Tyrone Willingham optimistic despite UW's 0-4 start

Asked Monday how he keeps himself going in the midst of what he has acknowledged is one of the toughest professional situations of his life, Tyrone Willingham said he reviews previous successes.

"You look at all the things you have done in your life, and every now and then go back and count your successes," the Washington coach said. "And I've had quite a few successes since I was born. Waking up this morning was one of those, and it's not bad."

Waking up with his job intact, some might say, would be another.

While Saturday's 35-28 loss to Stanford increased speculation about Willingham's future, UW athletic director Scott Woodward said his stance hasn't changed and that he doesn't foresee making an in-season coaching change.

"I'm obviously not any happier about the situation," Woodward said Monday. "But we are going to assess it at the end of the season and I'll discuss it then with [UW president Mark Emmert], and we are on the same page with that."

Willingham — 11-29 in his fourth year as UW's coach, with the Huskies 0-4 this season — left no doubt at his weekly news conference Monday that he thinks he still is the man for the job. Asked how he would sell himself to someone wondering why he should keep the job, Willingham said: "Because I have the enthusiasm for it. The focus, the concentration for it, and I'm still very much into what I'm doing."

Later on his radio show, when asked if he had considered resigning, Willingham responded, "Nope," and said he thinks a turnaround is ahead.

"I am still very enthusiastic and optimistic about our football team and the things we can do," he said.

Woodward left the door open slightly for an in-season change, saying that "you never say never." But when asked what could lead to one, he said, "There are too many hypotheticals to go down that road, but I don't foresee it."

Woodward said he spent a lot of time with the players on Sunday and thought their attitude "seemed fine."

Some fans pointed to television clips of some players appearing to be laughing on the sideline late in Saturday's game as a possible sign that the team has given up.

But Woodward said he does not think the players have lost faith in the program.

"I know how hard they work and how serious they are, and a lot of times in those situations if you don't laugh, you'll cry," he said. "When I see the kids in the weight room and the locker room, they are upset and angry about losing. Spontaneous moments [on the sideline], I wouldn't read anything into that."

Only a couple of players showed up for the team's weekly news luncheon. One who did, junior defensive end Daniel Te'o-Nesheim, said the players are keeping the faith.

"If anybody is thinking of giving up, I hope they say something so we can get rid of them," Te'o-Nesheim said.

Bob Condotta: 206-515-5699 or bcondotta@seattletimes.com