The University of Washington recently named their new head coach of the football program and his name is Steve Sarkisian.

 Willingham had to go. Having said that, we all know that Ty Willingham was a African American. One of a few African American head coaches in big time college football. So here is the question readers. Does that mean the next Husky head coach had to be white?

In my opinion, the University of Washington moved to quickly in it’s pick of Steve Sarkisian. The USC’s offensive coordinator.

Sarkisian becomes the third youngest coach in college football.

Guys with much more experience (black and white) were passed over or did not get a interview. For instance Turner Gill. Who turned the Buffalo program around and is going to a bowl game this year. Sarkisian did not start coaching until 2001 and has only been a coordinator for two seasons. When Washington interviewed him, it was his first interview for a head coaching position!!

Bob Keisser of the Long Beach Press-Telegram recently wrote a article that was not kind to Sarkisian at all. I saw the article in the Seattle PI newspaper.

Some of the things he said in the article is between 2002 and 2005, USC averaged 41 points a game, since then, scoring is off more than a full touchdown. He went to say the loss of Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush had a impact, but the team has lost it’s “juice” and players aren’t as well prepared. I heard the same about players under Willingham here in Seattle.

USC scored 27 points or fewer seven times in 2007 and was taken to the wire by Arizona and Cal this season Keisser wrote. He said those games are hardly resume highlights.

He went on to say Sarkisian may be less prepared than other offensive coordinators in college football because he rarely had final say on play calling. He also never worked from the press box like most coordinators.

Keisser also wrote that their are many more inventive offenses in the nation than USC’s. And that USC no longer have much of a deep passing game, and that the passing game to tight ends and backs left with Coach Chow and that USC has been shuffling running backs in and out at the cost of team harmony. THIS is damaging information in my opinion.

The Long Beach writer also said that the Coach Carroll coaching tree has produced coaches that have not done well. Like Nick Holt who left to become the head coach at Idaho in 2004 and went 5-18 in two seasons. Ed Orgeron was named head coach at Mississippi in 2005 and went 10-25 in three seasons, with a 3-21 record in SEC games.

The article said that Lane Kiffin got his first coaching job in 2001 at USC. He was for some unknown reason named head coach of the Oakland Raiders for 2007 and went 4-12 in his first season. He was fired after a 1-3 start this year. Also for some unknown reason, Kiffin was named head coach at Tennessee.

The article went on to say that UCLA defensive coach Dwayne Walker has much more experience than the new UW coach and that the UCLA defense was the only good thing about Bruins football. Walker has nine years of college experience and seven years of NFL experience.

The article ended with Kiesser saying “Experience apparently doesn’t mean much anymore, whether it’s the coaching resume or past imports from California.”

So in ending, why was the media here in Seattle so happy about Sarkisian being hired? In the rush to replace Willingham, the UW did not look at the experience of a Walker or Gill.

Yes Washington opened up it’s doors to have African Americans running there ladies basketball, men’s basketball and football programs.

But like I said earlier, does that mean the next head coach had to be a white fella with experience that is MUCH LESS than others who happen to be African American?

Remember readers, there are only THREE AFRICAN AMERICAN HEAD COACHES OUT OF 119 SCHOOLS!! And MORE THAN 50% OF THE PLAYERS ON THE FIELD ARE AFRICAN AMERICAN.

Hopefully Floyd Kieth of the BCA will speak out more on this problem and even President elect Obama who is a big sports fan will look into this problem also when he is president.       Gordon Curvey