Hi, I'm Steve

You can't judge a coach's ability by his first press conference, but if Steve Sarkisian's initial media meet-and-greet is any indication, he realizes the importance of public relations. At least on TV, the event had the feel of a pep rally, and fans packed the Don James Center. Sarkisian hit all the right notes, honoring UW's past glory -- including the school's defeat of BYU in 1996, when Sarkisian himself was sacked 8 times -- while pumping up supporters for a bright future.

The 34-year-old Sarkisian oozed passion and energy, even as he lapsed into oxymoronic coachspeak (example: when asked how long it would take to turn the program around, Sarkisian said, "It's going to take some time, but that doesn't mean it can't happen fast." Huh?). But what you took away from this stagecraft was that UW has a young guy who will be a dogged recruiter ("The top players in this state should never leave") and will relate to fans. The loudest applause came when Sarkisian announced he would open up practices to the public and the media, something Tyrone Willingham was criticized for not doing. Sarkisian apparently learned a few tricks from Pete Carroll's PR manual and he knows how not to be Willingham.

What other Pac-10 schools may be privately applauding is that Sarkisian will continue to call plays for UW. Some USC fans bashed his play-calling while urging him to be fired. Still, he preached protecting Jake Locker better and intimated that he'd like his QB to run less and pass accurately more. Sarkisian has worked with some of the best college quarterbacks in recent years, so Locker should benefit from his new coach's experience.

Sarkisian will continue working for USC through the Rose Bowl, then take the reins here on January 2nd. It will be months before he has a chance to win a game for UW, but Sarkisian already appears to have won over many fans. Unlike his predecessor, Sarkisian seems to realize the importance of first impressions and how big a role PR plays in a job like this.