UW staff Vandalized
Eight coaches have ties to Moscow
SEATTLE – Joel Thomas, Washington’s running backs coach, says there’s a joke in the coaching profession about “having done your time on the Palouse” and being part of the staff at Idaho.
The coaching group Thomas is part of might be taking it to the extreme. He is one of eight coaches or graduate assistants on the staff at Washington that either played or coached – or both – for Idaho in their careers.
All of them will get fully reacquainted with the black and gold Vandals on Saturday when Idaho plays at Washington.
“It’s a special place to live and go to school and coach,” Thomas said this week about Idaho. “I probably wouldn’t be here at the University of Washington had I not done my time at Idaho as a player and met the coaches and staff I had at that time.”
Defensive coordinator Nick Holt was the head coach at Idaho for two seasons. Safeties coach Jeff Mills and defensive line coach Johnny Nansen both worked as assistants there.
Thomas is the Vandals’ career leader in yards rushing, attempts and rushing touchdowns. Offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier threw for more than 10,000 yards during his UI career. Offensive line coach Dan Cozetto played three different positions for the Vandals in the late 1970s, while linebackers coach Mike Cox was a three-year starter at linebacker and coached another seven seasons in Moscow.
The youngest member of the UW staff – graduate assistant Mike Anderson – played linebacker and defensive end for the Vandals from 2002-2005.
“When we were in the process of hiring a staff, we were really looking for guys that had ties to the Northwest, that want to be part of here, and that followed the University of Washington Husky football program as something special, but remembered what it was like in the great years under Coach (Don) James,” Washington coach Steve Sarkisian said.