There's a lot of noise going on up in Seattle right now, and I'm not talking about the construction going on at Husky Stadium. Turns out Husky stadium isn't the only thing getting a make over in Montlake, so is the team's defense.
After an embarrassing performance by the defense in the Alamo Bowl, in which Baylor lit them up for 67 points, and 770 yards, Washington fired their defensive coordinator Nick Holt. They brought in two former Ducks to coach defense in Justin Wilcox, whom many consider a rising star, and Peter Sirmon. The Huskies also brought in Keith Heyward as defensive backs coach, from Oregon State. The latest hire has caused quite the ruckus, not only in the northwest, but in the Pac 12 as well, as Tosh Lupoi joins the Husky staff to coach defense.
He leaves behind a similar position he held at Cal, his alma mater.
This is a pretty significant move, and if you head over to the Cal boards, you'll see why. Tosh Lupoi is an excellent recruiter. One of the nations best, in 2010 he was named recruiter of the year. His defensive lines were regularly some of the best in the conference, as Duck fans can attest to. Cal was one of a couple teams that had the talent up front to disrupt Oregon's offense.
What this means is that Washington is on the rise. Which isn't such a bad thing if you're a Duck fan. A strong Oregon-Washington rivalry is a good thing. This is also another indication that the conference as a whole, is on the rise. With the recent coaching hires by Arizona, Washington State, UCLA, and maybe even Arizona State, those teams should see improvement. Combined that with the moves Washington is making, USC becoming hot again just as their bowl ban is over, and Oregon continuing the run they're on, the conference should start seeing more respect nationally.
It's about damn time!
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