I will personally tell you that Rick Neuheisel took the field to win for UW every single time he trotted out as head coach at Washington. He was a great game day coach. Most importantly he didn't exclude anyone. He was extremely welcoming to the fan base. Husky legends had access to the program. Everyone was welcome.

Friday nights before a game on the road the team hotel was exciting when Rick was around. KJR would be on the lobby doing a remote as hundreds of Husky fans hung out together with the team before the big game. Coaches and players mingled with family, friends, and fans before heading upstairs to begin preparations. Rick got it, he made everyone feel like they were part of the team. He understood the tradition that had been in place for decades.

Willingham never got that and it is a big reason he was fired on Monday. All Tyrone really needed was 3-4 more wins in his tenure to have gone to two bowl games in his first three years. He didn't get those very important wins because he was not able to properly motivate and coach his players. Most importantly he never energized or involved the fan base. If Willingham had utilized the energy around him his team probably would have won those games and we would not be discussing his replacement.