Once-proud Washington continued its downward spiral Monday as the Huskies’ athletic director announced the resignation of coach Keith Gilbertson, effective the end of the season.
Gilbertson was promoted to head coach following former coach Rick Neuheisel’s firing in 2003 after Neuheisel gambled on NCAA basketball.
“The way I got this job, when I saw Rick’s situation, it was not a dream job,” Gilbertson said, despite four generations of family ties to the university. “I do love this place. I have a great passion for Husky football. I do feel I made a contribution, but this was not a dream situation.”
Washington fell 31-6 at Oregon on Saturday, its fifth Pac-10 loss in as many games this season. The Huskies are 1-7, their worst season in 35 years.
“It was a very difficult play he was assigned to run,” Washington athletic director Todd Turner said. “We gave him the ball on fourth-and-goal, but we didn’t block for him.”
Gilbertson has compiled a 7-13 record in two seasons at Washington.
The coach’s resignation came at a crucial point in recruiting. After three weeks of discussion, Turner and Gilbertson decided that a decision had to be made regarding the team’s future.
“We will back in the nation’s elite,” Turner said, referring to the team’s 1991 co-national title and its 14 conference championships. “It will take a lot of sacrifice by a lot of people.”
According to news reports, potential replacements include Boise State coach Dan Hawkins, Utah’s Urban Meyer, California coach Jeff Tedford, New England Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis and Missouri’s Gary Pinkel.
Suspension suspended
Pinkel made news of his own Monday when he reinstated tailback Damien Nash, ending an indefinite suspension after one week.
“He’ll play,” Pinkel said. “How much? We’ll make the decision on Thursday.”
Though Pinkel did not give a reason for Nash’s suspension, many suspect it stemmed from comments the running back made to Kansas City Star columnist Jason Whitlock regarding the coach’s play-calling.
“I didn’t understand a lot of the plays,” Nash reportedly told Whitlock.
Missouri appeared to miss Nash, who leads the team this season with 610 yards and eight touchdowns. The former title contenders fell 24-3 at Nebraska on Saturday for the Tigers’ third straight loss.
Marcus Woods, who started in Nash’s place, ran for only 22 yards on seven carries. Backup Tony Temple had 13 yards on six rushes.
Missouri is 4-4 this season and 2-3 in the Big 12. The Tigers host Kansas State (3-5) on Saturday.
Shaking things up
Seminoles coach Bobby Bowden has made some major changes to his No. 13 Florida State team (6-2) after its 20-17 loss to unranked Maryland.
Senior quarterback Chris Rix will start Saturday’s game against Duke. Rix lost his starting job to Wyatt Sexton after Rix sprained his right ankle against Clemson.
Sexton was 14 of 30 for 164 yards against the Terrapins. Rix replaced Sexton and completed 8 of 21 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown.
The Seminoles were 4-1 with Sexton at the helm. He completed 109 of 187 passes for 1,204 yards, with seven touchdowns and six interceptions.
Rix is 42 of 87 for 464 yards, with one touchdown and three interceptions.
Leading receiver Craphonso Thorpe will be suspended for one game for missing too many classes, Bowden said.
Thorpe, a senior, has 31 catches for 361 yards and a touchdown this year.
Senior kicker Xavier Beitia will no longer kick Florida State’s field goals. Freshman Gary Cismesia will replace Beitia, who missed three attempts against the Terrapins.
Reach Patrick Dorsey at [email protected].
