WOW!
Here is another bitter pundit.
I have absolutely no idea what Bob Keisser's problem is here...
[S]o there's some bemusement in watching Washington's hiring of USC offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian as the new head coach. It's like that saying about insanity -- doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.
Sarkisian is an enthusiastic young man who becomes the third-youngest coach in college football. Trojans coach Pete Carroll, who has put USC icons like Howard Jones and John McKay in his wake, thoroughly trusted the lad. He's never been in NCAA stew or taken his team on a river-rafting trip.
But he's still an L.A. guy. Born in Torrance, not far from the home of the Beach Boys. He's a neophyte who began his coaching career in 2001 and has been a coordinator for all of two seasons. When the UW interviewed him for the job, it was his first interview for a head coaching position.
You are trusting souls.
There are a few things you should know about your new head coach.
There's a fleet of pompous USC fans -- sorry for the redundancy -- who aren't sad to see Sarkisian go. Since Norm Chow left the program after a rift with Carroll, Trojans faithful have made offensive coordinators Lane Kiffin and Sarkisian the whipping boys for anything wrong in the program. Rightfully so.
Uh...yeah, so what's your point Bob?
Everyone has to start somewhere. UW is a fine program but its not like they have been world beaters for a while so with all due respect to UW Sark not having any head coaching experience is not a big deal especially when they are 0-12. I mean its not like he is going to the MNC next year so they can grow together. They can only go one way...UP!
I have intentionally not made any comments either way about Sarkisian leaving. Why bother, depending on your point of view its either a good thing or a bad thing. There are some who will be happy that he is leaving others ambivalent and there is an even smaller group that will think this is a bad thing.
I am in the ambivalent group, no one person is bigger than the program as a whole so I am happy for Sarkisian in that he gets to run his own show and while we wish him well it certainly won't be the case when UW is playing against us. Like it or not Sark going to UW is a good thing and given time his energy should bring UW back to respectability just like Neuheisel at ucla should and in the end it helps the Pac 10 as a whole.
But Keisser makes an interesting comment that has to be called out....
The Carroll coaching tree has produced mostly dead limbs.
I know about what Keisser is trying to do here first hand and he misses it by a mile.
Keisser falls into the trap that a lot of fans have also fallen into...before the 2005 season we saw one of the most experienced coaching staffs ever assembled. Coupled with an incredible amount of talent that Pete Carroll and Co. recruited we witnessed one of the greatest performances in the history of college football. In fact it has been so good that going 11-1 and to the Rose Bowl is a disappointment to some fans.
Go figure...Pete Carroll has always said that winning the Pac-10 is always the goal and reasons are simple. WIn the Pac-10 and you are assured the Rose Bowl nothing less, and because Pete Carroll has nocontrol over getting into the BCS title game it is almost impossible that you would even get a sniff of the BCS Title game if you don't win your conference. After the travesty in 2003 of OU going and then getting romped by LSU you will never have that happen again, Auburn 2004 is another reason the system stinks so you have to control what you can only control and that means winning your conference.
Sometimes the sum is greater than all the parts. The fact that Oregeron, Chow, Holt, Kiffin and possibly Sarkisian might not perform as well on their own is hardly Carroll's fault. Infact I would go the other way...because Pete Carroll brought these guys together and because they caught lightning in a bottle they were able to get those opportunities. Nobody will debate Chow is the best but without his tenure at USC does anyone think he would have got the chance in the NFL? Hard to tell...its not like the NFL was beating down Chow's door BEFORE he was at USC heck he barely got offers to be a college head coach and when he did he usually bombed the interview. Its not a knock on Chow its just not his strong suit.
How many assistants from storied or highly successful programs go on to greatness? I actually think the inverse is more the norm.
I saw this in the comments of the article...
I can understand some question about a young hire with only 9 years of coaching experience and 2 of those being Offensive Coordinator/Asst. Head Coach. I’m sure Oklahoma fans were feeling the same way when they hired Bob Stoops as head coach after being a DC for just 3 years. What was Bowling Green thinking about when they hired Urban Meyer who had only been a position coach in his coaching career? He went 17-6 at Bowling Green so what was Utah thinking in hiring him? Meyer went 22-2 at Utah but it’s the Mountain West. A Mountain West coach couldn’t make it in the SEC. And now he sits in his 4th year at Florida at 43-9.
...4th year heading to his 2nd BSC title game. Yeah, Meyer sucks I guess...
How about Frank Solich? All those years at Tom Osborne's side and he bombed when he was given the reins at Nebraska.
There is simply no guarantee that past results will indicate future performce, good or bad.
The puzzling thing about this article is I am not sure what Keisser wants or the point he is trying to make. Is he unhappy that Sarkisian left? Hard to tell because he is essentially saying that Sarkisian doesn't have enough experience. Then on the flip side he criticisizes Sarkisian's play calling. Its clear that Keisser is another one of those who are still sulking over the departure of Norm Chow as they continue pine for the past.
This guy needs to let it go or get into therapy...and he can get in line right behind Gregg Doyel....
UPDATE: Oops, it seems that I have been spelling Gregg Doyel's name wrong, it's Doyel not Doyle...go figure (thanks to Bob Condotta for pointing that out). Doyel is still bitter though...