Incoming UW Coach Jeff Firsch (hired away from the U of Arizona) will have a lot of restructuring to do following the departure of Kalen DeBoer to Alabama.

Coaching shake-up leaves Huskies with a lot of defections

As UW prepares to join the Big 10 Conference for 2024-25, the Huskies' new coach has his work cut out for him. Coach Firsch is a very good, if unknown, quantity. He had a 15-21 record with the Wildcats over three seasons, but he took over an awful program. After going 1-11 his first year, he went 5-7 in the second, and in 2023, 9-3--the single biggest turnaround in school history and a bowl berth.

Arizona was 7 or 8 points away from being 11-1 with single-digit losses to some top 20 SEC schools.

 According to KING-5 TV, here's a look at the shakeup caused by the departure of Coach DeBoer to Alabama. the following players entered the transfer portal:

    • "Tre Watson, TE, senior (signed with Texas A&M)
    • Taeshaun Lyons, WR, sophomore (signed with Utah)
    • Dylan Morris, QB, redshirt senior (signed with James Madison)
    • Jaivion Green, CB, junior (signed with Stanford)
    • Austin Harnetiaux, LB, sophomore
    • Austin Mack, QB, redshirt-freshman
    • Nate Kalepo, OG, redshirt-senior
    • Dyson McCutcheon, DB, redshirt junior
    • Asa Turner, S, senior
    • Will Rogers, QB, senior
    • Ethan Barr, LB, senior
    • Jabbar Muhammad, Sr., cornerback
    • Mishael Powell, S, redshirt senior
    • William Haskell, QB, redshirt junior
    • Jakson Bermon, S, redshirt sophomore
    • Griffin Waiss, TE, redshirt-junior"

Not all of them were projected as starters, but the Huskies lost a lot of depth. And, four highly-regarded high school recruits have de-committed, or rescinded, their plans to play at UW.  De-committing is nothing new, 15-20, even 30 years ago, you would see players withdraw their commitment to a school, but almost always it was only because the head coach who recruited them was fired.

The players who de-committed were:

  • "Noah Carter, DE, Centennial HS, Peoria, Ariz.
  • Dominic Kirks, DT, Riverside HS, Painesville, Ohio
  • Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, LB, Bethel HS
  • Keona Wilhite, DE, Salpointe Catholic, Ariz."

And finally, UW is going to be facing large shoes to fill because record-setting QB Michael Penix is expected to declare for the draft, and their top 3 receivers Jalen McMillan, Rome Odunze, and Jai'Lynn Polk as well as running back Dillon Johnson have already officially declared for the NFL draft in April.

LOOK: 50 images of winning moments from sports history

Sometimes images are the best way to honor the figures we've lost. When tragedy swiftly reminds us that sports are far from the most consequential thing in life, we can still look back on an athlete's winning moment that felt larger than life, remaining grateful for their sacrifice on the court and bringing joy to millions.

Read on to explore the full collection of 50 images Stacker compiled showcasing various iconic winning moments in sports history. Covering achievements from a multitude of sports, these images represent stunning personal achievements, team championships, and athletic perseverance.

Gallery Credit: Peter Richman

 

 

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