Kind words for Willingham

SEATTLE — Pacific-10 Conference teams have made a habit of beating up on Tyrone Willingham’s Huskies the past four seasons, but that doesn’t mean league coaches don’t have the utmost respect for the Washington coach.

During Tuesday morning’s Pac-10 coaches conference call, several weighed in on Willingham’s ousting and spoke highly of Washington’s soon-to-be former coach.

“I have great respect and admiration for Tyrone Willingham, both as a friend personally because he and I have coached against each other for many years, and he’s been in and out of this conference,” said Oregon coach Mike Bellotti, the head coach of the Ducks since 1995. “He’s done a tremendous job representing football coaches across the nation. He’s the president of the American Football Coaches Association and in that role I think his leadership has been essential for us continuing to move forward.”

Bellotti also praised Willingham’s recruiting in recent years, noting that several Washington high school players stayed home when he had hoped to get them to Oregon.

And while Willingham has been fired at his last two jobs, he is still revered at Stanford, where he led the Cardinal to four bowl games in seven seasons, including a Rose Bowl berth.

“Coach Willingham is very much respected here at Stanford,” current Cardinal coach Jim Harbaugh said. “I have not heard one negative thing about coach Willingham here. He brought a great legacy here to Stanford and did a great job coaching here. That’s the same throughout the profession, coach Willingham is a well-respected man first and also as a coach.”

Arizona coach Mike Stoops can relate a little bit to the pressure Willingham has faced in recent years. The two coaches have been on the proverbial hot seat the past two seasons.

“I understand the situation very well because I’ve lived it, I understand how difficult it is,” said Stoops, who at 5-3 with a potential bowl-clinching win against WSU still remaining is likely to avoid Willingham’s fate this season.

“I understand Washington has to do what’s best for their program and Tyrone. I’m sure it’ll work itself out and, like I said, he should be very proud of what he’s done. He’s just a good person and you hate to see things like this, but they happen in this business unfortunately. I’m sure he’ll be very peaceful when he walks out.”

UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel is taking no joy in watching another join him on the list of coaches who have been fired by Washington.

“Any time we in this business have a peer go through what Tyrone is going through right now, it’s difficult,” said Neuheisel, Washington’s coach from 1999-2002. “We all understand the stakes when we get into this racket, but we certainly hate to see that happen to good people.”

USC coach Pete Carroll says Monday’s decision could make the Huskies more dangerous when they head to Los Angeles this weekend, noting that the team will probably play with extra motivation.

“It doesn’t affect us at all, but I think it’s going to affect them considerably,” Carroll said. “I think their players that have been recruited by coach (Willingham) and all of that, they’re going to give everything they’ve got and it will probably be a very emotional expression of their concern about his feelings and everything. We’re probably going to get a heck of an effort from those guys.”

Of note

Garcia also weighs in: Center Juan Garcia, who has seen a lot in his six years at Washington, said he is sad to see Willingham leave. Garcia was signed by Neuheisel, who was then fired before Garcia’s first season. Garcia was then with the team for two years under Keith Gilbertson before Willingham came in.

“I feel a little bit like I let him down,” said Garcia, who was granted a sixth-year of eligibility because of injuries that cost him two seasons. “I’m one of the older guys on the team and maybe I should have said this or that to a young team. It’s frustrating. I’m really frustrated right now, this is the second head coach since I’ve been here that’s been fired, and I told the younger guys after we went 0-2, ‘You guys don’t want to go through a coaching change. It’s bad. Coaches will try to come in here and change the whole mentality.’ That’s what I tried to tell those guys. But a little bit I feel like I am responsible. I wish I could have done more.”

Garcia said the last coaching change was hard on him and his teammates, and admitted that he didn’t take to Willingham right away, though he has since warmed to him. Garcia indicated that not everyone on those early Willingham teams made the transition to Willingham, however.

“For like a year, trying to get adjusted to coach Willingham was pretty tough,” he said. “He had his new philosophies on the way he wanted things run. And it sucked, it wasn’t good. Eventually people bought in, I bought in, but unfortunately not everybody bought in.”

Injury update: Defensive tackle Senio Kelemete, who injured his knee during pregame warm ups Saturday, had an MRI Tuesday, but the results weren’t available when Willingham talked to reporters.

Willingham did say, however, that if surgery was needed it could happen Tuesday.

Safety Victor Aiyewa, who suffered a groin injury Saturday, was not in pads at Tuesday’s practice. Tailback David Freeman, who re-aggravated an ankle injury, was in pads but was not active in the portion of practice open to the media. Running backs coach Steve Gervais said Freeman will likely be out this weekend, leaving the Huskies with three healthy tailbacks: Terrance Dailey, Brandon Johnson and Willie Griffin.

Garcia said he suffered a minor knee injury last weekend, but that he will be fine for Saturday’s game. Garcia also said he is just now starting to feel like he’s 100 percent in his comeback from a Lisfranc sprain, and said it’s been hard not being able to play up to his potential this season.

“I’m not the same player I could have been this year, that’s the frustrating part,” he said.

Herald Writer John Boyle: jboyle@heraldnet.com. For more on UW sports, check out the Huskies blog at heraldnet.com /huskiesblog

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