UW boosters offer big boos

SEATTLE – A University of Washington booster offered $200,000 for law school scholarships if coach Ty Willingham and athletic director Todd Turner were fired, the Seattle Times reported Thursday.

The offer was made by Ed Hansen, 68, a multimillionaire lawyer and former three-term mayor of Everett, to university president Mark A. Emmert in some of the approximately 1,000 e-mails obtained by the Times in a public records request. The e-mails were written to Emmert, Willingham and Turner over the past four months.

Turner, hired in 2004, was credited with restoring integrity to Huskies athletic programs before he resigned Dec. 11, six days after Emmert retained Willingham, whose teams have gone 2-9 in 2005, 5-7 in 2006 and 4-9 in 2007. Turner, whose resignation takes effect Jan. 31, was an ardent backer of Willingham.

When Emmert was hired in 2004, the athletic department was hurting from a number of blows, including the firing of football coach Rick Neuheisel for lying and participating in college basketball betting pools, his lawsuit against the school and a scandal in which the softball team’s doctor pleaded guilty to improperly giving prescription narcotics to players.

Emmert hired Turner to replace Barbara Hedges after she resigned as A.D., and Turner hired Willingham after the coach had been dropped by Notre Dame.

At least 100 e-mails included threats to withdraw or withhold financial support ranging from season ticket purchases to donations unless Willingham, Turner or both were fired.

The biggest sums were in an e-mail from Hansen, a Frontier Bank founder whose stock in the bank is worth nearly $7 million.

“By this letter I hereby pledge to contribute a minimum of $100,000 towards a law school scholarship within 90 days, conditioned upon the termination of Ty Willingham as football coach,” Hansen wrote.

“In addition, I hereby pledge a second $100,000 towards a law school scholarship within 90 days, conditioned upon the termination of Todd Turner as athletic director.

“Also, I do not intend to contribute any further funds to the athletic department as long as these two gentlemen are employed by the university.”

At the other end of the economic spectrum, a Seattle grade school teacher wrote that he bought his infant daughter a Huskies cheerleader outfit but would no longer buy school merchandise or attend games until Willingham was dumped “because now Husky Saturdays are days of sadness, and why would I want my daughter to share that?”

Nearly three-quarters of the e-mails were critical. Supporters of Willingham included members and leaders of a number of black groups, including James Bible, president of the King County NAACP chapter.

“As you are likely aware, Coach Willingham has become a pillar in our community and is well on his way toward returning the football program to respectability,” Bible wrote.

Also backing Willingham was Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander, who wrote Emmert that since 2005 the NFL club had been putting more emphasis on character.

“Ty has set the table for this to happen, holding character above other things,” Alexander wrote. “Let him finish what he started and you’ll be pleased with all your decisions.”

Ex-Seahawks quarterback Jeff Kemp praised Willingham’s “commitment to excellence” and dedication to ideals.

“This man has changed lives and the reputation of UW football player culture (of which there were too many sad embarrassments before),” Kemp wrote, including the parenthetical material. “He is building a foundation, and winning will result.”

One of UW’s most successful coaches, Don James, sent Turner an e-mail of praise after Willingham was retained:

“Todd, Congratulations on standing tough. In my view you made the right decision.”