August 19, 2005

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Palo Alto Online

Reality check

by Nathan Kurz

Want a sense of why everyone who has talked to new Stanford football coach Walt Harris actually believes he can turn around the dismal Cardinal program?

Asked about how excited he was to work with Stanford's core group of wide receivers, including budding stars Mark Bradford and Evan Moore, Harris tempered his comments.

"They're OK, but remember, you're talking to a guy who has had the privilege of coaching eight first-round draft picks and a Biletnikoff winner (Larry Fitzgerald)," he said. "They're not on the (award) watch list, but they've got some potential."

Some say a team's personality mirrors that of its coach. If that's true, good days lie ahead for Stanford football.

The hard-nosed, discipline-oriented Harris will bring a no-nonsense attitude to a Stanford team that's lacked a sense of stability and direction since the departure of popular coach Tyrone Willingham in 2001.

"He's just so straightforward," sophomore running back Anthony Kimble said. "He's brought a lot more attention to detail and to the little things. We needed that. It will help us in the long run."

The contrasts between Harris and his much-maligned predecessor, Buddy Teevens, could not be any starker.

Teevens, let go after going 10-23 in three seasons, was the gun-shy, hesitant coach responsible for one of the most unimaginative offenses at Stanford in recent memory. His mentality consisted of exaggerating improvement, which concerned fans and alumni, who came to perceive Teevens, a likable guy who has worked under offensive gurus such as Steve Spurrier at Florida, as out of touch with reality.

Ultimately, the coaching track record is what most separates Harris from Teevens.

While Teevens came to The Farm with a 11-45 mark in five seasons at Tulane -- arguably his most high-profile head coaching position -- Harris arrives in Palo Alto with a history of turning mediocrity into excellence.

Before Harris started at the University of Pittsburgh, the Panthers hadn't won more than five games in each of the previous five seasons. But the Panthers went 39-23 and reached a bowl game in each of Harris' last five years in Pittsburgh.

"I think everyone likes the confidence he brings here," senior cornerback T.J. Rushing said. "Maybe that's just what we needed: someone who's confident in himself and his system."

During training camp, Harris has talked at length about the importance of the players buying into his system, and the players seem to be echoing his sentiments.

"This is not about me; it's about the players," Harris said. "We just have to get our program up to the level it can. We have to do a better job of coaching and a better job of playing."

The Cardinal similarly claimed they were buying into Teevens' schemes at the onset.

The important difference, again, is Harris' track record; not only did he revitalize the Panthers' passing game but also developed NFL-quality running backs (Kevan Barlow in 2001 and Brandon Miree 2004).

"When Coach Harris shows us examples of things that have worked for him in the past, the young guys have something to model themselves on," Kimble said. Added junior safety Brandon Harrison: "Even for the first couple days of camp, there's been a confidence about us. Maybe it has to do with looking at their track record and believing in their system."

In some ways, the Stanford community has already witnessed a transition from a coach running a loose ship to one emphasizing strictness and accountability.

When Willingham took over the Cardinal in 1994, Stanford was coming off consecutive losing seasons under the laid-back Bill Walsh, who had mellowed in his old age and gave his assistants more authority in dealing with players.

Willingham then guided the Cardinal to consecutive bowl games his first two seasons and eventually led Stanford to the Rose Bowl in 1999.

Harris isn't inheriting as much talent as Willingham and his schedule is far more brutal, so immediate results may be hard to come by.

That won't be easy for the new Stanford coach to get used to. "He's so passionate about winning," Harrison said. "You can tell in every meeting and practice that it means so much to him. You don't want to let down a guy like that."

One more tidbit: At Teevens's hiring press conference, he talked at great length about importing Spurrier's high-flying offense from Florida.

"From an offensive standpoint, we would like to be wide-open throwing outfit," he said in 2002. "Certainly my background with Steve Spurrier is conducive to that. The history here at Stanford, from John Ralston right on through, you always have wonderful receivers and quarterbacks - a very exciting offense."

While Teevens certainly had personnel issues that hindered the development of the Stanford offense, many forget that Teevens was merely the assistant offensive coordinator and tight ends coach at Florida.

Primary among his issues was the confusion created by changing three offensive coordinators in as many years.

Teevens had a personality clash with Mike Sanford, then hired David Kelly, who had no experience as a Division I coordinator, then added Bill Cubit, who led a Rutgers offense that ranked last in total offense in the country in 2002.

Harris will serve as his own offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach this season. He'll only have to answer to himself.

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