Marques Tuiasosopo's impact?
Nobody (not even the people on this site) can say that Marques Tuiasosopo isn't tough. Nobody can claim that he doesn't understand toughness on a football team or the Husky culture. He was a Pacific Northwest child when Don James was coach, and he was recruited by Lambright. He gets Husky culture.
Moreover, he played last year on Jim Mora's staff, and Mora is a guy that some people on here seem to like.
So what do people think he will add to this staff? Do you think he'll have the balls to tell Sark, cozetto, and anyone else that things aren't going well if he believes it to be true? I realize he is only the QB coach, but I feel a little better knowing that he is there. Tuiasosopo may be a QB, but he understands UW's tradition on defense and on the offensive line.
Thoughts?
Comments
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I think once you look at what happened to assistant coaches under James after he was gone you realize just how much the head man sets the tone. Tui is tough and would be a tough coach under James or Mora. Under Softy Sark his toughness will be lost. Hell by the end of his tenure as a head coach Lambo had a hard time keeping teams under 50.
Its the head coach. When the defense regresses this year that's why. -
I agree with Race. I love Tui, but assistants are only as good as the head coach. Tui is as tough as they come, but I'm not sure he will have much impact outside of the QB's. Hopefully he and Price can develop a rapport and we can get much better QB play this year.
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Reminds me of when the doogs where excited to have Steve Emptaman roaming the sidelines. The reasoning was the same. He was TUFF and had a connection to the successful past culture. It turned out to be just another Doog wet dream that everyone forgot about when the team still sucked ass.
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Emtman was actually good in 2000. I forget his role, it was probably non official.MikeDamone said:Reminds me of when the doogs where excited to have Steve Emptaman roaming the sidelines. The reasoning was the same. He was TUFF and had a connection to the successful past culture. It turned out to be just another Doog wet dream that everyone forgot about when the team still sucked ass.
In that OSU game in 2000 when OSU was moving late Triplett was hurt on the sideline and Emtman grabbed him and told him, your not going to be the reason we lose this game, get the F back in there. And then Tripp made a huge stop on a 2nd and 1 to force a 3rd and 3.
Bottom line- its all about he head coach.
But, the reason the D won't back track is bc Wilcox is essentially the HC of the D with 0 input from Sark.
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I love Wilcox, but with more no huddle/spread teams on the schedule, I think there will likely be a small drop off from last year. We were abysmal last year against any team who did not run a pro style scheme. Losing Trufant will hurt more than expected, especially if our pass rush does not greatly improve.ACSlaterDawg said:
Emtman was actually good in 2000. I forget his role, it was probably non official.MikeDamone said:Reminds me of when the doogs where excited to have Steve Emptaman roaming the sidelines. The reasoning was the same. He was TUFF and had a connection to the successful past culture. It turned out to be just another Doog wet dream that everyone forgot about when the team still sucked ass.
In that OSU game in 2000 when OSU was moving late Triplett was hurt on the sideline and Emtman grabbed him and told him, your not going to be the reason we lose this game, get the F back in there. And then Tripp made a huge stop on a 2nd and 1 to force a 3rd and 3.
Bottom line- its all about he head coach.
But, the reason the D won't back track is bc Wilcox is essentially the HC of the D with 0 input from Sark.
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The head coach is the most important cog in the machine, but make no mistake, assistant coaches make or break the head coach, and in fact, those assistants that are destined to become head coaches are sometimes better than the guys they're working for. Great head coaches (great leaders in general) understand this; they hire great staffs, they focus on this aspect of their job, and as their best assistants move on to promotions elsewhere, they replace them with equally great assistants. And, of course, they fire and replace those assistants that aren't getting the job done.RoadDawg55 said:I agree with Race. I love Tui, but assistants are only as good as the head coach. Tui is as tough as they come, but I'm not sure he will have much impact outside of the QB's. Hopefully he and Price can develop a rapport and we can get much better QB play this year.
Sark lacks the experience and toughness to be a truly successful head coach at this level. He may get there one day, but as of today, the team's softness and inconsistency fall directly on him and it is fucking frustrating to watch. I think Tui was a good hire and he will have a positive impact on the team, but we'll have to wait to see just how much influence he has. Wilcox appears to have been a good hire, but again, it's too early to tell. Replacing Nussmeier with Kiesau was an abject failure on Sark's part, as was replacing Michalzcik with Cozzetto. Ivan Lewis' reputation appears to have been greatly exaggerated as well. On average, this team is physically weak and that is a serious problem that should be immediately dealt with. Again, another failure on Sark's part to hire the right S&C guy and set the right tone, but this is consistent with the overarching cultural problem that exists, that is a reflection of the head coach and his current state. One the side lines we have lawn mower dances and a starting quarterback who has the same smile on his face regardless of the score. In the weight room, we have very few who would garner any attention in the SEC/ACC/Big12. The lack of focus and lack of urgency is stunning.
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Then how do you explain so few of Don James's assistant coaches becoming successful head coaches?
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You mean like both Mora's and a Pinkel?

Obviously not all assistant coaches are as good or better than their bosses, nor do all become head coaches, but James hired some great assistants and surrounded himself with good people, there is no denying that. Just off the top of my head, guys like Jim Mora the elder, Nick Saban, Jim Lambright, Keith Gilbertson, Gary Pinkel, among others.
Look at the guys under Spurrier and Meyer at Florida, or Bowden at FSU during their heyday. They all had very solid staffs, with future head coaches, including guys like Bob Stoops, Charlie Strong and Mark Richt. Nick Saban at LSU had a great staff, including Will Muschamp and Jimbo Fisher, and now has maybe a better staff with guys like Kirby Smart and Doug Nussmeier. Successful coaches surround themselves with talent, and know that if they don't, they won't succeed. -
Jim L Mora was never more than a GA. Same with Saban. Gilby and Lambo were sub par head coaches. You say among others as if there is some long list
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What's up Derek, you seem to have something stuck in your craw.

You didn't read my poast very carefully and seem to be missing the main point. It's simple and obvious, though not easy. Successful coaches (successful leaders in general) surround themselves with talented assistants.
Since you brought it up, the Saban example was meant as an example of the quality of folks James surrounded himself with moreso than as an example of an assistant who contributed a great deal to James success. He played for James and, in fact it was James who recruited Saban into coaching at Kent State. You've probably seen this, but in case not, here's a link to an Alabama Sports article regarding the James/Saban link:
al.com/sports/index.ssf/2011/09/if_not_for_don_james_nick_saba.html
Also since you brought it up, here are some notables (cut and paste) from James coaching tree:
Bob Stull
Skip Hall
Dom Capers
Nick Saban
Gary Pinkel
Jim Lambright
Jim Mora
Keith Gilbertson
Jim Mora Jr (I know he's not a Jimmy Jr, but the source listed him this way)
coachingroots.com/football/coaches/don-james/coaching-tree
Obviously there are coaches with more impressive coaching trees, generally from coaches that had more success than James, but that is a solid list of assistants who became head coaches in the NFL and/or at the college D-1 level, some of whom have in turn spawned some pretty good coaches.
Beyond this, James is just one coach, and far from the most successful in D-1. Compare his staffs to those who have won multiple NC's and the trend couldn't be more clear. Great coaches have great staffs, period. It's intrinsic.





