Originally published Tuesday, December 9, 2008 at 12:00 AM
Comments (2)
E-mail article
Print view
Huskies' Steve Sarkisian says new offense will play to QB Jake Locker's talents
Steve Sarkisian plans to bring with him the basics of the offense he ran at USC, a pro-style, two-back attack.
Seattle Times staff reporter
Huskies quarterback Jake Locker could be the player most impacted by the hire of Steve Sarkisian as Washington's new football coach.
Sarkisian plans to bring with him the basics of the offense he ran at USC, a prostyle, two-back attack that hasn't traditionally featured a lot of running by the quarterback. Locker, meanwhile, has running ability so uncommon that former coach Tyrone Willingham had changed his offense accordingly, putting in a lot of elements of the spread option.
But after getting his first meeting with his new coach, Locker said Monday afternoon he's excited about the hire and thinks it might be what the Huskies need right now.
"I think the energy he brought, everybody felt it," Locker said of Sarkisian's talk with the team Monday morning. "He's a younger guy, I think guys feel they might be able to relate to him a little bit better. I was very pleased with him, and I think he'll be able to bring a lot to this football team."
As for how the offense might change, Locker said he'll go along with whatever the coach decides.
"I came here because I knew I would be able to run the football," Locker said.
He said that the offense has allowed him to use one of his strengths.
"So I hope that's not completely taken out and I still have the opportunity to do that at times," he added. "If it's limited, I'm OK with that, or in a different kind of way, I'm open to that too. Really, whatever he brings in. He's had success doing what he's doing, and I'm going to believe in it 100 percent and do the best to put our team in position to win."
Sarkisian said he plans to keep the offense similar to what it was at USC but that he will tweak things around Locker's skills. However, he also said he doesn't want Locker to bear the burden of having to be the entire offense.
"We are going to play to his talents and that is going to come through evaluation," Sarkisian said. "I'll look at Jake over the last two years, see what he does well, what he doesn't do well. See the potential of the things that we can change to get him to do other things well and how it fits around him with the personnel that we have. We would be dummies to come in here and say this is our offense and you guys make it fit, make it work. We are not going to do that. We have a system in place that is very flexible, that is going to fit into the talents of not Jake but our entire football team.
"Jake is going to be part of our offense, he is not going to be the entire offense and I think that will be a breath of fresh air for him, knowing we will put him in a position to be successful but we are also going to put the other 10 guys in a position to be successful."
Locker said he was recruited by USC but mostly as a safety and not by Sarkisian.
![]()
Sarkisian coached quarterbacks at USC and served as offensive coordinator and assistant head coach. He plans to continue calling plays at UW but said he will hire an offensive coordinator as well as a quarterbacks coach.
"We will have a quarterback coach title because it takes a lot of work to mentor a quarterback, takes a lot of offseason work, in-season work," he said. "So we will have basically two of us heading this thing up. But I will work hand-in-hand closely with Jake and Ronnie [Fouch] and the guys we bring in. They will play well."
Bob Condotta: 206-515-5699 or bcondotta@seattletimes.com
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
Jerry Brewer: UW women cross country runners find recipe for success
NEW - 10:21 PM
UW Volleyball | Fourth-ranked UW earns 3-0 sweep of Washington State in volleyball
UPDATE - 10:32 PM
College Football | Eastern defeats Northern Arizona 49-45, hopes to get playoff berth Sunday
UPDATE - 10:17 PM
College Football | Ninth-ranked Ohio State hands Michigan 21-10 loss to win outright Big Ten title

LA Galaxy's David Beckham
Los Angeles Galaxy's David Beckham talks about the upcoming MLS Cup final during after a team practice.
nwjobs

Post a comment

Michelle Goodman blogs about work/life balance.
How to tell your office you're gravely ill
Post a comment
nwautos

Choosing a new sedan? Weigh the impact of your choice on your wallet and on the planet.
Post a comment
- Italian lead prosecutor argues Knox motive was hatred
- Man shot in chest on E. Union Street in Capitol Hill
- Washington state wines make annual best-of list
- Lynnwood is reinventing itself — again
- Mariners Blog | A Mariners-Tigers swap makes a whole lot of sense for both teams
- Italian prosecutors request life sentence for UW student
- Craigslist adoption ad: A plea by young mother-to-be? A scam?
- Mariners to try Dustin Ackley at second base
- Mariners Blog | Dustin Ackley to move to second base; Mariners add six to 40-man roster
- Genetics anti-bias law takes effect
- Senate vote clears hurdle
194 - First key vote today on Senate health bill
166 - Mariners add six to 40-man roster
140 - Man shot in Capitol Hill
91 - Lynnwood is reinventing itself — again
87 - Italian lead prosecutor argues Knox motive was hatred
73 - Saturday links
50 - Bye week answers, volume four
49 - Prosecutor requests life in prison for Amanda Knox
43 - Historic health care bill nears key Senate vote
37
- Washington state wines make annual best-of list
- Nonprofits get creative using Twitter and Facebook to make donation easier
- Great places to cross-country ski for free (or almost) in the Methow
- Lynnwood is reinventing itself — again
- It's possible to recover a life lost to hoarding
- UW provost tapped for Nike's board
- 175 foster kids in Washington get 'forever families'
- Recipes: Sesame Pork Roast, Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes, Gingerbread with Lemon Sauce and more
- BofA moves to take control of Mastro building in Fremont
- Food-bank donations pour in after theft in Rainier Valley









