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When was the last time our coach gave a shit about details?
Sark? Willingham? Gilbertson? Neuheisel? I honestly don't know.
All this talk about TBS and getting in-state recruits to UW - the bottom line is that Petersen was able to beat much more talented teams at boise state because his teams were better prepared, AND BETTER COACHED. I honestly think Sark (and others on UW's not-so-distinguished list) simply relied on talent acquisition, and did not take the extra time to make sure that EVERY PLAYER on offense, defense, and special teams carried out his assignment EVERY PLAY, TO A TEE.
I hope Henry Roberts puts on a UW hat (or whatever little ceremony he carries out), but I can honestly say that I'm not as worried about it this year. Just to make the point, answer these questions:
- How certain are you that UW will sign a ton of 4- and 5-star kids with offers from other elite schools?
- How certain are you that whichever players we get, they will be as prepared (or more) to play as any of our opponents?
- Which of the first two questions is more important to you?
Yes, I know water is wet.
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Comments
I think recruiting will look like its down a little under Pete, but coaching up the rough gems will more than compensate. Petersen will continue to put a disporportionate amount of players into the NFL.
I am very confident that whoever we get will be as prepared, if not more, to play as any of our opponents.
The second question is more important to me because college football is more about player development than player talent.
I think recruiting is still important but it won't be as important as it was under Sark. Sark and his coaches failed to develop his players with many of his players having worse seasons as his time went on. You don't have to look far to see Locker's, Price's, ASJ's and others saw their production dip the more time they spent with Sark. Under Sark, it was essential for him to get the best talent possible, which is why we saw him do everything to secure the best recruiters when given the opportunity. But even then, it really did not affect the baseline level of recruiting that we've seen at the University (based on rankings and average star since Gilby). Petersen has assistants who have done an excellent job in identifying players that can contribute at the D1 level. They have done well in developing these lesser-talented players and install a culture where they need to understand how to function as a team rather than a bunch of individuals. You can see this repeatedly in how Petersen is forcing players to interact with each other and reinforcing details, such as how to correctly lift weights. For Petersen, it's more about keeping these assistants and developing that continuity in order to fully develop the players.
Sark will out recruit Peternorth in the scout/ESPN/rivals rankings. Can't deny he isn't a good recruiter. Won't do shit with the talent though.
The thing I love about Petersen is how much I dont pay attention to recruiting anymore. Sure the talent he brings in might not be the attractive... But at least he will coach every player up and blow anything UW had had out of water in awhile.