Sarkisian adds to coaching staff
Published 2:54 pm Thursday, January 15, 2009
Steve Sarkisian made official the hirings of four new assistant coaches today, naming a quarterbacks, running backs, linebackers and safeties coach.
Doug Nussmeier will be the new quarterbacks coach, though Sarkisian will also work with quarterbacks. He was previously the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Fresno State. Mike Cox, who will coach linebackers, spent two years in the same position with the St. Louis Rams, and was at Michigan State before that. Joel Thomas, who is from Port Angeles and played at Idaho, spent the last three years as the running backs coach at Purdue, and will hold the same position at Washington. Jeff Mills, who previously coached at Youngstown State, will coach the safeties.
All were given two-year contracts
Mills: $145,000 per year
Thomas: $150,000 per year
Cox: $200,000 per year
Nussmeier: $200,000 per year
That makes eight of nine assistant jobs officially filled, and scout.com is reporting that Utah receivers coach Aaron Roderick will take that job at Washington, rounding out the staff.
Here’s what the staff is expected to look like
Head Coach – Steve Sarkisian
Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach – Jim Michalczik
Quarterbacks/Passing Game Coordinator – Doug Nussmeier
Running Backs – Joel Thomas
Wide Receivers – Aaron Roderick
DEFENSE
Defensive Coordinator/Assistant Head Coach – Nick Holt
Defensive Line/Special Teams – Johnny Nansen
Linebackers – Mike Cox
Cornerbacks – Demetrice Martin
Safeties – Jeff Mills
That leaves an opening for tight ends, which could either be handled by one of the above coaches or a grad assistant, or some combination of the two.
Below is the release from the UW:
Sarkisian Announces More UW Football Assistant Coach Hirings
Cox, Mills, Thomas and Nussmeier Added to Coaching Staff; Slutak Hired For Operations Position
SEATTLE – New Washington football coach Steve Sarkisian announced the hiring of four assistant coaches and a staff member today. Mike Cox, Jeff Mills, Doug Nussmeier and Joel Thomas have been named assistant coaches and Dennis Slutak has been hired as assistant athletic director for football operations.
On the defensive side, Cox will coach the Husky linebackers while Mills will handle the safeties. Nussmeier has been named quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator, and Thomas will coach the UW running backs.
“I’m really excited about this latest group of coaches we’ve hired,” Sarkisian, the Huskies’ first-year head coach, said. “They’re all great coaches, great recruiters and great people. They’re all excited to be a part of this program and each of them understands the great, rich tradition that UW football has.”
All four of the new assistant coaches have ties to the Northwest, and three of the four played their college football at the University of Idaho.
