Seattle Sports: In the Morning

The big story:
UCLA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker spurned the Huskies' advances, even though Willingham had convinced the Bruins' LB and D-line coaches to follow Walker to Washington. Now the Huskies have no defensive coordinator, and two long-time coaches (D-Line coach Randy Hart, who just finished his 20th season as a Husky coach, and LB coach Chris Tormey--also recruiting coordinator--who just finished his 15th) who know that their boss considers them expendable. Awkward! Hart told Bob Condotta that his status "has not been discussed. Until I'm told anything else, I expect to be there."

Said Walker: "It was a tough decision. Tyrone (Willingham) did a thorough job. It was the toughest call I've had to make in a long time. But at the end of the day, it was the unfinished business (at UCLA), the family part of it, the players and the recruits -- and me feeling confident that we can still do things." Walker also said that he talked to President Mark Emmert. Is that what happens now? The university president recruits the coaches? Insane.

Other Husky stuff:
UW QB Ronnie Fouch, considered the likely backup to Locker, will transfer to Hawaii, insists Obrey Brown of the Highland, CA, Community News. Brown's in high dudgeon after a bunch of Husky fans wrote in criticizing his previous article about this--he prints some of the letters and responds to them. Odd..

Seahawks stuff:
A photo of Matt Hasselbeck's horrible, horrible mustache, via Sportable and DC Sports Bog.



Good god.

The Redskins have had success stacking the box and leaving their corners in single coverage, writes Clare Farnsworth. That means D.J. Hackett, Deion Branch and Bobby Engram must get separation from the Redskins cover trio of Shawn Springs, Fred Smoot and free safety LaRon Landry.

Branch strained a calf muscle and didn't play against Atlanta. Hawks QB coach Jim Zorn tells Frank Hughes that having Branch back is critical: "Having the full corps of receivers will allow us to not have to design and/or close in our offense, make it less dimensional than it is. When you are working with receivers all year, and they get injured, and then the new guys come in, there is not quite the same chemistry. Matt has done a really nice job of adjusting, but it will be more comfortable as we get the full unit out there."

Springs has high praise for Hasselbeck. He tells Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post: "Matt right now I think is one of the biggest reasons that team is in the playoffs. And I don't think anyone else that we would face has had to carry as much of the load as he has."

Holmgren on whether he'll retire, via Frank Hughes, who wrote a piece over the weekend speculating on this very topic. Here's what Holmgren said yesterday: "My mind-set has not changed. How I’m approaching this is how I approached it last year and probably the year before. At the end of each season, (wife) Kathy and I get away from here for a week and just kind of bang it around a little bit and think about how we’re going to do this. I’ve mentioned this before. My whole thing is, I have to have something to contribute, one; and that I still have the fire to do it. In fairness to everybody – the players, the owner, everybody – I think it’s important. You have to take some time and let things settle in. It’s an important decision and that’s what we’ll do."

John Morgan of Field Gulls says Marcus Trufant will shut down Santana Moss: "Moss is quick, but doesn't get the separation he once did. Nor does he leap like he once did ... Trufant's coverage skills should make Todd Collins think twice before targeting Moss, and should he chuck it Moss's way anyhow, Tru has developed the ball skills and chemistry with safety Deon Grant to make him pay."

Morgan also says Patrick Kerney will have a field day against the Redskins undrafted rookie right tackle Stephen Heyer. Heyer, writes Morgan, is "smoked turkey." Look for double-teams on Kerney, which should open things up for the interior linemen.

Other stuff:
Durant won Western Conference rookie of the month again, and will play tonight vs. Phoenix.

Two former teammates going in opposite directions: Brandon Roy scores 24 and leads the Blazers to a win over Minnesota. Meanwhile, in New York, Zach Randolph gets ejected for throwing his headband at a ref in the Knicks' ten-point loss to the Kings.

Lookout Landing is counting down the top 50 moments from the 2007 Mariners season--including pics! #49 is Adrian Beltre drawing a bases-loaded walk, a rare occurrence indeed.