How Huff Survived the Husky Coaching Change and Flourished

The UW offensive-line coach had a full body of work that showed prolonged success, with 2021 a lone slip.

Breakdowns were everywhere for the 2021 University of Washington football team that bottomed out with a dreary 4-8 season. Most glaring were quarterback, the defensive line and the offensive line. 

The inevitable coaching change that turned over the program keys to Kalen DeBoer caused every single coach to leave — most involuntary, some even with the season still in play — except for one. 

Scott Huff.

DeBoer chose to retain the offensive-line coach, now in his sixth Husky season under his third coach, a move that brought howls from some in the fan base.

UW offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, himself previously an offensive-line coach at Sioux Falls, Eastern Michigan and Fresno State, acknowledged he basically did a deep dive on the Huff-coached Husky line to see what the problem was.

He broke down three years of UW game film looking solely at Huff's guys and came to a ready conclusion — the Huskies' poor line play during the 2021 season was an exception to the rule.

"To me '21 was an anomaly and it wasn't the norm," Grubb said. "To see the number of really elite and really high-level offensive lineman that came out of the program that Scott both developed and recruited, and it spoke volumes to the room he could run. I think he deserves a ton of credit. I think he did a phenomenal job."

Scott Huff is in his sixth season as the UW offensive-line coach / Dan Raley

The Huskies average 40.8 points and 521.7 yards per game. They couldn't have done it without, from left to right, the starting offensive line of Troy Fautanu, Jaxson Kirkland, Corey Luciano, Henry Bainivalu and Roger Rosengarten playing together and at their best. 

They've formed an impenetrable protective bunker around quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and the O-line starters have been responsible for just 5 sacks this season of their leader heading into an undetermined bowl game.

Huff has carried himself well, to the point he still has a job in Montlake when no one else from the Lake and Petersen coaching eras does. He was better than the 4-8 downturn and he's done his part this season.

"He's been huge," Grubb said of Huff. "There was a lot of evidence on why to keep a great coach like Scott Huff. That's not an industry norm, where, right, you come in and take over a program and keep a guy, especially in such a pivotal role."

---

Go to si.com/college/washington to read the latest Inside the Huskies stories — as soon as they’re published.

Not all stories are posted on the fan sites.

Find Inside the Huskies on Facebook by searching: Inside Huskies/FanNation at SI.com or https://www.facebook.com/dan.raley.12

Follow Dan Raley of Inside the Huskies on Twitter: @DanRaley1 or @UWFanNation or @DanRaley3