WASHINGTON vs. PURDUE • THE ROSE BOWL • JANUARY 1, 2001 HEAD COACH RICK NEUHEISEL WhenRickNeuheiselfirstarrivedatWashingtoninJanuaryof1999,hetookalook schooltohonorhisacademicexcellence,andalsoearnedanNCAApostgraduate aroundandmadeadecision.Hedecidedthattherewasnotimeforfeeling-outprocess; scholarshipasheaspiredtoattendlawschool.NeuheiselwasinductedintotheRose notimetore-build.Hedecidedthattherewasnotimetowasteandaskedtheplayersto Bowl’sHallofFamein1998. hoponboardfortheride. Heplayedtwoseasons(1984,1985),withtheSanAntonioGunslingersoftheUnited Now,twoseasonslater,therideisstillspeedingalongandtheHuskieshavehadone StatesFootballLeague.Followingthe1985USFLseason(whichwasoverbytheendof oftheirbestseasonsinhistory.In2000,theHuskiespostedtheirfirst10-winseason summer),hedecidedtousehisNCAAscholarshipawardandenrolledinlawschoolat sincegoing12-0in1991.Theyalsolandedtheirhighestpostseasonranking(currently SouthernCalifornia.Thefollowingsummer,hejoinedtheUCLAstaffasavolunteer No.4)sincethe‘91seasonandarereturningtotheRoseBowlforthefirsttimesincethe coach,specificallytotutorTroyAikmanontheUCLAoffense.Aikmanmaturedunder 1992campaign. Neuheisel’stutelage,andthetworemainclosefriendstothisday. Washingtontrailedineightofits10winsin2000,showingincredibleresilienceand In1987,NeuheiselplayedintheNationalFootballLeague.Hesuitedupforthree heart,nottomentionstrategy,inpullingofffivefourth-quartercomebacksinarow. gamesfortheSanDiegoChargers(startingtwo),andstillholdsateamrecordfor Forhisefforts,Neuheiselwaslistedasafinalistforcoachoftheyearbyseveral completionpercentageinagame(81.8,going18-of-22for217yardsandatouchdownat differentmediaoutlets. TampaBay).Hecompleted40-of-59passesinthosethreegamesfor367yardsandone In1999,hisfirstseasonastheheadfootballcoachatWashington,Neuheisel touchdown,andaddedanothertouchdownrushing.Anotherclaimtohisshort-lived accomplishedsomethingthatnoneofhispredecessorsachieved.HeguidedtheHuskies NFLfameisthatheisthelastplayertorushforaone-pointconversion,runningina toa7-5record,includinganinvitationtothe1999CulliganHolidayBowl,becomingthe muffedPATattemptatCincinnati.Thisisforeveratriviaanswer,withtheNFLnow firstUWcoachtotakeateamtoabowlgameduringhisinauguralseason. sportingthetwo-pointconversion. Pickedtofinishanywherebetweenfifthtoeighthinthepreseasonpolls,Neuheisel’s HeclosedouttheseasonwiththeTampaBayBuccaneers,dressingoutfortwo firstHuskysquadfinishedPac-10playwitha6-2recordandtiedforsecondplaceinthe games,butnevergettingthechancetoplay.HeworethesamenumberatTampaBay conference.QuiteanaccomplishmentconsideringtheHuskiesdidnothaveasingle (No.7)thatheworeforSanDiego. playernamedfirst-teamall-conference. Neuheiselwouldagainreturntohisalmamater,butthistimeinthecapacityofafull- HuskyfootballfansandcasualsportsfollowersalikehavequicklyembracedNeuheisel timeassistantcoachinchargeofthequarterbacks,whichhewouldcoachforthenext forthesparkhehasaddedtoWashington'sstoriedfootballtradition.Asapublicspeaker, twoseasonsbeforeswitchingtoreceiverscoachin1990. heisinhighdemand.Neuheiselhasspokenatnumerousfundraisingeventsand WhileanassistantatUCLA,Neuheiselcontinuedhisstudiesinhispursuitofalaw generatedloftycontributionswithhischarasmaticspeechesandpenchantforinnovative degree.HegraduatedfromtheUniversityofSouthernCaliforniaSchoolofLawin1990 fundraisingideas. withhisjurisdoctordegree.HewouldbeswornintotheArizonaStateBarAssociationin NeuheiseltookovertheWashingtonprograminJanuaryof1999afterservingasthe Mayof1991,andtheWashington,D.C.BarinMarch,1993. headfootballcoachatColoradofrom1995to1998.Hisfive-yearcoachingrecordnow Neuheisel'sbeganhiscollegiateplayingcareerasawalkonatUCLA,holdingfor standsat50-20(.714). kickerJohnLee,andeventuallybattledSteveBonoforthestartingquarterbackjobby Washingtonisthesecondheadcoachingpositionforthe39-yearoldNeuheisel, hissenioryear.Hesecuredthestartingjobfourgamesintotheregularseasonand whospentsevenseasonsasanassistantcoachpriortosecuringtheColoradojob.He quarterbackedtheBruinstothePac-10championshipin1983,earninghonorablemention workedsixyearsathisalmamater,UCLA,underhiscollegecoachTerryDonahue,and All-Pac10honorsintheprocess.HewasnamedtheMostValuablePlayerinthe1984 wasanassistantcoachforoneseasononBillMcCartney’sstaffinBoulder.Hewasnamed RoseBowlwhenUCLAbeatIllinois,45-9.Inthatgame,Neuheiselcompleted22-of-31 theheadcoachatColoradoonNov.29,1994. passesfor298yardsandfourTDs,includingapairtoKarlDorrell,Washington’sformer AtColorado,Neuheiselcompileda33-14(.702)recordandwas3-0inpostseason offensivecoordinator. bowlgames.AllthreeofhisbowlgameswereagainstPac-10Conferenceopponents.He Neuheiselcompleted198of290passesfor2,480yardsand15touchdownsinhis had20winsinhisfirsttwoseasonsasacollegecoach,whichtiedforthefourth-mostby UCLAcareer,whichatthetimeplacedhimsixthontheBruins’all-timepassingyardslist. afirst-timecollegecoachintheDivisionI-Amodernera.BothofthoseColoradoteams Hestillholdsschoolrecordsincompletionpercentageforbothasingleseason(69.3as finishedinthetop-10ofthenationalpolls. asenior)andcareer(68.3).Anotherschoolrecordhestillholds,completionpercentage Neuheiselhadanumberof"firsts"whilecoachingtheBuffaloes: inasinglegame,setanNCAArecordatthetime;Neuheiselcompleted25of27passes •Hebecamethefirstfirst-yearColoradocoachtotakeateamtoabowlgame (including18straightatonepoint)for287yardsagainstWashingtonin1983,aremarkable •Theteam’s10winsin1995werethemosteverbyafirst-yearCUcoach. 92.6percent. •TheBuffaloesNo.4rankingintheUSATodaystandingsandNo.5rankinginthefinal HegraduatedfromMcClintockHighSchoolinTempe,Ariz.,in1979,andwasthe AssociatedPresspollweretheeighth-highestrankingseverforafirst-yearcoach. school’smostoutstandingathletehissenioryearasheletteredinfootball(quarterback), •Neuheisel’s10winshisfirstyeartiedforthefifth-mostbyarookie. basketball(guard)andbaseball(shortstop,outfield,pitcher).Heisamemberof •The1996Coloradoteamsetaschoolrecordbywinning10consecutiveroadgames. McClintock’sHallofFame. •The1997BuffaloteamproducedthreeAll-Americans,includingButkusAwardwinner RichardGeraldNeuheisel,Jr.,wasbornonFeb.7,1961,inMadison,Wis.,wherehe MattRussell. madehisdebutasaheadcoachwhenCUbeatWisconsin43-7.Heismarriedtothe •Heisonlythefourthcoachtoguidehisfirsttwoteamstoapairof10-winseasons. formerSusanWilkinson,andtheyhavethreechildren,Jerry(8),Jack(5)andJoe(3). TheroadthatledNeuheiselintocoachingwasaninteresting,ifnotauniqueone. Neuheisel’sfather,Dick,wasoneoftheoriginalTempeDiablos,agroupwhichhelped Afterfinishinghiscollegecareerwithaspectacularperformanceinthe1984RoseBowl foundtheFiestaBowl,andisaformerpresidentofSisterCitiesInternational,aworldwide inwhichhewasnamedthe goodwillorganization.The game’sMostValuable Neuheisel’s Coaching Record sonofDickandJane,Rick Player,hegraduatedfrom hasthreesisters,Nancy, UCLAinMay,1984,witha Overall Conference KatieandDeborah.From bachelor’sdegreein Year School W L Pct. Pts Opp. W L Pct Pts Opp Place hishomeonLakeWash- politicalscience.Neuheisel 1995 Colorado 10 2 .833 444 240 5 2 .714 226 178 tie-2nd ington,heoccasionally hadasolid3.4gradepoint 1996 Colorado 10 2 .833 352 220 7 1 .825 221 126 2nd driveshisboattowork.He average,thehighestofall 1997 Colorado 5 6 .455 300 295 3 5 .375 246 228 tie-4th hasbeenasemi-regular graduatingfootballseniors, 1998 Colorado 8 4 .667 251 210 4 4 .500 155 169 4th participantontheCelebrity andwasnamedAcademic 1999 Washington 7 5 .583 331 302 6 2 .750 231 188 tie-2nd GolfAssociationTour.In All-Pac10.HewontheJack 2000 Washington 10 1 .909 353 246 7 1 .875 258 183 tie-1st 1999,amonthbeforethe R.RobinsonandPaulI. U.S.OpenatPebbleBeach, Wellmanawardsfromthe Totals 6years 50 20 .714 2031 1513 32 15 .681 1337 1072 — heshota76onthecourse. 2000 UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON FOOTBALL POSTSEASON MEDIA GUIDE Page 51.