Husky Football Is In Serious Trouble

In my estimation the University of Washington football team is in a bad place right now. After giving up 67 points and 777 total yards of offense in the Alamo Bowl the firing of Defensive coordinator Nick Holt was a foregone conclusion. The move no one expected was defensive backs coach Demetrice Martin leaving the Huskies to join the coaching staff at UCLA. Martin was considered the Huskies best recruiter and a conduit to the talent pool in California. Since his departure several top players have changed their commitments from Washington to other schools.

In another stunning development Washington lost its offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier to the national champion Alabama Crimson Tide. Nussmeier was integral to an offense that looked virtually unstoppable at times and like Martin was a great recruiter. Although head coach Steve Sarkisian calls the offensive plays the absence of Nussmeier can't be overstated. He was critical in the development of Heisman hopeful Keith Price and someone the Husky players respected and trusted. His presence won't be easily replaced.

Right now the foundation of Husky football is shaky at best. This couldn't come at a worse time because the top players in the country are deciding where they will play their college ball. With all the new faces at key coordinator positions and relative uncertainty as to what we can expect from them it's hard to convince a top prospect Washington is the school for them. Recruiting is where you build a team's success for the future and Washington is losing that battle.

The Huskies can't afford to have the program regress. The Pac 12 is buzzing with high profile coaches ready to make a splash at their new schools. One mistake can send the Huskies back to a 5-7 team searching for an identity praying to become bowl eligible. The program has made great strides over the past two seasons, but if we don't keep the momentum going the Huskies will be irrelevant once again.

This is where we see what coach Sark is made of. If he can hold the program together in the face of adversity while still winning big games they'll name streets after him. If he drops the ball the Husky program will have to start all over from scratch. I'm pulling for him, but I honestly don't know what to expect. Stay tuned.