Redshirting has lost its luster. NFL Rookie Salary cap makes Junior more likely to leave the program.
Redshirting star caliber players, those likely to be first day draft picks after three years, is a waste of a year. It isn't an easy task, but the coaches are being paid millions to show great judgement about who these few players are and make decisions about redshirting accordingly.
Playing a guy like Shaq Thompson as a freshman was a no brainer. Danny Shelton was probably a defensible decision. Guys like Josh Shirley, Elijah Qualls, Marcus Farria, etc (this list could go on for a mile just using the past 5 years) as freshmen were questionable decisions at best. There's no way to view Sark as anything but a failure in this aspect of his job at UW.
Baker is going to play and probably has to based not just on talent but also on the lack of good players on the roster at his position.
Josh Shirley was redshirted though. Not that it mattered since Sark never played him last year for whatever reason.
Qualls RS as well.
Did he? I thought Sark burned his RS too against Boise. I remember there was two DL he burned their RS seasons for no fucking reason at all.
Qualls actually got a redshirt. Farria and Mathis both had theirs burned so they could play in the 4th quarter against Idaho State and Cal. Absolutely stupid and I guarantee we will be wishing those guys had an extra year of eligibility in 3 years
That's it. I do remember Sark burning two of our three DL when we didn't even need to play them.
I'm surprised he didn't waste Coleman's RS season for a garbage time carry against Cal or Colorado.
It used to piss me off when I'd see Price limping around there in blowouts when Miles or Lindquist should have been taking some snaps.
Budda's the Nate Robinson or Kenny James of this class.
I miss Rick redshirting entire classes except one.
I used to always bring that up when Tybots would point out how Rick destroyed the program and I'd point out that in 2006 and 2007 Ty had 20+ 5th year SR's.
Of course that was dismissed as all Tybots hated facts.
The program destroyer redshirted Brett Hundley for Mora, too, despite not having a QB.
One could argue that Rick was too conservative with his true frosh, but he's the exact kind of coach you want to follow, not the kind you hate to follow despite the popular doog narrative.
What about Reggie Williams though. Imagine how scary he would have been flexing at the other teams if he could have spent a RS year working out.
Thanks a lot Rick.
Seriously that's a pretty impressive thing about RN that I never really paid attention to. He was unusual in his willingness to sacrifice short term for long term gain when it came to players. We've been dealing with the opposite (burning RS for garbage time minutes, blocking on KO returns, etc) for so long that it's hard to imagine using that approach now.
I agree, and I too have not given Neuheisel enough credit for this. Overall though, I still see negatives in him as a head coach. The Huskies did get soft under his watch. He did not put the proper emphasis on developing future NFL players along the lines. He had a few, but in my opinion, the program changed under him for the worse by transitioning to a finesse team. And, if you look at the jump UCLA has taken by Mora taking over, you can see pretty clearly that UCLA was being held back to some extent by Rick as head coach. But give credit where credit is due. Rick was very good to the players, not just in redshirting those who really needed it, but also in unsaid behind the scenes ways. Rick genuinely gives a shit about the players, unlike little man syndrome Tyrone and snake oil salesman Sarkisian. Rick really doesn't deserve the throttling he seems to get from some.
Having said all of that, it's been over a decade since Rick had anything to do with the Huskies, it's probably time to turn the page and move onto the Peterman era. So far, I like what this guy is doing. What a freaking change. A competent, professional adult finally in charge of the program. Long overdue. Now it's time to see if that translates to winning championships again. I think it will, but if not, it'll be time to promptly get back on the coaching carousel, like any respectable program would.
Rick had realized that he was making a mistake with his line recruiting, but he was also unlucky. Not many will remember the signing day thrills of getting top linemen Francisco Tipoti, and an even bigger get -- Nathan Rhodes, the 5 star dream OT. Tipoti had issues, and Rhodes never played a down, after discovering a congenital back problem. But while Rick realized his Husky teams had problems on the OL, and he had realized he needed to get tougher, he actually was turning in the wrong direction, because in the off-season just before he was fired, he hired a new OL coach -- Dan Cozzetto. Yes, the same marine sergeant screamer that Sark hired but has left off the USC staff. Cozzetto coached that one next season under Gilby, then left, to the great delight of the OL at that time. I remember Juan Garcia saying, politely, that after Cozzetto was gone that it was good to be getting coaching at a normal volume. Anyway… Rick probably would have figured out this OL thing at some point, but he was headed into the same Cozzetto train wreck as Sark actually when he got fired.
Budda's the Nate Robinson or Kenny James of this class.
I miss Rick redshirting entire classes except one.
I used to always bring that up when Tybots would point out how Rick destroyed the program and I'd point out that in 2006 and 2007 Ty had 20+ 5th year SR's.
Of course that was dismissed as all Tybots hated facts.
The program destroyer redshirted Brett Hundley for Mora, too, despite not having a QB.
One could argue that Rick was too conservative with his true frosh, but he's the exact kind of coach you want to follow, not the kind you hate to follow despite the popular doog narrative.
What about Reggie Williams though. Imagine how scary he would have been flexing at the other teams if he could have spent a RS year working out.
Thanks a lot Rick.
Seriously that's a pretty impressive thing about RN that I never really paid attention to. He was unusual in his willingness to sacrifice short term for long term gain when it came to players. We've been dealing with the opposite (burning RS for garbage time minutes, blocking on KO returns, etc) for so long that it's hard to imagine using that approach now.
I agree, and I too have not given Neuheisel enough credit for this. Overall though, I still see negatives in him as a head coach. The Huskies did get soft under his watch. He did not put the proper emphasis on developing future NFL players along the lines. He had a few, but in my opinion, the program changed under him for the worse by transitioning to a finesse team. And, if you look at the jump UCLA has taken by Mora taking over, you can see pretty clearly that UCLA was being held back to some extent by Rick as head coach. But give credit where credit is due. Rick was very good to the players, not just in redshirting those who really needed it, but also in unsaid behind the scenes ways. Rick genuinely gives a shit about the players, unlike little man syndrome Tyrone and snake oil salesman Sarkisian. Rick really doesn't deserve the throttling he seems to get from some.
Having said all of that, it's been over a decade since Rick had anything to do with the Huskies, it's probably time to turn the page and move onto the Peterman era. So far, I like what this guy is doing. What a freaking change. A competent, professional adult finally in charge of the program. Long overdue. Now it's time to see if that translates to winning championships again. I think it will, but if not, it'll be time to promptly get back on the coaching carousel, like any respectable program would.
Don't get me wrong. I don't think RN is a good head coach. He found ways to win some games but was not building a good team. His talent evaluation was horrendous and the team did worse than get soft under him. It also got smaller, slower and weaker. The program had no direction that I could see.
I like him as a personality and he seems like a smart guy. He's right where he should be.
Comments
I'm surprised he didn't waste Coleman's RS season for a garbage time carry against Cal or Colorado.
It used to piss me off when I'd see Price limping around there in blowouts when Miles or Lindquist should have been taking some snaps.
Jim Lambright
Rick Neuheisal
Keith Gilbertson
Tyrone Willingham
Having said all of that, it's been over a decade since Rick had anything to do with the Huskies, it's probably time to turn the page and move onto the Peterman era. So far, I like what this guy is doing. What a freaking change. A competent, professional adult finally in charge of the program. Long overdue. Now it's time to see if that translates to winning championships again. I think it will, but if not, it'll be time to promptly get back on the coaching carousel, like any respectable program would.
But while Rick realized his Husky teams had problems on the OL, and he had realized he needed to get tougher, he actually was turning in the wrong direction, because in the off-season just before he was fired, he hired a new OL coach -- Dan Cozzetto. Yes, the same marine sergeant screamer that Sark hired but has left off the USC staff. Cozzetto coached that one next season under Gilby, then left, to the great delight of the OL at that time. I remember Juan Garcia saying, politely, that after Cozzetto was gone that it was good to be getting coaching at a normal volume.
Anyway… Rick probably would have figured out this OL thing at some point, but he was headed into the same Cozzetto train wreck as Sark actually when he got fired.
I like him as a personality and he seems like a smart guy. He's right where he should be.