Steve Sarkisian ready for UW football debut

With Washington athletic director Scott Woodward leading a small contingent around campus, the new Huskies football coach toured the near-empty facilities and got his first glimpse of his new home.

"Everything looks great," Steve Sarkisian said Sunday afternoon while standing in a hallway adjacent to Edmundson Pavilion, a two-man camera crew tracking his steps from Conibear Shellhouse to the Dempsey Indoor practice facility to Husky Stadium.

He kept conversations short, citing a busy schedule filled with meetings with administrators and coaches who were eager to meet the man who will be introduced today as the school's football coach at a 9:30 a.m. news conference, replacing Tyrone Willingham. The event at the Don James Center is open to the public.

"I'm excited to be here," said Sarkisian, who will reportedly make $1.85 million a year in a five-year deal. "It's awesome."

Sarkisian, the 34-year-old USC offensive coordinator, said he'll go into more detail during the news conference about how he plans to handle both jobs until the Trojans play in the Jan. 1 Rose Bowl.

Huskies cornerback Quinton Richardson described Sarkisian as "the mysterious guy." The new coach is scheduled to meet the team today before his news conference.

On Saturday's flight from the Bay Area following a 48-7 defeat to California, UW players quizzed each other about their new coach.

"It was both quiet and anxious [on the plane]," Richardson said. "Everyone was just asking questions. Does anyone know anything about him? Has anyone met him?"

All they really know is Sarkisian was in charge of the offense that scored 56 points against the Huskies in a Nov. 1 shutout at the Los Angeles Coliseum. The Trojans finished second in the Pac-10 conference in passing, rushing and points scored.

"We don't really know what to expect, but coming from my behalf I feel like it could be for the better," Richardson said. "He's coming from a real good program, so we all know he knows how to win.

"Hopefully, he comes in here, sets things straight and gets us on a run."

Percy Allen: 206-464-2278 or pallen@seattletimes.com