BALL: Staff has been told they're coming back next year
by Jeff Nusser on Nov 17, 2009 2:56 PM PST
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PrintChris Ball made his weekly appearance with KJR's Ian Furness today, and it follows the trend of most weeks -- looking forward, thinking positively, repeating the mantra that this staff is going to get it turned around.
And, according to Ball, they are most certainly going to get at least next year to do it. You can listen to it for yourself via the player below (the part in question comes in around the 8:00 mark), but here's a transcript of the audio:
Ball: When's the last time, really, Washington State's fired a football coach? You know?
Furness: Doba?
Ball: I mean, that's debatable, right?
Furness: How he stepped down, yeah.
Ball: We're in a situation, you know, recruiting's so dang competitive, people will say anything. And the administration's going to give us the time to build this thing, and get it right, and do it the right way. And that's what we're going to do.
Furness: Have you guys been told that?
Ball: Yes. Yes we have.
Furness: So you've been told you're coming back next season.
Ball: Yes we have.
Seems a little weird that this little piece of news is being broken by the defensive co-coordinator on a radio show rather than by the head coach or the athletic director, but I think we all knew that Wulff was going to get one more year.
Now, the question comes in regarding the coordinators and whether any changes might happen there. My guess is that they've been told that there will not be a coaching change, which is a far cry from retaining all of the assistants. But if you listen to Ball, I wouldn't necessarily expect wholesale changes on the staff. Ball emphasizes recruiting every week on his show, and when you've got assistants who have formed relationships with recruits, you have to be very careful about who you change.
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I'd still rather see Ball get the DC job to himself
The whole fact we have “co-defensive coordinators” is just weird and makes no sense. You don’t need two guys to do that job and it’s actually probably counter-productive. If you want both, make one the DC and reassign the other to just secondary since Ball has Secondary and Sears has corners.
I don't understand how they're dividing the work.
And I’d still be surprised if there wasn’t a little shuffling.
by TiltingRight on Nov 17, 2009 3:09 PM PST up reply actions
There's so many titles it's confusing
I haven’t seen a co-defensive coordinator position anywhere but I can’t wrap my head around it. Do they split up the scheme? The playcalling? Does one do one and the other do the other? I wanna know who to blame with the scheme fails! Kidding of course
Sears: Co-Defensive Coordinator/Cornerbacks
Ball: Assistant Head Coach/Co-Defensive Coor./Secondary
I don’t care who it is but give one the DC and the other the CB/Secondary. At least then there’s some clarity. I’d think it would go Ball → DC and Sears to the rest but who knows.
Titles are just names
I wouldn’t put to much thought into their titles. Titles are thrown around like pennies. At my job we have Senior Project Managers and they are not any different than the other Project Managers…it is just a title that goes on a business card. Sometimes it comes with age and seniority or it is for their ego. I don’t put much thought into it. The title doesn’t really define the role you actually play. If it did, I would have (8) different titles. In a related issue; how many players size are actually whats listed on the roster? It is just a label. I have walked by some pro athletes (who are listed larger than me) and noticed I am much taller and larger…so I don’t put much into titles and labels. The Co-Defensive coordinator label might mean they get to have input of what schemes to run on Saturday. Who Knows!!??
When the game is pretty tough. Don't you ever holler 'nuff, Show the world you have the stuff, Keep-a-goin. -Lone Star Dietz
Ball: When's the last time, really, Washington State's fired a football coach? You know?
Does anyone know the context this was asked in? Could be taken a couple ways…oh crap are we doing to be the first?…ha ha, WSU? they will never fire a football coach….or just asking for the heck ok it.
It would be interesting to know why that came up. Other than the fact that from now until they do get fired it will be a question every week. Or until they win of course.
If I remember right, it was regarding recruiting
some opposing coaches are implying the kids won’t get the chance to play for our coaches even if they come here.
He said they’ll flip between that argument and “with all their players coming back, you won’t be able to see the field for a while.”
When you think about it… Doba’s was basically a firing, but otherwise….?
by TiltingRight on Nov 17, 2009 4:06 PM PST up reply actions
I can't find a coach that's been fired
Doba: Not technically
Price: Left
Erickson: Left
Walden: Left
Powers: Left
Sherril: Left
Sweeney: Resigned/left
Clark: Not sure
Sutherland: Not sure
Evashevski: Left
Sarboe: Not sure
Either way it’s been a long time. And damn, people wonder why we worry about abandonment. That list was depressing
Listening to Coach Ball
Listening to Coach Ball just gets me all fired up for the coming years. I would love to see this program build and build every year to where we stay bowl eligible consistently. I just wonder in the coming years who will be at the bottom of the Pac10, so won’t be anymore. If these coaches don’t leave we will have a battle on our hands.
USC-Carroll-No
Stanford-Harbaugh-No
Cal-Tedford-No
OSU-Riley-No
UO-Kelly/Nike-No
ASU-Erickson-Not Sure-Probably Not
UA-Stoops-Not sure
UCLA-Nieheisel/Chow-Not Sure-Probably Not because of great recruiting
UW-Sarkisian-Not Sure-Recruiting seems to be going well
WSU-Wulff-See if we find some diamonds in the rough in recruiting
There is some very impressive coaches in the Pac10, so one of these schools is going to have to be in the cellar in the next few years if WSU isn’t going to be there anymore. Is the Pac10 finally going to known as being better than the SEC. Maybe, if ESPN moves it’s whole operation to LA.
When the game is pretty tough. Don't you ever holler 'nuff, Show the world you have the stuff, Keep-a-goin. -Lone Star Dietz
The statement doesn't mean anything
If WSU ultimately wants an assistant coach to go away, a way will be found for the person to leave without labelling it a firing. Do you remember when jim Zeches or John McDonnell left? There is always a way to save face.
That being said, I think most if not all coaches will return.
Agreed.
They found a way to usher Doba out without calling it a firing. Ultimately, the staff is going to be up to Wulff, so it’s concievable everyone comes back…. But I’d be a little bit surprised if that was the case.
by TiltingRight on Nov 17, 2009 8:58 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Wulff should make some changes
He should have 2 solid full classes and a decent first class now in their redshirt soph/true junior years. They are making good gains in S&C and hopefully that happens again during winter conditioning, spring ball, and summer condition. Next fall they will have more of “their” guys on the roster than Doba’s guys.
The next step is really getting better as a football team and I don’t know if it is a good risk to go into spring ball with the staff the way it is because I don’t know if they can collectively pull it off. I absolutely know Wulff is a loyal guy but you can’t be so loyal that you put your job and the rest of the staff in jeopardy.
I personally would upgrade the staff as much as possible after the season. Co-DC tags go away for Ball and Sears. Find a legit DC that really understands how to prepare a Pac 10 defense. I don’t think Ball has ever been a DC. He’s a really good position coach but that doesn’t mean he’s ready for the coordinator position. Evaluate the rest of the staff and decide if there are better options in your network.
On offense we have not been able to run the no-huddle to any extent. I don’t know if I would scrap it or Sturdy. The offensive line is such a huge handicap at this point. I would beg borrow and steal to get a good OL coach and a couple with ties to WSU are potentially out there. Gilby’s son is on the roster and I don’t know what he is doing right now. Jim Michalczik may not have a job at the end of the season and might be a good fit. He wants to be a coordinator but is definitely a good line coach.
The rubber meets the road next year. The beatings have to stop and while the talent is getting there I don’t know if the overall makeup of the staff is capable of pushing the program to the level it needs to get to by next year.
Will Wulff do what is necessary? Does he have the connections and/or network to get it done?
Wulff shouldn't make changes, he should quit
He clearly is not man enough for this job…He’s made a nice living over 2 years for being a pathetic coach and human being. Suck up your huge ego, take a bow, and get the hell out of town. If he truely loved WSU, this would be his next move.
by ReidForrest4Heisman on Nov 18, 2009 5:58 AM PST up reply actions
Enough.
Take a 24-hour time out and evaluate why this comment doesn’t conform with our Community Guidelines.
(Here’s a hint: I’m pretty sure his ability to coach has nothing to do with his manhood.)
Ultimately, I think he should constantly evaluate the staff
and it has to be up to him. Hopefully, he’s got someone outside the program, but close to it he can trust that can give him another perspective, but he should be evaluating every year, not just this one. I don’t know where he’s doing that or not. I’d assume so, but I can’t tell you for sure. Because of the talent/speed/experience on the field issue, I’m not sure how effectively we can evaluate the assistants any more than we can really evaluate Wulff.
Anyway, like I said, it’s entirely possible every position coach comes back next year. It’s also entirely possible there are some changes made. If the coaches are doing the job he needs them to do, but it IS the players, why let anyone go? To buy time? If firing a few coaches buys him time, and he’s already got next year, does he keep his powder dry? Honestly, I don’t even think Wulff thinks like that, but still….
by TiltingRight on Nov 18, 2009 8:50 AM PST up reply actions
No question, evaluate every year
It is very hard to evaluate the coaches over the last 2 years. The offensive line is a good example. I actually thought the line was a bright spot during the Stanford game in the sense that it seem apparent there was improvement. Fast forward 2 months and it’s a total mess. No question that has everything to do with all the injuries. When you aren’t together there is no way to build on the season and the timing you need on the line is out the door.
I think if you asked most the offensive line coach would be one of the first coaches to start with but is it fair? When Yarno came back people wanted him gone the first couple of years and then backed off as the unit improved. So maybe it is just a matter of time before it all comes together.
Check that.
“Violation of team rules.” Which really means we have no idea, so I guess I was right the first time.
I don't know what to make of the comment
I don’t know what else he would have said whether he know or doesn’t know, whether it is true or not true.
I have no reason to believe the will not come back next year. Everything Ball said is true. They should get time to build it right but there are other questions to answer to. Recruiting is going fine. Some of the things happening in games are troubling. The continued off-field things are troubling.
Time will tell.
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