Well put indeed. Maybe you’re right, and I’m over-estimating what Willingham can do. I was more thinking along the lines of:
1) african-american head man
2) god-loving(that seems like it’s meaning more and more these days as our country divides blue and red!?!?)
3) Intelligent individual with a tremendous track record of graduation and lack of any probation, and finally,
4) In an area that is producing more and more african-american athletes (Seattle/King County).
I look at how Romar is farming major talent, all african-american Metro league all-stars, all staying home to play for Romar. I made that connection. But, in the end, you and everyone else knows, a kid does NOT choose a school just because the head man is black! IF they did, Notre Dame and even Stanford before them would have had the #1 recruiting class, year after year. They didn’t, not even close, in fact that was one criticism of Ty at ND. The staff was considered a little weak as well, in recruiting and otherwise, and while he is going to get some new blood at UW, he is bringing the majority of “his guys” with him. Diedrick, unfortunately, will NOT be coming along. That’s a big loss for us 🙂
The good news is already one of those big fish in Seattle, Anthony Felder, committed to CAL after hearing Willingham’s pitch. So that’s certainly one that got away.
My biggest fear is that he will land these big-name kids and steal back some kids. Then again, the last “splashy” hire at UW had what was regarded at the time as excellent recruiting classes. They were so good, in fact, that UW had to play eight TRUE frosh this year! On signing day the kids looked great – on paper, absurdly hyped by the Seattle media of course – but as you said Michael, they are just name players and are one ACL injury from never being anything. I always look back at guys like Paul Arnold, who was supposed to win a couple of Heisman’s but whispers of a fear of getting hit turned out to be true; even guys all the way back to Mike Lustyk, just dominant in high school but a complete wuss in college, yet he was higher ranked over Emtman coming out of high school.
In the end? You just never know.
Merry xmas! Hope you and the family are well.
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