When Idaho coach Paul Petrino assembled his staff in December, he assembled one that had experience, youthful energy and familiarity with Moscow and the Pacific Northwest. Mike Anderson might be a check in all three of those columns.
File photo by Theo Lawson | Argonaut
Senior linebacker Matt Willis makes a tackle during Idaho’s second spring scrimmage on April 6. Willis is one of a few returning linebackers from 2012 and joins a group of four junior college transfers competing for starting positions during spring practice, under new linebackers coach Mike Anderson.
The former Idaho linebacker and Lewiston native was one of Petrino’s first hires, tapping Anderson to oversee his linebackers. Prior to returning to northern Idaho, Anderson spent four years as a graduate assistant and defensive assistant under Steve Sarkisian at Washington.
“It’s a lot of fun, it’s fun to be back here, a lot of memories, but at the same time it’s good to come back and work hard and take the next step and everyday try to get better with the team,” Anderson said.
Anderson worked his way up the coaching ladder at Washington, assisting with game planning and strength training during the 2012 season, but when the call from Petrino came it proved too good to pass up.
“I was very excited, I’d heard a lot about coach Petrino throughout my career, I knew a lot about him, and for him to want me to be on his staff was a great honor,” Anderson said. “Also to be at my alma mater was very exciting.”
Anderson returns to Idaho with a challenge in front of him, not only because the program has only won three games the last two seasons, but because the linebacking core doesn’t return a single starter.
Junior college transfers have filled the void during spring ball, with competition heating up as every starting spot is up for grabs.
“It’s been awesome, a lot of competing, I love the competition, coming from junior college the competition is way different, but if feels good to be over here,” junior Eric Tuipulotu said.
Tuipulotu has been one of the standout performers for Idaho at the position this spring, amassing six tackles in Idaho’s latest scrimmage. He’ll likely garner some playing time at outside linebacker come fall.
Returners at the position such as Matt Willis have had to step up from their reserve roles last season, now competing for starting spots. He said it hasn’t been that much of a challenge meshing with the new guys despite the competition.
“It really hasn’t been very challenging for me with the new guys, everything has been great, we fit in very well, we all hangout afterward, from that aspect not really much,” Willis said.
Despite the new faces, they’re all on the same page when it comes to the defensive scheme, Anderson said.
“The good thing about it too is us being a new staff, everybody got a fresh start anyway and everybody was on new footing in that way, even the returners, everybody is learning something new,” Anderson said.
Still, the challenge is getting the new faces to come together and play with chemistry, a problem that other defensive groups, such as the defensive line, shouldn’t have as much of a problem with.
“The new challenge always when you’re bringing in a
lot of guys is getting them to mesh and having leaders rise up in the group, so that’s been my biggest challenge is getting guys to step up and be leaders and realize they can be,” Anderson said. “I think we’re getting there, I think we’re taking steps everyday. We’re leading by example everyday.”
Sean Kramer can be reached at [email protected]