A Grip on Sports: Recent hires in Pac-12 football assistant coaching ranks are not always what they seem

A GRIP ON SPORTS • There were a couple of football assistant coach hires announced Monday in the Pac-12. One got me thinking about the other. And the school down the road in Pullman.

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• When the University of Arizona fired Kevin Sumlin after another awful season, the Wildcat faithful clamored for one of its own as the next head coach. It didn’t matter who, actually, as long as the pick had strong ties to the program.

The fans didn’t get their wish. Jedd Fisch not only never played for Arizona, he hadn’t coached in Tucson either. He was, by definition, an outsider. But he also seems really smart. At least smart enough to recognize the fans’ desires. The new Arizona staff includes such legendary UA names as Chuck Cecil and Ricky Hunley. Their hire tamped down the uproar and assuaged the faithful’s concerns somewhat.

Then came Monday, when Fisch announced he has made one more hire. Tedy Bruschi.

If there is a player associated with the glory days of Arizona defensive football, the Desert Swarm days, it’s Bruschi. And not just for his play in Tucson, which was exceptional. The linebacker went on to have a long NFL career, winning titles in New England and then transitioned seamlessly into a role as analyst for ESPN.

All the while, he wore his love for the Wildcats on his sleeve.

And now he will be picking up a paycheck in Tucson. Not a big one, mind you. He’s only going to work part-time, filling the role of senior advisor to Fisch, whatever that means.

We choose to believe it means keeping the most rabid of the boosters – the Desert Smarm if you will – at bay. “Hey, we ran the decision past Tedy before we made it” seems like a good way to nip criticism in the bud in Tucson.

And Bruschi gets to keep his day job at ESPN. It’s the best of both worlds for the former All-American.

• Bruschi’s hire got me to thinking. Which former Washington State defensive player would carry the same weight in Pullman? In other words, if Nick Rolovich wanted to let the Crimson fans know he was serious about connecting to the program’s defensive past, who would he hire as a “senior advisor?”

Rien Long? Erik Coleman? Jason David? Keith Millard? Bob Gregory?

There probably isn’t anyone in Washington State’s recent history with Bruschi’s resume, especially when it comes to being in the public eye. Though, Monday, Gregory was thrust there, at least in Seattle.

The former Cougar linebacker has been in college coaching ever since leaving Pullman with his degree in 1987. Back in those days, he was overshadowed by others better known in WSU lore, from Timm Rosenbach to Mike Utley to the guy he lined up next to, middle linebacker Brian Forde.

And now he’s overshadowed once again, even though Jimmy Lake announced yesterday Gregory would be the Huskies’ defensive coordinator. No one, it seems, was taking that at face value. The stories from the Puget Sound today focus on Gregory as a figurehead, that Lake was making a statement by hiring from within (Gregory was already on staff, coaching linebackers). The statement? This is and will always be Lake’s defense.

That’s too bad. Gregory has been a defensive coordinator before, most notably at California just past the turn of the century. Now he’s supposedly a place-holder for Lake in Montlake. He seems to deserve better than that.

Then again, at least it’s not some role labeled “senior advisor.”

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Gonzaga: With the week’s schedule cleared out – thanks COVID-19 – there has been a scramble over by Hamilton Street trying to find a game or two to fill the gap. Thus far, no luck. Jim Meehan has the news about Loyola Marymount’s coronavirus woes and the ensuing postponement of Thursday’s game. … He also covers the Zags’ poll position and awards hype, with three GU players – Corey Kispert, Jalen Suggs and Drew Timme – on the 20-player Wooden Award list. … And then there is this scheduling news for next season. The Bulldogs will travel to Las Vegas for a neutral-site game with Duke on Black Friday. More than likely, that will also be the same day as the Apple Cup, which will make it a busy one around here. … Jim and Larry Weir spoke again Monday for the latest Press Box podcast. … The women have no problems with their schedule right now, other than they host the next-best WCC team, BYU, tonight. Jim Allen has a preview. … He also has a look at the polls, which saw Gonzaga drop despite two easy wins. … Elsewhere in the WCC, the bubble watch includes BYU and should the rest of the season.

WSU: Around the Pac-12 and college basketball, the Los Angeles schools sit atop the conference power rankings this week. … Arizona State is on a bit of a high as it heads to Colorado. … USC enters the stretch run in a good spot. … There is some women’s basketball news around the conference, though most if it has to due with the virus. … Will Arizona have its usual all-conference guard? … In football news, as we mentioned above, Washington filled its defensive vacancy by hiring from within. … Defensive hires are all the rage right now, as Oregon introduced its new coordinator yesterday. Of course, everyone knew Tim DeRuyter had been hired. … Colorado hopes for improvement on that side of the ball thanks to its new coordinator. … The South favorite seems to be up in the air for next season.

EWU: The Eagles finished up their weekend series with Sacramento State on Monday, falling behind early before roaring back for a 94-79 win over the Hornets. Ryan Collingwood was at Reese Court and has this game story. … Dan Pelle was also in the building and he supplies the photo report.

Hoopfest: We passed along the news yesterday morning Hoopfest will be held in September this year. There was also a story in the paper today, from Emma Epperly, about the schedule change.

Seahawks: Chad Wheeler said he’s not guilty in court yesterday.

Mariners: If you can bring the heat, no matter your health history, Jerry Dipoto wants you in his bullpen. … The players rejected baseball’s request to shorten the season and start later. It’s all about the money.

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• I didn’t see my shadow this morning when I walked onto our deck. I also didn’t see any crud in the backyard, as for the first time in memory, I spent Feb. 1 working in the yard. Not shoveling snow, I mean. Cleaning up. It was that warm. Get this. I did not wear a jacket. Talk about balmy. Who needs a mid-winter trip to Mexico? Not me. Not this year. Until later …