SEATTLE — Washington looked to the conference’s top program when hiring a head football coach, and now, one month after naming Steve Sarkisian as the school’s next head coach, the Huskies will introduce another USC assistant, Nick Holt, as the Huskies’ defensive coordinator and assistant head coach.
That means when the Huskies begin spring practice in April, USC’s former offensive and defensive coordinators will be wearing purple.
Holt, USC’s defensive coordinator and defensive line coach for the past three seasons, was supposed to be introduced Monday afternoon, but the press conference was delayed a day by what the school called, “unforeseen circumstances.” Not long after postponing the press conference, however, the school made news of the Holt hiring official and announced that he would be introduced today at 12:30 p.m.
“This is very exciting for Husky football,” Sarkisian said in a statement. “I don’t think we could have found a more qualified or successful defensive coordinator anywhere in the country.”
Sarkisian first pursued Holt, 46, last month not long after taking the head coaching job, but Holt initially turned him down.
As for why Holt would leave USC to come to Washington after the Huskies went 0-12, the most obvious motive is control. At USC, head coach Pete Carroll was involved in the defense and had the final say on play calls, but at Washington Holt figures to have full control while Sarkisian focuses on the offense.
During Holt’s three years as defensive coordinator, the Trojans have won three straight Rose Bowls. The Trojan defenses under Holt era haven’t been complicated, but have played sound fundamental defense while producing spectacular results in recent years.
USC finished the year ranked first in scoring defense (9.0 points per game) and pass defense (134.4 yards per game), second in total defense (221.8 yards per game) and fifth in run defense (87.4 yards per game). In 2007, the Trojans finished the year with the nation’s second-ranked total defense and scoring defense.
“Coach Sarkisian has been working tirelessly to recruit and to hire coaches,” said Washington athletic director Scott Woodward. “This hire is a clear reinforcement of the confidence I have in him to put together a top-notch coaching staff.”
Holt, a graduate of Bellarmine Prep High School in San Jose, played linebacker at Pacific. He started his coaching career as a high school assistant, then became a graduate assistant UNLV. Holt served as an assistant for two years at UNLV and for four years at Idaho before being named the Vandals defensive coordinator in 1994. After four years in that job, he became the defensive line coach at Louisville for three seasons before joining the staff at USC as linebackers coach in 2001.
Holt spent three seasons at USC before taking the head coaching job at Idaho. He went 5-18 in two years as a head coach, then announced in February of 2006 that he was leaving to become the defensive line coach for the NFL’s St. Louis Rams. Holt never made it to St. Louis, however, because when Carroll heard Holt was leaving Idaho, he convinced his former assistant to return to L.A. as the defensive coordinator and defensive line coach.
Holt takes over a Washington defense that allowed 38.6 points per game and 451.8 yards per game — both totals ranking as the worst in program history.
While Husky players haven’t been introduced to their new defensive coordinator, they seemed excited to have a coach with Holt’s track record coming to Seattle.
“Obviously he’s coming from a school with great defenses year in and year out,” said safety Nate Williams. “They fly around and are very physical. I’m excited and hopefully he can bring that same mentality here and hopefully the guys on the defensive side of the ball will give into what he has to say, and hopefully we’ll have a better year next year.”
Added linebacker Mason Foster: “The defenses they’ve had in the past couple of years have been excellent, so it’s going to be a good thing to have him come up here. The way their D-line played, the way all 11 guys swarmed to the ball, they made a lot of plays in the backfield. I think he’s going to turn things around.”
Holt and his wife Julie — a former head women’s basketball coach at Pacific, Gonzaga and Idaho — have two sons, Nick and Ben. Holt’s maternal grandfather, Clarence “Buster” Crabbe, was an All-American swimmer at USC who went on to win a gold medal in the 1932 Olympics before going on to an acting career that saw him star as Tarzan, Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers.
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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