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