Bob,

Just curious ... any idea what the A/D job at UW pays? On the order of an asst coach? What's the ballpark?

Bob,

I was just listening to the press conference from Saturday and could hear you and Molly and a few others. It is amazing to me how cold Ty is to you all. He doesn't really answer any question. It's actually pretty funny. I know you probably don't think so because it makes your job harder. The whole MRI thing was really funny because you could hear a couple of the reporters be totally confounded that the MRI results are available for your star quarterback and you haven't seen them and you're not ready to talk to us about them???? He isn't that way in person at all. I was just curious what your thoughts were on why he talks to you all that way and really doesn't do him self any favors? Especially when he isn't that way in person.

One thing is for sure if he wasn't a football coach he would be a darn good press secretary for the president. Answering questions but not saying anything. It's an art form.

Hire Stull and get the AD search over with!

Jordan,
Glad to read that you listened to that interview as I've read your words saying how personable tw can be. It's no wonder he is described as arrogant, distant, or whatever you want to call it. It would have been very simple to give a one or two sentence statement like Scott Locker did, but to instead say what he did almost seems like a personality disorder. To say he doesn't care what the MRI says is most unusual. Maybe the press should all agree to just not show up at his next press conference.

It will be Woodward, Stull, or Nelson. I am betting heavily on it being Woodward, he sounds like the right man for the job.

At least we are getting our moneys worth.

johnb, It sounds like Woodward isn't dying to take the job. It'd be a bit of a demotion. Emmert isn't dying to place him there either.

The problem is that emmert has made the job so undesirable based on what he did to a very well respected and quality AD (Todd Turner), that quality candidates are hesitant to step up.

This dates back a couple of days and does not relate to this post but I am tired of hearing about the current Husky logo. That logo is being phased out and the block "W" is replacing it. They should have done this decades ago but at least it is happening now. So stop your constant whining about the logo...IT IS GOING AWAY!

Dave --- Turner made in the range of $450,000. A new AD could make a little bit more, depending on who it is. That's more than any of the assistant football coaches make. Donatell is the highest-paid assistant at $334,000. All the rest are in the six-figures but mostly in the ones.

Jordan --- Willingham is definitely a challenge, and you are right that he is a different person when he lets his guard down. Those of us in the media have seen that and realize that. I sat across from him at an informa dinner last year and had a nice conversation with him. I think all of us have had similar encounters with him. As for why he comes across differently, I'd really be guessing --- sounds like you may know him as well as I do. I'd say that he is obviously a man who takes his responsibilities seriously and his role as head coach requires him to respond in a different manner in certain situations than maybe he would otherwise.

I think ty doesnt really care if he answers the questions because maybe if he doesnt people wont ask anymore. I mean look at all the rumors that started swirling from fans and pres that were at the practice. If I were the coach id be the same way but close all the practices. why would I want my opponents catching wind of my plans? thats like showin the rest of the poker table one of my cards the whole time. Keep doin your thing TY! Hes the right guy, and will get it done this year. Ive watched him interact with tons of people at hoops games and always has a huge smile on his face. I was glad to read jordans comments about him being such a nice guy when he met him at the picture day. Im hoping for a long contract extension.

Brockmandawg,

I'm pretty certain I couldn't disagree with you more on that.

Turner may have been well respected (not sure where) but he needed to go to a school where Saturday's meant spiced cider, wool scarves and fall colors and all games end in a tie so everyone goes home feeling good about themselves.

He was not purple and gold in his soul.

Ben Olson broke his foot...again. UCLA is down to their third string QB. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3528767

Habor, It doesn't matter if you agree or disagree with me. You aren't being offered the position. The folks who have turned the job down, and the list is pretty long at this point, have no reason to think that the school will support him or her, if winning is the only thing that seems to matter. And concerning respect for Turner, I'm talking about administrators - not UW fans as a consensus. Turner was widely respected before he took the job at UW, and the way Emert dropped him certainly didn't make the job more attractive.

It'll be a shame if Woodward ends up having to take it. He's more useful where he was at before he became temp AD.

didnt turner get fired from vandy too? doesn't seem like much respect to me.

Ram, no he didn't get fired from Vandy. In fact, he left that program on a very high note. He did, however, previously hold the position of athletic director at North Carolina State University and the University of Connecticut. He also worked in athletic administration at the University of Virginia.

According to his profile on the UW website "Turner has a reputation for being highly respected by his peers. . ."

The UW Alumni Association, in an article titled "Todd Turner Named Athletic Director - Highly Respected Administrator Selected to Oversee Husky Program" they explained that "Turner comes to Washington with the reputation of being highly respected by his peers and a leading advocate in the movement to bring academic reform to NCAA member institutions."

Brockman,

The University of Washington has always been, and will always be a top flight NCAA Division 1 football program.

Winning is, in fact, everything.

If a prospective AD candidate does not embrace that, they shouldn't be on the short list. I trust Emmert has framed his search with this in mind.

GO DAWGS

Harbdawg, Winning, in fact, is not everything. Ask Miami. Ask the NCAA. Ask Neuheisel.

And this whole idea that Turner did not want to win is unfounded anyways. His idea was to win and have high standards. But he was pursuing both.

UW is a quality AD job, but it's not so quality that it's worth getting thrown under a bus, especially when you are a quality and well respected AD. There's no question SOMEBODY will eventually take the job, but there's also no question that taking so long to get an AD is because so many people are turning the job down.

Brockmandawg,
I will take you at your word that Turner was very well respected among his peers. It sounds very credible. But I presume you have other sources though, besides the UW web page and UW press releases that used the phrase "well-respected" to describe him?

I believe Turner wanted to win, but he didn't come across as putting that much importance on it. I think he did a great job cleaning up the place, but he didn't present himself as thinking winning mattered when he was fired. He came across as stunned "that so much importance is apparently on W's...I just can't beleive it." That is essentially what he said to the papers when he got terminated.

The other day on this board you called me naive- which I probably am. But not realizing that winning at football is really important and how you keep your job at UW, when you are the AD? That may be the best example of naivete in human history.

Oh wow, are we really arguing over whether or not Todd Turner wanted to win? Let's be clear here: he enjoyed winning, but when it came to UW, he just.....didn't.....get it.

Remember the comments he made about being more like Kentucky? He also made ridiculous comments about Oregon. He also noted that he "understands our fans want to go to the Rose Bowl and YADDA, YADDA, YADDA."

Great choice of words there Todd! Way to really connect with your fanbase and understand a Pac-10 school!

Turner was the scapegoat for Tyrone WIllingham, along with Baer and Simmons, nothing more. Ty was his guy and he was willing to take the fall for him. Thankfully, we are out of scapegoats for 2008....well, at least until people start blaming Lappano for our troubles and want to give Ty 2009.

Todd Turner openly mocked his own fans on multiple occasions, presided over a football program that went 12-35 (at WASHINGTON!), and got zero traction on the stadium remodel. So a hearty "whatever" to him being respected by his fellow administrators.