When Larry Scott took the conference commissioner gig in the Pac-12, he put on his big boy shoes, rolled up his sleeves and vowed to move the conference into the future.
As Tom Hansen was just OK with the status quo, Scott was aware of the volatile nature of college football and secured his conference’s place in the future.
The new place in this college athletics world for the Pac-12 left their member institution with gobs of new cash — cash that the two schools in Washington decided to spend. And in a very short amount of time we are going to see the product of those dollars.
The Cougars decided to part ways with Paul Wulff, who played under Dennis Erickson in Pullman, and gave an unprecedented contract to Mike Leach. The Palouse Pirate has vowed to compete with the vaunted Huskies for in-state recruits, and already has enough weapons to make defensive coordinators in the Pac-12 lose sleep.
All things considered, it would be nothing less than an upset if Washington State is not bowling next year. Mike Leach is the definition of maximizing talent in a place that is difficult to bring recruits in.
Not more than a day after the hire, WSU Athletic Director Bill Moos stood up in front of Cougar nation and told fans, boosters and alumni it was time to open up their checkbooks for a program that is committed to winning. Moos made a move that represents a changing of the guard for Cougar culture, winning once in a while is not OK anymore. Just like Larry Scott, Moos put on the big boy shoes for Cougar football.
The Huskies, fresh off of an embarrassing 67-56 Alamo Bowl loss, made a publicity splash of their own, completely overhauling their defensive coaching staff.
In what will surely make an entertaining Apple Cup, the Huskies hired up-and-coming defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox away from Tennessee, bringing linebackers coach Peter Sirmon with him. Similar young coaching prospect in Keith Heyward was brought in from Oregon State to coach defensive backs. In the most shocking steal — UW stole defensive line coach Tosh Lupoi away from California.
Lupoi is regarded as one of the best recruiters in the Pac-12, and was putting together a top-10 class nationally for the Cal Bears in 2012, before jumping to Washington.
All of these hires represent a huge shift in the Washington program, from 2009 when Steve Sarkisian hired friends and coaches whom he had a history with and knew, to shelling out the money the program has been infused with to bring in proven and legitimate coaches and recruiters on that side of the ball. Because, make no mistake about it, Sarkisian is fine, offensively. His quarterback scored seven touchdowns in his bowl game, and dating back to his USC days, every quarterback he has coached has gone on to make an NFL paycheck.
In November, in Pullman, it will all come full circle. In 2008 these programs were playing for the right not to be called the worst BCS conference team in the country.
In 2012 when these programs meet, a majority of the coaches participating will be doing so in their first Apple Cup. These programs will be playing for positioning in a stacked and prestigious Pac-12 north division.
The days of the “Crapple Cup” are over. The state of Washington has gone all in, in college football.