The Story Behind John Donovan and the Husky Coaches' Booth

Don James moved into his coaching office, put on his pajamas and slept there when things weren't quite right with his first University of Washington football team.

Forty-six years later, Husky offensive coordinator John Donovan finally frequents the coaches' booth on game day, from a stadium near you. No, he hasn't unfurled a sleeping bag, just his playbook and corresponding notes.

James' action was done with symbolic overtones, a concentrated effort to show his UW coaches and players, the fans and himself that things needed to change.

After six games spread over his two seasons with the Huskies, Donovan finally gave in and did what he probably should have been doing all along to win games — sit in the best possible stadium vantage point to call his plays.

Most college coaches will tell you that either approach works, whether up high or down low, though it seems most coordinators are firmly planted upstairs by kickoff.

For Donovan, he insisted on working in the heat of the battle stationed on the sideline, just to familiarize himself with his new surroundings and all of the personalities involved, after arriving from the NFL and the Jacksonville Jaguars.

"Last year, I told the guys I didn't know anybody, they didn't know me," he said. "I just wanted to be down there, with a new quarterback, all that stuff to see how everybody operates, to see how they react, body language, just demeanor, everything."

However, this turned into a long-term, get-acquainted approach that probably lasted way too long. Bad losses to Montana and Michigan, in games in which the offense didn't fool anyone and was maddeningly unproductive, made Donovan and all of the coaches readdress everything they were doing.

For the past two games, both victories, Donovan took a seat in the coaches' booth, pulled on a headset and looked down on what he likened to something akin to a chess board.

"I told them, 'You're job on Saturday is to go out and make plays and play well and be productive and my job is to put you in the best position possible," he said. "In order for me to do that, it's probably best for me to go upstairs so I can see a little better, because I trust you guys, I trust the coaches and I trust everyone on the field now that they know what they're doing."

The offensive coordinator insisted that the decision was all his, that coach Jimmy Lake didn't apply any pressure. There was plenty of that going around by itself.

While James eventually returned home and slept in his own bed, Donovan likely will occupy the coaches' booth from here on out, for however long that is.

"I felt it was time and I told them," Donovan said. "It was not a big deal. Something had to change anyway."

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