The vacancy left by Matt Lubick, who served for two years as Washington’s receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator, will most likely be filled very soon.
Chris Petersen has an Excel spreadsheet with names and contact information on it for would-be assistant coaches. Once again the Husky head coach will defer to that list to find a replacement for Lubick.
This is not a hire that Petersen will take lightly; Washington’s offense is poised to be one of the most prolific in the country during the next few years.
This is a big deal.
Here’s what Lubick’s resume looked like before he tendered his resignation:
• 2017-18 – Washington – Wide Receivers/Co-Offensive Coordinator
• 2016 – Oregon – Wide Receivers/Offensive Coordinator
• 2013-2015 – Oregon – Wide Receivers/Passing Game Coordinator
• 2010-2012 – Duke – Wide Receivers
• 2007-2009 – Arizona State – Defensive Backs
• 2005-2006 – Mississippi – Wide Receivers
• 2001-2004 – Colorado State – Wide Receivers
• 1999-2000 – Oregon State – Defensive Backs
• 1997-1998 – San Jose State – Wide Receivers
• 1996 – Cal State Northridge – Defensive Backs
• 1995 – Colorado State – Graduate Assistant
So for those who keep bringing up the names of G.A.’s and guys who have barely gotten their noses bloodied coaching yet, it might be a stretch to believe that is the direction Coach Petersen will go.
Before we explore who would check all the boxes as a replacement — let’s first look at the boxes, themselves.
[icon name=”check-square-o” class=”” unprefixed_class=””] Experience coaching both receivers and quarterbacks, all facets of the passing game. Ideally, coordinating experience in the passing game.
[icon name=”check-square-o” class=”” unprefixed_class=””] Recruiting expertise and well-established relationships within high school programs around the Pac-12. Good rapport with recruits, coaches, players.
[icon name=”check-square-o” class=”” unprefixed_class=””] Understanding of Washington Football and Coach Petersen’s system and the ability to go into a Top 25 program and manage that kind of pressure.
[icon name=”check-square-o” class=”” unprefixed_class=””] Someone that the players, themselves, would feel a strong degree of comfort with.
Of course, he knows better and does have all those names in that spreadsheet — but Realdawg.com has confirmed through a source that Washington will go through the proper channels to reach out to Marques Tuiasosopo in order to gauge his interest.
The History
Tuiasosopo was offered a job to coach the tight ends when Petersen was first hired, but turned down the opportunity to head to California and join Steve Sarkisian’s staff at USC as the assistant head coach and tight ends coach.
At Cal
There’s no buyout if Tuiasosopo leaves Cal. He signed a two-year deal that expires at the end of February next month. Tuiasosopo has been making under 400,000 at Cal, while Lubick made 475,000 base at Washington.
Checking all the Boxes
Tuiasosopo is a brand in Pac-12 football; both as a player, the son of a great player, and a coach. The name, itself, is a household name. Not only did he put eight years into the NFL as a player, he also has a Rose Bowl Championship ring to prove his successes at Washington as a player.
He bleeds purple and gold and understands what Husky Football is about, where it comes from, and where it wants to go.
As for his rapport on the recruiting trail, Tuiasosopo has made all sorts of in-roads in the state of California throughout his time coaching at USC, UCLA, and now Cal.
But most importantly, Tuiasosopo has the kind of resume of experience that is heads and tails above that we see from first-year assistants or grad assistants who are now ready to coach.
Yes, Kirby Moore may be an up-and-comer, same for Tyler Osborne — but this is an extremely important vacancy for Chris Petersen to fill because the Huskies could field some of the best offenses in Husky history over the next few years.
They need serious production in the passing game going forward — and Petersen will be very, very detailed in how he approaches this next hire.
The question is: If the job were offered to Tuiasosopo, would he take it?
It’s our opinion that he most definitely would take it. When he left back in 2013 to follow Steve Sarkisian to USC, it wasn’t an easy decision.
“I have to leave so I can come back one day”, he told Realdawg.com at the time, noting his aspirations for moving up the chain of command at Washington and one day being a coordinator and then head coach, “Husky fans need to understand that I love Washington.”
And during the week in Pasadena, Tui was right there mixing with Husky legends and fans at the Rose Bowl pre-func’s and also attended the game.
If ever the time was just right and the circumstances perfect, it would be now.
At this point, this is all just speculation and our opinion of who we feel would be the best fit for the open vacancy — all we can confirm is that Tuiasosopo is on the short-list of candidates and Petersen will go through the proper channels to gauge his interest.
It’s not unreasonable to think that Petersen could just turn the reins over to a less-experienced guy from his own coaching tree — he’s done that before — but if you want to talk about who checks all the boxes, you have to admit that Marques Tuiasosopo is a no-brainer.
2009: Washington – Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach
2010: Washington – Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach (Holiday Bowl)
^2011: UCLA – Intern/Quarterbacks (Fight Hunger Bowl)
2012: UCLA – Tight Ends (Holiday Bowl)
+2013: Washington – Quarterbacks/Interim Head Coach (Fight Hunger Bowl)
2014: USC – Associate Head Coach Offense/Tight Ends (Holiday Bowl)
2015: USC – Associate Head Coach Offense/Tight Ends (Holiday Bowl)
2016: UCLA – Passing Game Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2017: Cal – Passing Game Coordinator/Quarterbacks/Recruiting Coordinator
2018: Cal – Passing Game Coordinator/Quarterbacks/Recruiting Coordinator
