We ran a breakdown on what fans should expect with the Lewis Powell hiring this morning. Powell has always been high on our list of coaches we'd like to see brought in. Derek is especially bullish on Powell's hiring, and this is a place where his opinion counts. In addition to the points we make in the article, there are a few more reasons to like this hire:
- Powell brings some stability and legitimacy in the eyes of the Polynesian community. He's well connected and well liked in the community. He knows the islands really well, but also has ties in the Salt Lake Valley, California and Texas. In fact, although he wasn't a recruiting coach at the time, it was Powell's family connections that helped open the doors into Euless Trinity (LT Tuipulotu and Hiva Lutui were the first two in a long line of players from Euless).
- Along those lines, Coach Whittingham has long taken pride in the cultural and racial diversity in the football program - which is reflected in both the coaching staff and on the roster. It's one of the things that makes the Utah program unique, and Powell will contribute to that diversity in a positive way.
- He is absolutely a player's coach. Kids in the program will relate to him. He'll be an asset in that regard. Both Kalani Sitake and E Tuiaki were players coaches, and it wasn't uncommon for players on both sides of the ball to reach out to them for support. Powell can absolutely step in and help fill that void.
If you haven't already, please check out the article here:
Powell
- Powell brings some stability and legitimacy in the eyes of the Polynesian community. He's well connected and well liked in the community. He knows the islands really well, but also has ties in the Salt Lake Valley, California and Texas. In fact, although he wasn't a recruiting coach at the time, it was Powell's family connections that helped open the doors into Euless Trinity (LT Tuipulotu and Hiva Lutui were the first two in a long line of players from Euless).
- Along those lines, Coach Whittingham has long taken pride in the cultural and racial diversity in the football program - which is reflected in both the coaching staff and on the roster. It's one of the things that makes the Utah program unique, and Powell will contribute to that diversity in a positive way.
- He is absolutely a player's coach. Kids in the program will relate to him. He'll be an asset in that regard. Both Kalani Sitake and E Tuiaki were players coaches, and it wasn't uncommon for players on both sides of the ball to reach out to them for support. Powell can absolutely step in and help fill that void.
If you haven't already, please check out the article here:
Powell
