Huskies put their trust in Tyrone Willingham

Washington linebacker and team captain Joe Lobendahn met with his new coach yesterday, and his impression of Tyrone Willingham apparently changed dramatically.

The senior previously knew Willingham only as the stern-faced leader of Stanford and Notre Dame, glowering from the sideline even when his team was rolling.


		Gilbert W. Arias / P-I
	New Huskies football coach Tyrone Willingham pauses at the Graves Building on the UW campus yesterday.

"It's kind of funny," Lobendahn said. "On TV, he looks kind of mean. But he's a great guy. I love him right now. I'm pretty hyped."

The Huskies' fan base seems far more ambivalent, but that could quickly transform with a few victories.

The school confirmed yesterday that Willingham had been hired and will hold a news conference today to introduce the man entrusted with resurrecting a program coming off a 1-10 season and tumultuous period of off-field woes.

The school didn't release the details of Willingham's contract, but a source told the Post-Intelligencer that the five-year deal will pay him between $1.4 and $2 million a season, with incentives. The package will be similar to that of the Pac-10's two highest paid coaches, California's Jeff Tedford and USC's Pete Carroll.

Nattily attired in a blue suit -- standing out among casually dressed UW administrators -- Willingham spent most of yesterday in meetings and touring the campus before addressing the players at 5:30 p.m.

It quickly became clear that just because he has a new job doesn't mean the notoriously laconic and secretive Willingham will undergo a dramatic personality makeover.

"As you know with me, it always stays within the locker room," Willingham said of his meeting with the players. "What you say to the team is very important, so I'll make sure that it's for their ears and my ears."

The UW apparently interviewed only two candidates to become its third coach in the past four seasons: Willingham and Boston College coach Tom O'Brien. O'Brien removed his name from contention when it became clear Friday that he was the Huskies' second choice.

The Huskies pursued and were rebuffed by Tedford, new Florida coach Urban Meyer and Atlanta Falcons coach Jim Mora Jr.

"(Willingham) is a wonderful, wonderful person and a great coach," UW president Mark Emmert said. "A Pac-10 Coach of the Year twice. Six bowl games. Knows the West Coast. Knows Husky Stadium. This is going to work very well."

Willingham, who turns 51 on Dec. 30, is 65-51-1 in 10 seasons as a head coach. In seven seasons at Stanford (1995-2001), he was 0-5 against Washington but led the Cardinal to its first Rose Bowl in 28 years after the 1999 season.

After Stanford finished 9-3 in 2001 -- only its second nine-win season in 50 years -- he was hired at Notre Dame following the George O'Leary résumé debacle.

He was the toast of South Bend after starting his first season 8-0, but he went 13-15 thereafter and fell out of favor with key boosters and trustees, who conspired to surprisingly oust him two weeks ago.

Schedule note: Notre Dame visits Washington on Sept. 24.

Willingham, a native of Kinston, N.C., earned numerous Coach of the Year honors after his 10-3 season in 2001. The Sporting News named him "Sportsman of the Year."

UW is the only Division I school with a black football coach and black men's basketball coach.

While Willingham can begin work immediately -- and the Huskies' sagging recruiting effort needs attention -- it's unclear what his staff will look like.

Five UW assistants who worked under former coach Keith Gilbertson were asked to stay on and help run the program: Randy Hart, Chris Tormey, Cornell Jackson, Scott Pelluer and Jimmy Lake. Each would like to be retained.

Willingham's Notre Dame assistants will coach the Fighting Irish in the Insight Bowl against Oregon State on Dec. 28. It's likely many of them will then move to Montlake.

Hart, the Huskies' defensive line coach who has been with the program since 1988, might have a good shot at being retained. Irish defensive line coach Greg Mattison has taken a job at Florida.

Hart called Willingham "a good guy and a great fit," but he said there haven't yet been any discussions.

"I'd assume that we would see him (today)," Hart said. "He's kind of a busy guy right now."

Many of Willingham's Notre Dame assistants have Pac-10 ties. Offensive coordinator Bill Diedrick, a native of Spokane, was the UW's offensive coordinator under Jim Lambright from 1995-97. A rumor was swirling that Diedrick would not be asked to come to Seattle, but it couldn't be confirmed. Diedrick did not return a call from the P-I.

Offensive line coach John McDonell coached at Washington State from 1989-2000; running back coach Buzz Preston was at WSU from 1994-97. Only defensive backs coach Steven Wilks and linebackers coach Bob Simmons have no Pac-10 experience.

While Willingham's hiring may not inspire universal euphoria among boosters and fans, he should bring integrity and stability to the program.

"I'm just excited to have a coach right now," Lobendahn said. "For the past month, we were wondering, 'Who's our coach?' Names were flying around, and we didn't know who it was. Now we know, and we're going to move on right now."

P-I reporter Ted Miller can be reached at 206-448-8017 or tedmiller@seattlepi.com

Add P-I UW Football headlines to