Gilbertson named UW coach, signs 4-year deal

Keith Gilbertson was named the new football coach at the University of Washington at a news conference this morning.

Gilbertson, 55, agreed to a four-year deal at an $870,000 annual salary. He replaced the recently fired Rick Neuheisel as the 24th head football coach at the UW and its oldest at the time of hiring.

He was fired at Cal, where he was 20-26 after four seasons ( 1992-95). He took the Bears to one bowl game, the Alamo Bowl in 1993, and beat Iowa there.

"Cal wasn't a good fit for me, and I don't know if I was a good fit for Cal,'' he said today. "But I know this culture, I'm more comfortable here, and I'm 11 years older than I was when I went to Cal.''

Asked about recruiting, and how he would compete with younger or flashier coaches, he didn't hesitate to state his position.

"I'm selling a product that's been pretty good for a long time,'' he said. "This is an awesome university, with tremendous tradition, a great following. We have a lot of things that a young man would enjoy. He'd enjoy playing against a packed house every Saturday... He'll like our style of play... I think we have a lot to sell

"Am I flashy? No. I don't want to be flashy, I want to be a football coach.. I'm really not interested much in flash.''

Gilbertson is in his third term of service with the Huskies program. He was a graduate assistant coach in 1975, an assistant coach from 1989-91 and again from 1999-2002.

Gilbertson grew up in Snohomish, where his father, Keith, Sr., has been a long-time prep coach. He attended Snohomish High School before going on to play football at Central Washington in 1967, Columbia Basin Junior College in 1968, and Hawaii from 1969-70.

He later returned to earn his bachelor's degree in social sciences from Central Washington in 1971. Gilbertson earned a degree in education from Western Washington in 1974.

Born in Snohomish on May 15, 1948, he attended Snohomish High School. Gilbertson and his wife, Barbara, were married in 1988 and have two children, Kristin and David. Gilbertson also has an adult daughter, Ann, who lives in Los Angeles.

Other coaching changes announced this morning:

• Scott Pelleur will fill the assistant coaching vacancy left by Gilbertson moving from offensive coordinator to head coach. Pelleur, will be the tight ends and special teams coach. A brother of Steve Pelleur, who played quarterback at the UW, Scott played his college ball at Washington State. He was a linebacker.
• John Pettas, formerly the quarterbacks coach, was promoted to offensive coordinator.
• Randy Hart, the defensive lines coach, was promoted to assistant head coach.
• Theron Aych has been hired as a grad assistant to work with the defense.

Gilbertson had been placed in charge of supervising the football program's day-to-day operations last month after athletic director Barbara Hedges announced she intended to fire Neuheisel "for cause."

Hedges announced June 11 that she was firing Neuheisel, saying he broke NCAA rules against gambling by taking part in high-stakes neighborhood pools on the past two NCAA basketball tournaments. She also said he wasn't forthcoming when first questioned by NCAA investigators.

Neuheisel has maintained he didn't know he was breaking the rules, saying an athletic department memo from the school's compliance officer gave him permission to gamble with neighbors.

He had a 33-15 record in four seasons at Washington, including a 7-6 mark last season when the Huskies lost to Purdue in the Sun Bowl.

Neuheisel's firing "with cause" means he will receive no more money from the balance of his contract and will have to repay a $1.5 million loan received last August within 90 days. His attorneys are expected to file suit quickly to fight the "for cause" firing.

The Huskies open the season Aug. 30 at defending national champion Ohio State. Practice begins Aug. 6.