottom line. This is a really tough lesson for Ty, but if he wants to
achieve his potential as a coach, he will learn or be gone.
That
is why Ty's slow, methodical, unemotional move to shore up his defense
has resulted in the hiring of Ed Donatell as defensive coordinator and
Brian White as an assistant coach, perhaps handling tights ends and
special teams, or running backs.
Nowhere in Brian White's
coaching resume do I see special teams coaching experience, which
suggests that he would be better placed as the running backs coach.
White
spent 11 years as the running backs coach and offensive coordinator for
Barry Alvarez at the University of Wisconsin. During his tenure, White
was selected as the Division 1 Assistant Coach of the Year in 2004 by
the American Football Coaches Association.
As Wisconsin's running
backs coach and offensive coordinator, he helped coach Wisconsin in 9
bowl appearances, including Rose Bowl selections in 1999 and 2000. He
mentored 1999 Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne, 2001 NFL first-round
draft choice Michael Bennett, and 2001 Big Ten Freshman of the Year
Anthony Davis.
White has spent his last 2 years at Syracuse as
its offensive coordinator and tight ends coach with little or no
success. His lack of accomplishment may have had more to do with
Syracuse head coach Greg Robinson, who came to the Orangemen with a
terrific record as an NFL defensive coordinator with the New York Jets,
Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs.
Since arriving at
Syracuse, Robinson has gone 7-28 in 3 years, the worst 3-year record in
Syracuse football history. Nonetheless, Syracuse athletic director
Daryl Gross is bringing Robinson back for a 4th season.
All you
really need to know about Robinson at Syracuse is that he serves as the
head coach AND defensive coordinator, a really dumb idea whose time has
yet to come. Syracuse is Robinson's first head coaching job and it
shows. Big egos like to micromanage everything and everyone; they have
not figured out why they have assistant coaches to make them look
better.
Gross' judgment may be worse than Robinson's. Some
outstanding coordinators are simply not good head coaches; they may
lack the talent, temperament, media skills and organizational skills to
run an operation without screwing it up.
Brian White did spend 2
years as a graduate assistant for Lou Holtz at Notre Dame, and White
was there when the Irish won the 1988 national title with a Fiesta Bowl
victory over West Virginia. Two years of experience in ANY capacity
with Lou Holtz is worth at least 10 years at Syracuse with the best the
current Orangemen have to offer.
While coaching the receivers at
Nevada, White helped the Wolf Pack offense lead the nation in total
offense (582+ yards per game) and passing offense (401 ypg).
For
whatever it is worth, White is also more highly
qualified-education-wise-than almost all NCAA football coaches. He has
a bachelor's degree from Harvard, a master's degree from Fordham and
another master's degree in business administration from Notre Dame.
While
there is no direct correlation between education and success as a
football coach, White is apparently no stranger to learning and is
capable of getting 3 degrees from three academic powerhouses. Let's
hope it rubs off on his fellow Husky staff members and players. Until
the Huskies can once again win a lot more games than they lose, they
(staff and players) need all the help they can get.
Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley
Ed
Bagley's Blog Publishes Original Articles with Analysis and Commentary
on 5 Subjects: Sports, Movie Reviews, Lessons in Life, Jobs and
Careers, and Internet Marketing. My intention is to inform, educate,
delight and motivate you the reader.
Read my other Washington
Husky articles, including "Ed Donatell, NFL Veteran, Becomes Defensive
Coordinator for Washington", "Famous Quotes by Vince Lombardi, Knute
Rockne and Lou Holtz During Football's Annual Bowl Season", "How to
Predict When Teams Are Overrated and Due for an Unexpected Loss", and
my 14 consecutive weekly wrap-up articles on the 2007 College Football
Season as well as wrap-up articles on all 32 College Bowl Games.
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