Former Stanford center and current broadcaster Mike McLaughlin spent some time with me talking about Stanford football. He he gives his thoughts on his former head coach, Tyrone Willingham:
Q: Your thoughts on Coach Tyrone Willingham 10 years later?
I just talked to him last week. We are going to go play golf. One of the things I think I can point to coach Willingham, he is a players coach. After the Washington game where Stanford won up there –that pretty much put the nail in the coffin for his coaching job – he still came and sought me out on the sideline and talked to me and wanted to know how life was going. That was the thing I will always remember about Coach Willingham. He cared about you, not just Mike the football player, but Mike the student-athlete, Mike the husband, the father, the worker, the friend. He genuinely cared and he always had an interesting way of sensing out what you were struggling with and being able to call you on it, or help you and mentor you. He’ll always have a special place in my life and I know for most of the guys on the team they have the same feeling. I think we felt really privileged to have him as a coach. He was tough, but fair, and he was always there for you. I can’t tell you how much I love the man and respect him, even though what happened to him after he left Stanford was tough. It was tough to swallow for a lot of guys that were coached by him.
Q: Any insights on what his next job will be? There were rumors that he might go to the UFL. Has he let you know what his plans are or is it golf?
Actually it is golf! When I talked to him he was out of town. We are going to get together and play golf. Amazingly, and I heard of this out of his own mouth, he kind of likes doing nothing right now. I told him ‘Coach that is not you,” and he said “yeah but I am getting really used to it.” He is happily enjoying some time off. I know moving back to the area is I am sure great considering the winters he experienced in South Bend and probably the harassment he experienced up in Washington. So he is probably enjoying solitude right now.
OTHER ARTICLES IN THE SERIES
PART TWO: Remembering the Rose Bowl year
Comments
"Harassment in Washington" Like he did not deserve it? The only reason he does not need a job is because he accepted about 2.5 million from the University of Washington this upcoming year. You would think an 0-12 coach of his character and ethics would see the poor job he did and say you know what I can not accept this money or better yet donate his salary to the scholorship fund or something. Tyrone is a joke!
Harassment? That is an accusation and you should explain yourself. Players failing out of school, players kicked off the team with no explanation, pulled scholarships from seniors, no alumni relations, treated the media poorly, wouldn't recruit, made millions (and continues to make millions) to run a program that he was suppose to resurrect further into the ground and oh yeah, 0-12. Four!!!!!!!
You aren't serious are you? The guy has more passion for golf than he does for football. he cut recruiting efforts short to attend his golf events.
Ty cares about one person, that's Tyrone. he's laughing at the money he stole while at UW.
Oh, and if you cross him, you're a racist. He never downplays that. He's an insecure ass.
Harassment is a strong word. Dawg fans are a passionate bunch. We are used to winning and playing competitive football. TW threw tradition out the window, alienated former players, and closed to program to media and fans. ZERO WINS LAST YEAR all the while stealing millions in his bloated salary.
The bottom line is that Ty doesn't like the "Ghetto negro." He wants his negroes to wear white cardigan sweaters and polo shirts. You will not win unless you get the top notch black athletes regardless from where they are from
I do not think the word "harassment" was used with any intent other than the extreme criticism that comes with going 0-12 on a football team with a proud tradition of winning. I believe the term was just used to show that it was a VERY difficult year for the coach. That is not to say that the criticism or "harassment" was unwarranted. It was just what comes with an 0-12 season.
You are surpried that Willingham is happy spending time on the links? He was born for that. The guy is flat out lazy. Ask any current player for the UW to compare the passion and energy on the team now compared to a year ago. Ask high school coaches here who never saw him on the recuriting trail. Ask alumni who seldom saw him out promoting the program. And enough passing the old line about how he was so concerned about his players. He alwasy tried to feed us that garbage up here, like we had to chose between that and winning. Bottom line is the guys is a fraud and a terrible coach.
What a tool, woe is the organization that ever hires this tool for ANYTHING!
UW fan shut up. This has nothing to do with race. It is all about the fact that Willingham is a bad coach and person.
He was only harassed because he is the worst coach ever. What a total worthless piece of crap. I hope he gets hit in the face with a golf ball while he is stealing money from the UW while golfing.
Yes Mike, he was more concerned about the opposing ex-players than his own current ones. He got to stay to the last day. How is that harassment? I'd say Ty harassed the payroll clerk into giving him every last cent and gave zero (victories) in return. Stop butt kissing.
Looks like I'll have to add UW fans to my list of teams I dislike ;-)
It sounds like Ty is more suited to a college football player counselor so he can focus on how everyone is doing. How is EJ Savanagh doing? Much better now that you are gone Ty.
You blurt the word "harrasment" out with no legit thing to back it up with and you say you might add UW fans to teams you dislike?Be responsible with the words you write.Maybe we should add former Cardinal players to people we dislike.How about that.
Mike McLaughlin , ask your friends at Stanford if they want him back?
Awww, the main reason he was hired was to bring stability and get the NCAA off the UW's back. I blame Barbara Hedges fore creating the whole scenario that allowed all this to happen. If she had just stood up to the NCAA for Don James or Rick Neuheisel none of this would have happened and we'd still be one of the Pac-10 powers.
Even after all the things Ty did when he was at the UW during the last year (cutting of access to Bob Condotta, trying to run away from reporters, blaming the lack of talent, etc), I still think he could be a good coach somewhere like Navy or Army...maybe a team in the south.
He was just a terrible fit for the UW. What works at Stanford won't work everywhere. Ty tried to recruit Stanford types of recruits (self motivated, disciplined) but didn't recruit the tough as nails linemen or players the UW used to be known for. We used to take pride in our Ohio State of the West image...although some of us called Ohio State the Washington of the East.
Mr. Fowkes,
I follow college football closely, but am not too familiar with the UW situation. Can you please elaborate on the "harassment" Tyrone Willingham experienced at Washington? I heard nothing of this in the national news, and I suspect that if a black coach at a DI school was being harassed, it would be all over ESPN, CNN, etc.
Perhaps you are simply referring to fan message boards lighting up with frustration over a disappointing season (something certainly not unique to Husky backers)? If so, may I suggest that "harassment" is a poor choice of words on your part (or is that how Tyrone Willingham has described the situation to you?).
This is a man that cut off the program from fans, former players and alums; treated the media like enemies, spoke in the third person ("Coach Willingham will answer the question this way., arrogant.."), was a lazy and miserable recruiter, continually threw his players and assistant coaches under the media bus, and was moody and aloof. His offense was dull, wasting a spectacular talent in Locker. His defense was literally the worst in America. he didn't stupid things like taking the player's names off the uniforms and closing practices after 15 minutes. He demanded accountability from his players, but took none on himself. And after 11-37 (including 0-12), he took his $10 million from ND and UW and went golfing. ANY university thinking about offering him a head coaching position would have to be out of their mind. TW was a catstrophe, a debacle.
IN order to be fair. UW fans may think they are alone in their criticism of Ty-tanic Loosingham (aka Ty Willingham). Well as a life long Notre Dame fan, we are all too familiar with Ty-tanic's "work" ethic. There is no work ethic, unless trying to get in 36 holes of GOLF in a day counts, Loosingham did very little when it came to recruiting.
In fact, Loosingham is easily the WORST recruiter that Notre Dame ever had. (Boob Dufus, aka bob davie, would bring in an occassional 4-5 star kid, and did out duel some of the better programs in the country for top talent. Gerry Faust was almost always in the nation's top 5 in recruiting).
So UW fans, don't think you are all alone in your assessment of Ty-tanic Loosingham. He ruined the IRISH program, to the point that they are now just starting to come back up out of the depths that Ty-tanic left them. BUT HE DEYSTROYED UW's program, and your labeling of being a thief, while harsh,is very understandable.GOOD LUCK DAWGS, and beat Stanford!
I think Ty is a good man, but you have to be driven to be successful in CF. At ND he was a horible recruiter,and quite frankly, never got the whole ND head coach thing. He spent all his time on the golf course, neglected recruiting, ignored the media and alumni and lost too many games, then insinuated that he was fired because of his race. I wonder how long until he soaks another major program for his green's fees. Maybe he is smarter than I thought.
Harassment?
Going 0-12 in your fourth year and getting the axe isn't harrasment. Tyrone was given every benefit of the doubt while at UW.
Willingham had total control of the program at Washington for four full years. The press in the area was supportive the entire time. in the end he left in the same manner as any coach who couldn't produce willing seasons at this level.
I observed Willingham closely at Notre Dame and Washington and came away unimpressed with his ability to coach, lead, relate to his players, and relate to fans and boosters.
"probably the harassment he experienced up in Washington"
Truly unbelievable...uh your gonna need to go ahead and offer up some proof there. Being a Notre Dame fan in Seattle I saw this storm brewing for many years.
Lionel deserved much, much worse than he ever got in Seattle. Absolutely nothing he experienced could in any be deemed harrassment.
harass: (1): to annoy persistently (2): to create an unpleasant or hostile situation for especially by uninvited and unwelcome verbal or physical conduct
In point of fact that is exactly what Lionel did to the entire community.
Since he would not talk to ANY media or fans who would ask him a direct question how exactly was he harassed? How could he have been? He was the most protected, coddled ridiculous coach in the history of american college football.
Harass my ass.
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