Husky Football: Tuiasosopo Hired As Quarterbacks Coach
It has just been announced via twitter by Dave Softy Mahler that Tuiasosopo has contacted him and let him know that he will indeed be accepting the position of quarterbacks coach for the University of Washington football team. Tuiasosopo put it simply via text: “I’m coming home.”
Rumors that the position has been offered by Coach Sarkisian circulated yesterday and this morning, fueled by the departure of wide receivers coach Jimmie Dougherty to become the offensive coordinator over at San Jose State University. Of course, existing quarterbacks coach Eric Kiesau is still a member of the staff, but it is believed that he will shift over to wide receivers coach, a position he has held for most of the last decade, including at Cal just last year, to allow Tuiasosopo to take over the coaching of the quarterbacks.
The hire makes great sense when you take into consideration Tuiasosopo’s status as an ex-player at Washington, his past capacity as an assistant strength coach at Washington in 2010, the deep-rooted Tuiasosopo family ties to the school and the area, specifically Woodinville, and the reputation Marques has gained as an assistant and as a recruiter in his short stint with UCLA.
It makes even more sense to have him coach quarterbacks, as this has the potential to kill two birds with one stone. On the one hand, the wide receivers as a group failed to step up and replace the production from the graduated Aguilar and Kearse, and even Kasen Williams, who was very productive, had the potential to do even more. While Kiesau was coaching last year, it may help to have him focusing specifically on the receivers, who could benefit from his experience in that area. At the same time, Keith Price dropped off majorly in 2012, and while that can’t necessarily be blamed on Kiesau, it probably can’t hurt to bring in a fresh coach like Tuiasosopo.
All in all, I definitely approve of the move. At worse, it might not change much. At best, I could see it helping to awaken in 2013 what was a sleepy offense in 2012.