UW Football
Notebook: Hart's tenure might end

By Bob Condotta
Seattle Times staff reporter

Randy Hart has coached at UW for 17 years.

E-mail this article Print this article Search archive Most read articles Most e-mailed articles

Tomorrow could mark the final Husky Stadium appearance for Randy Hart, who has one of the longest assistant-coaching stints in Washington football history.

Hart, Washington's defensive line coach, has been at UW since 1988, a span of 17 seasons that according to the school's media guide is third in longevity only to that of Jim Lambright (24 years as an assistant) and D.V. Graves (21 years). Records for the school's early years, however, are incomplete.

Hart has been an assistant for four UW head coaches and been in the middle of some of the most memorable, as well as contentious, moments in school history.

Hart was the defensive-line coach for the great early '90s teams featuring the likes of Steve Emtman and DeMarco Farr, and was defensive coordinator from 1995-98. When Jim Lambright was fired after the 1998 season, Hart was one of two assistants kept by Rick Neuheisel and helped groom the likes of NFL draft picks Larry Tripplett and Terry Johnson.

Hart could, theoretically, be retained by the new coach, and he said he hopes to get that chance.

"I've been very, very lucky, very, very fortunate that I've been able to be here this long," Hart said. "I guess for that reason you say the odds are you're not going to be here (next year), but I'm not going to say that. We'll see what happens."

Hart, though, didn't want to take much of a trip down memory lane this week. In typical fashion, he told a reporter he "wasn't a story" while waving around some game plans.

"I'm not thinking about any of that right now," he said when asked his thoughts on this maybe being his last game at Husky Stadium. "Maybe in the back of your mind you do, but you've got to coach. I've got 10 more days and two games to coach. At the end of the season you see where you are and make a decision. But I'm not in a hurry to do anything."

Hart, who was an offensive lineman for Woody Hayes at Ohio State, said he will maintain his permanent residence in the Seattle area no matter what happens.

But Hart, who turns 57 in March, said he wants to coach somewhere next season.
 
"I don't believe I'm done," Hart said. "All the old coaches I've talked to said you'll know when it's time to get out of coaching. When the highs aren't as high as the lows are low you get the heck out. Maybe when you get to this age, nobody will hire you, either. But I don't want it to end on this note."

Notes

• UW coach Keith Gilbertson said he doesn't expect injured receivers Charles Frederick or Anthony Russo to play this weekend. Russo reinjured his ankle against Arizona though Gilbertson said the injury is turning into an Achilles problem as well. With those two out, Sonny Shackelford will return punts and Shackelford, Louis Rankin and Matt Fountaine will return kicks.

• Gilbertson said there were no other changes to the depth chart.

• Gilbertson said practices have been "spirited" this week, which is in some contrast to last week when Gilbertson felt the announcement of the coaching change dampened the mood. "Last week was a weird week; we'll leave it at that," he said.

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