Spring in the air
The bone-chilling wind couldn’t dull the enthusiasm as the Eastern Washington football team hit the field for the first spring practice Monday afternoon.
Right in the mix was new offensive coordinator Todd Sturdy, who was a successful head coach at St. Ambrose University in Iowa ready for a new challenge.
“For me, it’s obviously a great move professionally,” said Sturdy, also the quarterbacks coach, as the players went through calisthenics. “It’s a great level of football and also a very quality program.”
He’s made a positive impression on Matt Nichols, the returning starter at quarterback.
“He brings a lot of great stuff,” Nichols said. “Sometimes you just need a change. He’s bringing quite a few changes but keeping the terminology to help the players who are still learning. He’s doing a great job with putting the learning onto him.”
Fortunately, the weather wasn’t a shock. In fact, Sturdy is quite comfortable with the move, though he doesn’t know what his family will think until they join him after the school year.
“The verdict is still out on that. Obviously, we’re moving a long way, long way from home,” the replacement for Beau Baldwin said. “I love the area, the people here. Quite honestly it reminds me of the Midwest, down to earth, good-hearted, value-oriented people.”
The most noticeable change for the Eagles is going to be more no-huddle offense.
“They’ve always done a great job here,” Sturdy said. “I just want to continue where they left off, continue the great things they’ve done here. Philosophy-wise I’m out of the same mold as coach (Paul) Wulff. I’ve tried to keep most of the terminology the same so I’m the one learning.”
Nichols said he is ready for a little more freedom than he had as a redshirt freshman starter.
“We have more ability to check out of plays; we have a built-in alternate play if anything goes wrong,” he said. “That’s probably one thing we lacked a little bit last year in certain situations. I think it’s really going to help us.”
Wulff asked Sturdy to apply for the same position four years ago when Timm Rosenbach left for Washington State.
EWU defensive coordinator Jody Sears was on Sturdy’s staff in 1998 and 1999 and Rosenbach was the quarterbacks coach there in 1999.
The other new face on the coaching staff is Chris Peterson, a former Cal Poly quarterback who came from Idaho to coach running backs. Joe Wade switched from running backs to wide receivers, replacing Keith Murphy, who went to the St. Louis Rams.
There will be another change because offensive line coach Aaron Best resigned Monday for financial reasons, according to Wulff.
Best, a former all-league center for the Eagles, has been a restricted earnings coach for five seasons.
“We didn’t have the funds to give him what he deserved,” Wulff said. “Most guys only last two or three years (as restricted earnings coaches).”
Best is getting married in July and is looking for a teaching position. He coached several All-Americans and numerous All-Big Sky Conference linemen.
On defense, Sears, who coached safties, is going to work with defensive ends, replacing Brian Strandley, who went to Idaho State as defensive coordinator. Linebacker coach Travis Niekamp is replacing Murphy as special teams coordinator.
The Eagles will practice Mondays (except April 30), Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3:30 p.m. Scrimmages are the next two Fridays and April 28 with the Red-White game Saturday, May 5, at 2 p.m.