SB Nation User Blog: John Berkowitz

Huskies face Stanford tonight

John Berkowitz — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:42:59 -0000

Head coach Johnny Dawkins is off to an outstanding start in his first season as leader of the Stanford men's basketball program. The Cardinal opened the campaign with 10 consecutive victories before getting crushed by Arizona State in the league opener. Rather than sulk over the 30-point defeat, Stanford bounced back strong with a 76-60 decision over Arizona on Sunday.

The Cardinal has played three true road games to date, all of which have resulted in wins. As for Washington, it carries an eight-game win streak and plenty of confidence into this matchup. The Huskies crushed Washington State, 68-48, to halt a seven-game slide in the series with their in-state rivals and open the conference schedule in style. Washington is 9-0 at home this season, and eight of those nine wins have come by double figures. Stanford owns a 69-59 series lead over Washington, which includes an 82-79 triumph over the Huskies in the most recent meeting last season.

Recruiting update

John Berkowitz — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 14:19:34 -0000

One of our readers asked if I could do an update on recruiting so far and this is where we as we are about to enter the weekend.

Current Verbals

QB Keith Price...Keith was a rising star in recruiting circles after a very solid senior campaign. He was recruited by the old staff then he was welcomed by the new one. Most are pretty excited about his potential.

TE Marlion Bennett...Marlion verballed after Willingham was fired which tells you he picked the school and not the coach.

TE Dorson Boyce...Dorson is the newest recruit and was brought in to play right away next season. The one thing that stands out about this kid is his blocking ability.

DT Semisi Tokolahi...Another Sark recruit that was picked up from Hilo, Hawaii who really passes the eye test. He will likely need a year in the program to get used to the upgrade in competition but has the tools to do well.

DE Talia Crichton...We really like his film coming off the edge on defense. A nugget that USC passed on that Sark was aware of.

DE Andrew Pulu...He had a great senior season and is all about being a Husky. Has the tools to play LB or DE.

CB Aaron Grymes...Aaron was hurt a lot last season so we didn't get to see everything he was capable of. He will need a year to get bigger and stronger.

CB Keith Pinkard...Was recruited by Willingham after being turned on to him by an ex Husky player. His film held up when Sark arrived and will be a Husky.

S Josh Moten...Josh is listed as a soft recruit at this point. A QB who projects as a safety in the future. Think Shane Pahukoa.

S Nathan Fellner...The nephew of Husky great Robin Earl verballed early but has been looking around ever since Willingham was fired. (A little update on this one. He got a visit last night and seems to be solid.)

What to look for

Sarkisian was quoted the other day that he would like to bring in a full class of 25 this year. To do that there would have to be some attrition along the way and you can expect that with a new coach.

One thing that always bothered me about Willingham is he was never close to the 85 limit for scholarships. Sarkisian is approaching it differently. If he takes 25 that means he has room in this class for 15-16 more players in this class.

The question of course is if he can find 15-16 more guys that are worthy of a scholarship this late in the game. One thing for sure is he won't fill the class out with many 4-5 star type players and that is where solid evaluation is going to have to come in.

One advantage this staff has is that they have spent a lot of times in camps and combines in Southern California. There is a lot of talent down there. Most of these kids dream of becoming Trojans and there simply isn't enough room for all of them. UW should be able to find quite a few diamonds in the rough and late risers to fill out the class.

Another thing this staff is doing is hitting the JUCO ranks hard. Being from SOCAL really helps in this area because they know all the coaches and are familiar with the players that can help them. I am sure transcript review is a big part of the process that is going on right now. The Huskies would love to add at least a JC punter, DT, and OT to help round out the class.

UW traditionally is usually mostly done with recruiting by the New Year. This season the Huskies are having all their official visit weekends in January. This weekend won't be one of them because all the coaches will on the road recruiting. Expect verbals to start rolling in once those trips begin.

Can you stand eye to eye with Nick Holt and say no?

Holt's recruiting style

John Berkowitz — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 22:39:55 -0000

A friend of mine who has been in high school coaching in the Seattle area for a long time called to tell me how excited he is that the Huskies hired Nick Holt. He thinks Holt is just fantastic and thinks the days of UW being pushed around on defense are over.

He had a pretty funny story that he told me to share in the blog.

When Nick Holt makes an in home visit the first thing he usually does is go eyeball to eyeball with the kid and invade his personal space to see how he reacts. If he gets a hug and head butt he knows he has a player. If the kids recoils, looks away, or is nervous it means he may not be the kind of guy he wants on his defense.

It could also mean that Coach Holt just finished a pizza with some garlic on it before stopping by. You just never know! Another thing going eye brow to eye brow does is give him a pretty good idea on how tall the kid is. Some kids are listed at 6'4 but really may only be 6'2.

The psyche of recruiting is pretty interesting and I am sure each assistant coach has his own method. One thing the coaches had going for them at USC was hunger and competition. They treated each recruiting day as if they were coaching at New Mexico State rather than USC. They don't take anything for granted down there. Even though they sat at the the top of the Pac 10 they approached recruiting with the same urgency a 0-12 coach would have.

Coach Baird always talked about the ten tough questions the Don James era coaches asked the recruits. I am sure the new coaching staff has a list of them too. However if you are being recruited by Coach Holt the first thing he is looking for is your reaction when he looks you straight in the eye at close range.

Tarzan and Nick Holt

Did you know that Nick Holt's grandfather was Tarzan?

Holt is the grandson of Buster Crabbe who played Tarzan, Flash Gordon, and Buck Rodgers in the movies.

Crabbe was an Olympic athlete in his day and was a swimmer at USC before going into the movies.

If you shaved Buster's head he is a dead ringer for his grandson!

Coaching Buzz

John Berkowitz — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:56:55 -0000

Rumors that Jeff Mills and Mike Cox were about to join the defensive staff at Washington were given a boost today since both have reportedly been seen on campus according to Bob Condotta. Chris Fetters of Dawgman thought he saw Cox yesterday at the press conference.

Washington definitely will be going with a total of five defensive coaches including DC Nick Holt. Long time assistant Chris Tormey is possibly still in the mix if they don't reach an agreement with Cox.

In the press conference yesterday Sark and Holt said they were talking to a couple of guys that could join them in the next day or two. Expect an announcement as soon as contracts are finalized. Both would have to be NCAA tested and certified before they could hit the recruiting trail.

Oregon WR coach Robin Plfugrad is definitely in the mix for a job at Washington. He and Sarkisian have had conversations but we are not sure where he sits in Sarks pecking order. Every coach that has been hired so far has been a coach that has wither worked with Sarkisian or Holt in the past.

Plufgrad has been at Oregon for the past three years and was at WSU five years previous to that. Before WSU he was at Arizona State. The potential loss of his job at Oregon must be particularly bitter for Robin. He is from Eugene, his parents still live there, and he has two children attending Oregon. One is a cheerleader and the other is on the football team.

Chip Kelly who sound slike a real peach of a guy has made it known that he should start looking for another coaching position because when he takes over, which could be very soon, Plufgrad will be out of a job. Plufgrad brings a lot of coaching experience and is known as a strong recruiter.

The next big target is former USC assistant Kennedy Pola who is currently with the Jacksonville Jaguars. When Kennedy was at USC it was said that he was the best recruiter in the Pac 10. Expect Sarkisian and Washington to make a major move for Pola starting today. One big cherry they can offer is the recruiting coordinator position in addition to being RB coach. Expect Pola to command more in salary than the average RB coach.

We haven't heard anything on a possible TE coach and that position could end up being filled by a GA depending on who Washington hires for other coaching positions. That option is also possible for the QB coach position since Sarkisian himself is known as one of the very best in the business.

How the staff is shaping up

Steve Sarkisian - Head Coach

Offense

Jim Michalczik - Offensive Coordinator / OL

( ? ) Quarterbacks

(Kennedy Pola ? ) - Running Backs / Recruiting Coordinator

(Robin Plfugrad ? ) - Wide Receivers

( ? ) - Tight Ends

Defense

Nick Holt - Defensive Coordinator / Assistant Head Coach

Johnny Nansen - Defensive Line / Special Teams

Mike Cox - Linebackers

Demetrice Martin - Cornerbacks

Jeff Mills - Safeties

Seattle media gives Holt a standing ovation

John Berkowitz — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:50:39 -0000

I was reading all the local papers this morning during the aftermath of Nick Holt's first press conference yesterday at the University of Washington and it looks like he succeeded in getting everyone pretty excited.

Sportswriters are a funny bunch. It takes a lot for them to get excited. Consider the fact that all this hoopla is about an 0-12 team. Enter Steve Sarkisian and Nick Holt who set the local media on fire today in way I really can't remember for at least over a decade.

Scott Woodward made a comment during the coaching search that Husky fans get more excited by sacks on third down than they do about long touchdown passes. The truth is we like them both but we absolutely love a strong defense.

Woodward said he was going to bring back defense and make a splash with his coaching hire so everyone was initially scratching their head when it leaked out that USC offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian had been picked for the job.

Most of that head scratching ended after Sarkisian's first press conference. He came out and said all the right things we had been waiting for but what exactly was he going to do about defense?

Yesterday we all got our answer when Nick Holt stepped to the podium. Most importantly it was exciting to watch the Seattle media fall in love with him at the same time we did.

There is nothing like positive ink in the newspaper when you are trying to recruit potential athletes and rebuild an aging football stadium. They call it buzz and Steve Sarkisian, Nick Holt, and the University of Washington put buzz firmly back on the map in Seattle yesterday.

Steve Kelley of the Seattle Times

At Tuesday's gathering, Holt generated enough energy to light up a small town, something needed at Washington as much as better players. Listen to Holt for a few minutes and even middle-aged reporters were ready to hit somebody.

Art Thiel of the Seattle PI

To say this guy is a piece of work is to say the statue of David is a nice chunk of marble. If Holt gets any more intense, the city's hazmat unit is going to surround him with cyclone fencing and yellow tape. Even his two-syllable name is bluntly representative. The guy wouldn't waste time on a sissy third syllable.

John McGrath of the News Tribune

Combining the rah-rah salesmanship of Richard Simmons and the kick-butt mentality of Richard Butkus, Holt is a walking, talking, fire-breathing Isley Brothers hit:

He makes you want to Shout!

And then run through a wall!

Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times

My favorite quote of the day came from Sarkisian when he was told by a reporter that the reporter wanted to ask him an "off-the-wall recruiting question.'' Said Sarkisian with a smile: "Ask me any question you want.'' That's not exactly how the previous head coach would have approached it.

Molly Yanity of the Seattle PI

If you didn't see Nick Holt's introductory news conference on GoHuskies.com, pull up a chair, er, rise up and watch it. The guy is nothing but fire! And, as former Huskies assistant coach Dick Baird said after the news conference, "We need it."

Chris Fetters of Dawgman

That's heavy talk for a fan base used to walking home after games with their tails between their legs lately, but the hire of Holt signals a sea change in the way Husky football is perceived - not only locally, but also on the bigger stage. Press conferences usually aren't held for defensive coordinator hires, yet this one didn't seem out of place at all. The post-conference applause didn't necessarily seem out of place either, especially when you pair it with Sarkisian's grand entrance exactly one month ago.

Yes, the spectacle of it all felt just a bit contrived, but pretty damn refreshing considering the jolt of electricity Sarkisian has sent through the lines of Husky Nation. Heck, he didn't even let Holt unpack before taking him along for an in-home visit Monday night.

Husky Press Conference

John Berkowitz — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:28:59 -0000

One of the nicer features of www.GoHuskies.com is the ability to watch most of the press conferences live over the Internet. In the days of Tyrone it gave a guy like me back in Chicago just as much access as the rest of the media members who had to trudge down to Montlake. That of course all changes this year with Sarkisian who is going to open up most of the practices to everyone starting this spring.

Lets start it off with one word AWESOME!

Holt used that word over and over again to describe the opportunity to work with Steve Sarkisian and the University of Washington. What comes across is that both of these are very close and have lot of confidence in their abilities without coming off the least bit conceited. These are the type of guys that you wouldn't mind having a beer with.

Personality wise Holt is exactly the type of guy you want leading your defense. You can tell that the kids will just run through walls for him. His personality is electric and he is a dedicated teacher who knows exacty what he wants. I came away very impressed with him. He is exactly what a team that lacks passion and energy needs.

Holt didn't come cheap. Washington has agreed to pay him a three-year contract worth $600,000 in the first year and $650,000 in the second and third years. He also will receive a $200,000 retention bonus, payable to him up front, but would have to be returned all or in part, on a sliding scale, if he were to leave before the end of the contract. So in total, it's a three-year deal worth $2.1 million or obviously, $700,000 a year. That makes Nick Holt one of the highest paid assistants in the country.

Job number one for these guys is to coach up the players they have to take it to a higher level. Job number two is to bring in some recruits for 2009 that will help make an immediate impact.

Obviously at this stage of the game Washington will have to mainly rely on the players that are currently in the program. Holt says he needs to get to know them and gain their trust. After that there will be a lot of teaching to do because last years defensive numbers simply won't cut it if Washington wants to be competitive.

One thing for sure is there will be hitting in practice every single day. They are going to teach these kids to tackle. They are going to teach them not to get beat long. They are also going to import the Pete Carroll system of defense to Washington. Think of the Huskies as USC North over the next couple of years as they recruit and get their systems and schemes established.

USC North isn't exactly a bad thing when you factor in that they have won seven straight conference championship. They both talked about how exciting it was to be in the Rose Bowl last week, They also talked about the fact that they were going to return to Pasadena sooner than later wearing Purple and Gold.

If you are Husky fan this was a huge day because it once again cements the fact that Washington just may have ended up hiring the best possible man for the job in Steve Sarkisian. He just keeps impressing me every single time he steps to the microphone.

It won't be long till the words "Bow Down to Washington" start meaning something again.

Huskies about to hire two more defensive coaches

John Berkowitz — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:54:14 -0000

It look like the hiring of Nick Holt yesterday from USC possibly included two other assistant coaches he has worked with in the past according to Football Scoop.

Jeff Mills is a coach who has coached in the secondary most of his career. Mills has coached on the defensive side of the football the past 15 years. In that span he spent eight seasons with the Idaho Vandals, four with Nevada and three at Montana State. He was on Dennis Erickson's last Idaho staff. Most recently he was at Youngstown State under Jon Heacock.

Mike Cox is a LB coach who most recently worked under Scott Linehan for the St. Louis Rams. Cox is a Northwest native who coached under John L.Smith at Idaho, Louisville, and Michigan State.

Cox was a four-year letterman at Idaho from 1983-86 and a three-year starter at linebacker, playing for both Dennis Erickson and Keith Gilbertson. He still ranks among the Vandals’ all-time leaders with 252 career tackles.

What do these two coaches have in common?

They both coached at Idaho in the past and have both been on the same staff as new DC Nick Holt and are part of the Idaho pipleine of coaching talent started by Dennis Erickson.

Football Scoop gets their information from a variety of places including my blog so I am not going to say this information is 100% accurate until it is announced later today at the 12:30 PM press conference. I will say that it sounds pretty plausible when you take a look at the connections and bloodlines.

Last night we heard that Chris Tormey was still trying to get back on the Husky staff as a LB coach. He has had a great relationship with Nick Holt so that is also a possible move that could be made today.

Head Coach Steve Sarkisian said yesterday that the delay in Holt arriving in Seattle wasn't all about the weather. They also had a couple of other things to work out. It could have been potential coaches to fill out the staff.

One thing is for sure though is to expect the defensive side of the coaching staff to be full by this afternoon. You need at least seven coaches to handle recruiting this time of year and the additions of Holt, Cox, and Mills does that.

Usually you go with four defensive coaches including the coordinator but we have heard that UW is considering going with five defensive coaches.

Washington still has plenty of vacancies over on the offensive side. They need to fill the QB,RB,WR, and TE coaching positions. The addition of an extra defensive coach if that is true could mean that Sark will be his own QB coach. OC Jim Michalczik is also going to be handling the offensive line so that takes up a bit of the slack.

Huskies sign California JC TE

John Berkowitz — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 06:31:18 -0000

TE Dorson Boyce of Allan Hancock JC In Santa Maria, California signed with the Huskies today after taking a rare Monday visit to Montlake. The 6'2" 250 pound Boyce fills a serious need on offense because he is an excellent blocker with good hands.

Here is a little You Tube film on Dorson Boyce that I am sure you all will enjoy.

Dorson will compete for time with Kavario Middleton and Chris Izbicki this spring. The signing is an important one because with a pro style offense the importance of the TE will once again be prominent in UW game plans. All three will likely play next year because you need at least three good TE's in a rotation to be competitive.

I think it was imperative to add an older guy to the mix that is a proven blocking commodity. I think Middleton should imprive dramatically with some muscle and develop into a go to guy but you need a sure thing when you run double TE's in short yardage situations.

Boyce is the second TE in the class so far and the tenth verbal. TE Marlion Bennett from Corona California verballed to the old staff in November.

Husky DC Nick Holt represents a true culture change

John Berkowitz — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 23:38:04 -0000

I think Husky fans are really going to like new defensive coordinator Nick Holt. Things are going to be extemely live and vocal with Holt in charge of the defense.

Talk about your changes in culture. Husky practices starting this spring aren't going to resemble anything that has been seen in Montlake this past decade.

Coach Holt believes in contact. He believes in hitting every single day in practice. He believes the only way to be physical on game day is to practice like that every day. Sort of reminds me of the way Don James used to run things.

Holt definitely provides the Washington defense gets an extra dose of fire and passion. Check out this YouTube Video of Coach Holt wired for sound at Competition Tuesday. I think it will give you all a good idea on the way Holt coaches a defense.

Here's some quotes from a column from the Orange County Register concerning Holt from a few weeks ago.

"You better tackle every day if you want to be successful," said Holt, whose conversational style can only be described as hydroelectric. "I have to make sure I bring the same intensity to practice every day. If I'm dragging on a certain day, I have to tell myself, ‘Hey, let's go, the guys out there are counting on me.'

"Our philosophy is built on not letting anybody behind you," Holt said. "You're disciplined, and you don't miss tackles. And then you pressure the quarterback and force turnovers."

Washington had a press conference scheduled for 3:00 PM today but that was cancelled when it became evident that Holt wasn't going to get hit campus till areound 6:00 PM.

"This is very exciting for Husky football," said Husky Head Coach Steve Sarkisian. "I don't think we could have found a more qualified or successful defensive coordinator anywhere in the country."

The press conference will be held on Tuesday at 12:30 PM and will be broadcast live on KJR and www.gohuskies.com.

UW to name new DC at 3:00 PM

John Berkowitz — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:38:23 -0000

The search for a new defensive coordinator at the University of Washington came to an end today with the announcement that Husky Head Coach Steve Sarkisian will be introducing a new DC at a press conference at 3:00 PM this afternoon.

The announcement comes directly from the UW media department and was distributed to newspapers and radio stations within the past hour.

All speculation is clearly centered on current USC defensive coordinator Nick Holt who flew to Seattle either yesterday or early this morning to negotiate a contract for the job.

UW coach Steve Sarkisian said last night he was in talks with Holt and hoped to know something one way or the other soon. Sounds like they got it done and Holt's the new DC.

Washington had to open up the purse strings if the hired Holt because he was making over $500,000 per year at USC. His title will likely be defensive coordinator and assistant head coach which would justify the extra salary they had to pay him to bring him into the fold.

This is a huge hire for Steve Sarkisian because it tightens up everything on the defensive side of the ball. Holt has a national reputation as a defensive coordinator that has been earned by the performance of his defensive units while he has been at USC.

Here is a link to the LA Daily News concerning the subject on why he was interested in the job.