UW’s euphoria resulting from their recent Apple Cup victory took a marked blow Monday morning as rumors of Coach Steve Sarkisian’s departure to USC began to circulate. A few hours later the Trojans confirmed that Sark will indeed return to his Southern California roots for the 2014 season, replacing interim coach Ed Orgeron.
Sark will be leaving behind a bowl-eligible, 8-4 Pac-12 powerhouse that he built from the ground up in just four years’ time. In 2009 Sark was snubbed by USC and instead secured his role at UW, only months after the Huskies finished a whopping 0-12. As a quarterback specialist, he sought to implement change under the leadership of now-NFL quarterback Jake Locker. In his first season as head coach, the team upset USC, shut out the Cougars in the Apple Cup, and ousted a ranked Cal, finishing 5-7 overall. Improvements continued throughout the subsequent seasons, in which UW went 6-6 (beating USC and topping Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl), 7-6 (despite a high-scoring bowl game loss to RGIII’s Baylor squad), and again 7-6 in 2012. Quite literally, the Huskies finished in the middle of the Pac for the duration of Sark’s reign.
If taking a team from winless to over .500 wasn’t enough, Sark also built for the future. Although three key elements of the current Huskies roster will likely head for the NFL this spring, a number of young team members such as sophomore LB Shaq Thompson will stay in the Northwest despite Sark’s departure. The same can’t be said for potential recruits like five-star all-purpose back Joe Mixon, who paid an unofficial visit to UW last week. It is rumored that Sark will also take UW’s defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox and D-line coach Tosh Lupoi with him to USC. Lupoi, who joined the Huskies just two years ago after leaving Cal, was cited as the main reason Thompson retracted his verbal commitment to Berkley and instead headed north. Unfortunately for UW, karma may send the recruiting-savvy coaching trifecta to USC, hindering the Huskies from developing a well-stocked talent pool to utilize in upcoming seasons.
There was certainly no lack of criticism from Husky fans after they learned of Sark’s departure. A local weather blog took to Twitter, reporting and “Arctic front blowing south through Puget Sound tonight, should carry #Sark with it.” After a team meeting, players emerged and posted about their loyalty to UW. Thompson summarized: “It is what it is! Life goes on #CollegeIsABusiness.” Ironically, fans’ “traitor” accusations surfaced only two weeks following a cry for Sark’s resignation resulting from a loss to UCLA.
Although it might be loud, the Husky bark is worse than its bite. Deep down, fans and players alike should respect what Sark has done and what he will continue to do to stay relevant in a highly competitive conference. To Seattle, Sark’s legacy will be no more than transitioning a team out of its darkest hour but failing to reach a Rose Bowl. And therein lies the problem plaguing not only UW, but also the Pac-12, college football, and sports in general. Fans are guilty of crafting lofty, unrealistic expectations as criteria for evaluation of a coaching regime. Sark was expected to do in five years what Don James was able to accomplish over nearly two decades. When given the opportunity to return to USC and expand upon his legacy there, Sark jumped, perhaps fearing that his recently 8-4 team would not beat Oregon nor reach a bowl game versus a SEC team within his two remaining seasons at UW.
After the chaos of Monday, UW seeks to simply move on. Just like Thompson stated, business is business, and perhaps the most interesting business has yet to be decided by UW Athletic Director Scott Woodward. As the initial sting of Sark’s departure wore off, Husky Nation began to eagerly await news of his replacement. An obvious choice would be Wilcox, but if he heads south, UW will need to conduct interviews, and quickly. Although their bowl game has yet to be declared, the Huskies will play in December without Sark. One option (and the likely outcome) will be for someone within the organization to assume the position in the interim, at least for the upcoming month. After the bowl game, a number of possibilities exist. Those who were candidates at USC -Vanderbilt’s James Franklin and Boise State’s Chris Petersen – may now be on the radar for UW. Rumors of UCLA’s Jim Mora returning to Seattle (after a brief stint with the Seahawks) are already swirling. With a potential contract of $2.5 million per year, UW holds the power to lure big names from big organizations. If USC can find $.15 million worth of reasons to pay out Sark’s contract before January 31, 2014, the UW must be willing to offer competitive salaries.
It might be hard for UW to accept that what is best for UW was not best for Sark. Upon returning to USC, Sark will be reunited with a team with which he has history, and he will be bringing four years of valuable Pac-12 experience. On the other hand, the Huskies will lose much of the momentum that was forged on their 8-4 season. Whoever is hired to fill Sark’s shoes won’t have to start from scratch, but they will be tasked with restoring Husky Nation’s trust; not an easy feat after Monday’s news.
With or without Sark, UW has something to prove in 2014. After finally breaking the seven win barrier, expectations by both the Husky fan base and the rest of the Pac-12 will continue to rise. Whether these expectations can be reality will be decided by the resilience of the Huskies, their fan base, and the future head coach.
