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Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley

He would have made a great Roman soldier, the strong, disciplined, determined, unemotional type ready to go into battle. The problem at the University of Washington was that he went into battle with the responsibility of being a football coach, not a soldier. So Tyrone Willingham received an early retirement from Husky Stadium.

Now he will have to find other stadiums to do battle. Please, do not feel badly for Ty Willingham. He has his pride, his integrity and his losing record to accompany him elsewhere.

In 4 seasons with Willingham, the Huskies went 11-37 (23%), racking up a winless 0-12 record this year, the worst in Washington’s school history and also the worst ever by a Pacific 10 Conference team. After the season-ending 48-7 loss to California on the road, a local newspaper headline said it best, “Huskies Deliver What Willingham Asks: Zero”.

Prior to the final defeat, Willingham was asked if his last game as Husky coach would be sentimental for him. He answered, “It won’t. Not from me . . . It’s always been about our football team and our football players, and hopefully never about me.”

This from a man and football coach who was always demanding respect, not giving respect to earn respect. He was indifferent about being liked by fans, boosters and media representatives. You could aptly call him the “grim warrior”.

In short, he was difficult to like. He conducted closed practices, keeping his supporters at bay. He took the names off of the players’ uniforms, diminishing their importance. He shielded his players, denying them the opportunity for personal growth. Clearly, he would not win any personality contest on the best day in his life. He was withdrawn, but extremely sensitive to any suggestion of a perceived slight, criticism or hint that he was not obviously a man of integrity.

While his players provided the respect he demanded and never had a bad word to say about him, they also played far short of their potential. Perhaps it didn’t help that their coach had the personality of an ashtray, making it a badge of honor not to show any emotion whatsoever. Any positive accomplishment of a player was hardly noticed or celebrated; there was always more work to be done and more improvement to make.

Despite all of the protestations from Tyrone Willingham, it really was all about Ty Willingham and not the players, fans, boosters, university and media coverage. They all played second fiddle to Willingham’s incessant need to be himself. He was doing his best to lead, but no one was inclined to follow. Had he turned around while he was leading, he would have found no one behind him.

Whatever success Willingham had in coaching did not come with him to the University of Washington. He came to a traditionally proud, winning program that had slid into mediocrity and left it totally winless and the worst in school and Pac 10 history.

Was it time for Ty Willingham to take a hike? You better believe it.