Kwiatkowski Seems to Relish Idea of Slowing UW Offense, Penix
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Pete Kwiatkowski, for all of the positive things he did over seven seasons as this tough-guy University of Washington defensive coordinator, represented the beginning of the end for the Husky program when he left Jimmy Lake's staff for Texas two years ago.
Once he took the Longhorns job, the UW defense seriously went in the tank for the entirety of the 2021 season, giving up huge amounts of yardage game after game, in particular a groundswell with 343 yards rushing at Michigan and 329 more yards permitted Oregon at Husky Stadium.
This week, Kwiatkowski and the rejuvenated Huskies reunite for the first time since he moved to Austin, Texas. With his short, bristly hair, he still resembles a Marine drill sergeant.
Sitting down on Monday for an Alamo Bowl news conference, this Coach K acknowledged his prior ties to the Montlake program but he hardly was sentimental about it.
"I know a lot of those guys, recruited a lot of those guys," he said. "Obviously, I have a history with Washington."
That's where it ended with Kwiatkowski. He's in the midst of bringing back Texas to a level of defensive ferocity it hasn't experienced for several years.
Kwiatkowski has never spoken any ill of Lake, the head coach he abandoned and previously his Husky co-defensive coordinator. Still, it must have taken some getting used to, taking orders from his one-time equal.
It didn't hurt either that Texas offered to double Kwiatkowski's salary, bumping him from $980,000 to $1.7 million, reason enough to move to the Lone Star state.
Steve Sarkisian didn't know Kwiatkowski when he pursued him for a job, but he knew of him from prior meetings on the field.
In 2012, Sarkisian was the UW head coach and Kwiatkowski the opposing Boise State DC when their teams met in the Maaco Bowl and the Broncos won 28-26 in Las Vegas. Kwiatkowski's defense forced three critical turnovers.
Three years later, Sarkisian was at USC, coaching what would be his last game with the Trojans, when Kwiatkowski's UW defense came up with three interceptions in a 17-12 upset win in Los Angeles.
On what amounted to an exit interview with Seattle's KJR radio on his way out of town, Kwiatkowski explained his reasons for taking the Texas job.
"We started started talking about his vision, direction, the staff, and one thing led to another,” Kwiatkowski told the station. “If you pair that with the staff he’s putting together, the guys I know on the staff, I’ve been here seven years. I think the timing was right for me to make this move and try another adventure, another challenge, and see where it takes me."
As for the current UW defense, Kwiatkowski's imprint still runs pretty deep with these guys. Eight of the 11 UW current starters are his former players. He coached Tuli Letuligasenoa, Faatui Tuitele, Bralen Trice, Alphonzo Tuputala, Alex Cook, Asa Turner, Dom Hampton and Mishael Powell, though only Letuligasenoa and Turner were first-teamers at the time he exited.
Kwiatkowski has put together a veteran Longhorns stop unit of mostly upperclassmen that permits just 21.2 points per game, or a little over half of what the Huskies average. He has some overly athletic players up front and an exceptional linebacker in junior Jaylan Ford, the leading Texas tackler with 109 and someone who was in the running for Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors.
While the UW enters the Alamo Bowl with a glistening 10-2 record, the Husky defense still hasn't totally recovered from that two-year-old defensive coaching change and the ensuing 2021 downturn, with the defense still a little too generous in serving up points and yards.
One player who Kwiatkowski doesn't know personally at all is UW quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who arrived from Indiana this past spring, but the defensive coordinator is fully aware of him. He seems to relish the opportunity to try and stop Penix and the Husky offense.
"We have a huge challenge in front of us, for sure," the coach said. "I know the guys are excited about it — the top-rated offense in the nation. That's why we go play. We have a great week of practice and preparation and then go out there and cut it loose."
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