You know what's funny? I didn't even know the game was on and didn't care. You invest a lot more in Wulff than you think you do. You might be a happier person if you let stuff go. I really don't care how Wulff or Team USA does in that competition. I bet most of us feel the same way. I wouldn't be pissed if a former Coug has some success....but I really don't care.
I always want Cougs past present and future to do well, but what I don't want is for people to let being a coug blind them from what's best for the University as a whole.
Paul Wulff was not ready to be a BCS coach, and it was that blind and clouded decision making that put him in a position he wasn't ready for.
I blame Sterk as much as I blame Wulff for what happened.
Bill Moos is a good example of a Coug who was qualified to do the job he is in now. He was AD for a BCS program. He was successful at building the Athletic Department up, and he carried a resume that shows this is a guy who knows how to build programs.
Paul Wulff had zero BCS coaching experience, and actually no FBS coaching experience that I know of. The issue isn't about Wulff as a person...or as a coug...it's that people want to defend/prop up the job he did BECAUSE he's a coug. That does him absolutely no service, and doesn't make him better, and doesn't do anything positive except build a false foundation that very easily can get knocked down to reality.
And the fall is hard. If people really wanted Wulff to succeed then they should have fought hard AGAINST him being the HC and encouraged him to get FBS experience first.
I don't think there is 1 coug out there who didn't want to succeed, but when the reality hits and the false elevated walls come crashing down who really is to blame? Is it him for doing poorly? Yes he's part of it, but not once did he accept responsibility for it. Is it us for propping him up? Yes we played a part in the denial. Is it the administration who gave the job to someone unqualified? Absolutely.
But there is no moving forward until people face the reality that he was bad. The program was in bad shape because of the hire and his inexperience, and it hurt the program over all.
The last stage of denial is acceptance. That's when you can really move forward because you are honest with yourself, and we as a fan base have a ways to go with that.
The new radio play by play announcer is a perfect example. I love Bud. He's an outstanding classy guy, but he wasn't the best play by play guy. He wasn't the most fluid person on the mic, he didn't really even give us down and distance etc., and he tried way too hard with the Coug Air! and stuff like that.
But he was a local guy...(and extremely likeable local guy)...but not a premiere quality play by play broadcaster. That's the reality. That's the truth, and he gets let go by IMG who is looking to make the broadcast the most polished and of quality they can make it.
So they bring in a young guy that has done well for them in that professional role, and immediately the fan base throws a fit. Who is this new guy? Where is our local guy? etc. etc. etc. Once again not focusing on the job and task at hand and what would be the very best end product.
There is even some article on brand X talking about how it's a terrible idea and they should have hired a Coug from Murrow and all this stuff. Murrow is one of the finest broadcast institutions in the country, but there is no guarantee that they would be the best possible hire.
And many of the qualified people already have excellent contracts with other media outlets. IMG made a decision to choose the best person for the job based on qualifications, and all we can do is throw stones because it isn't one of us.
I'm all about supporting cougs, but we have to learn to support the idea of hiring the best for the job at hand...coug or not, and elevate everything we do. Outside of our comfort zone is where growth is, and we do a terrible job of doing that sometimes. Yes it's awesome to be a coug and have that family atmosphere. It's what makes being a coug great, but if we get too fixated on that then we get situations like Paul Wulff.
The more we bring in people to raise the bar around WSU the better it is for the future because now the people coming up from within have a higher and higher standard to achieve. Not just get a free pass because they are part of the family.
