Sarkisian: Lupoi’s energy sets him apart as a recruiter
Jan 22, 2012, 9:44 PM | Updated: Jan 23, 2012, 3:20 pm
By Pete Treperinas
Special to 710Sports.com
This time of year, college football teams are trying to lock up recruits and build their freshman classes. However, the biggest recruiting news out of Montlake this offseason hasn’t been a new player, but a new recruiter in Tosh Lupoi.
Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian joined “Brock and Salk” Friday to talk about the Huskies’ busy offseason and how the addition of Lupoi — who has built a reputation as one of the best recruiters in college football — will impact the program.
Tosh Lupoi |
“He doesn’t fade. He’s consistent in it,” Sarkisian said of Lupoi as a recruiter. “I think he’s got a great imagination for it and how to keep things fresh and light, because sometimes you’re recruiting these kids for two years and that can get long and drawn out. … Ultimately I think it boils all down to his energy and his ability to do it at a high level day in and day out.”
Washington lured Lupoi from his position as the defensive line coach at Cal. He’ll hold the same position for the Huskies in addition being the defensive run game coordinator.
The Huskies’ new defensive coordinator, Justin Wilcox, spent time coaching at Cal with Lupoi. Ever since the Wilcox hire, Lupoi had been on Sarkisian’s radar.
“It took a little longer than Justin and I would have liked, but we were able to get Tosh on board,” Sarkisian said.
Sarkisian added that since Wilcox and Lupoi have worked together in the past, they share a mutual understanding of the defensive philosophy and schemes that they will carry out at Washington.
In his four seasons with the Bears, Lupoi’s biggest recruits included defensive linemen Cameron Jordan and Tyson Alualu, both of whom went on to be first-round NFL draft picks.
This offseason, highly touted safety Shaq Thompson of Sacramento, Calif. committed to Cal, but since news broke that Lupoi would no longer be on the staff, he has rescinded his commitment and is deciding whether or not he will play for the Bears. Thompson’s top three choices now appear to be Cal, Washington, and Oregon.
The effects of Lupoi leaving Cal didn’t stop with Thompson rethinking his decision. The Bears’ receivers coach, Eric Kiesau, will also join the Huskies’ staff. Kiesau takes over for former Washington offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier, who took the same position at Alabama last week.