The 67 points given up by the Washington defense Thursday night proved to be the final straw for a couple of defensive assistants.
The Huskies announced Saturday afternoon that defensive coordinator Nick Holt, linebackers coach Mike Cox and secondary/safeties coach Jeff Mills will not be retained as members of Steve Sarkisian‘s 2012 coaching staff. The moves came less than 36 hours after the UW defense allowed 777 yards of total offense -- 482 of them coming on the ground -- and nine touchdowns in an 11-point loss to Baylor in the Alamo Bowl.
All three coaches were a part of Sarkisian’s first UW coaching staff in 2009.
"“I want to thank Nick Holt, Mike Cox, and Jeff Mills for their hard work and dedication throughout the last three years,” Sarkisian said in a statement. “They were instrumental in the leadership and development of countless young men, and they have left our program in a better place. I am grateful for their service to our program and to the University of Washington and I wish them all the best in their future endeavors.”
As Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times wrote Friday, “this year’s defense [was] the worst in school history in terms of yards allowed per game (453.3), passing yards allowed per game (284.6) and total points allowed (467).” The previous marks were set in 2008, the year before Holt’s arrival as a member of Sarkisian’s first UW staff.
The release stated that a national search for the coaches’ replacements will begin immediately.