Steve Sarkisian won't retain any of Tyrone Willingham's assistants

Steve Sarkisian's extreme makeover of the Washington football coaching staff became complete Monday when he decided not to retain Chris Tormey, the only member of Tyrone Willingham's staff who hadn't been let go last week.

A source close to the situation confirmed that Tormey was told Monday that Sarkisian planned to go in a different direction.

Sarkisian is expected to comment publicly for the first time on his plans for UW's coaching staff when he meets the media today.

Tormey had been UW's linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator the past five years, after also spending 11 years as an assistant under Don James and Jim Lambright from 1984 to 1994. He was head coach at Idaho and Nevada between the two stints.

Tormey had been told last week he was being kept on, at least temporarily, until Sarkisian figured out what he wanted to do with the rest of his staff.

But Monday, Tormey was apparently told not to plan on being back.

One source confirmed that at least three of Sarkisian's hires were working at UW on Monday — offensive coordinator and line coach Jim Michalczik, defensive-line coach Johnny Nansen and secondary coach Demetrice Martin.

There have also been reports that Sarkisian has hired, or is close to hiring, Charlie Camp as linebackers coach and Yogi Roth as quarterbacks coach. However, one source said those two weren't at UW on Monday.

Sarkisian has said he wanted to get a few coaches in immediately to begin recruiting but wouldn't rush to fill his entire staff, so it's possible a couple spots will remain open for a while.

The biggest question remaining is who will be the defensive coordinator. USC secondary coach Rocky Seto told reporters in Los Angeles over the weekend he had been offered the job and was mulling whether to take it. As of Monday afternoon, he had made no decision public and sources were unsure what he was going to do. There has also been speculation that former New Mexico coach Rocky Long, a former defensive coordinator at Oregon State and UCLA, is under consideration, as well as Louisville defensive coordinator Ron English, who interviewed at UW last year.

Tormey's departure will mark the first complete overhaul of UW's staff in at least the past 50 years.

Don James kept three members of Jim Owens' staff when he took over in 1975 — including Jim Lambright, who started under Owens in 1969.

Rick Neuheisel kept two members of Lambright's staff in 1999, and Tyrone Willingham kept two members of the former staff when he arrived in 2005, including Tormey. (And there was wholesale retention when Lambright and Keith Gilbertson ascended to the job suddenly in 1993 and 2003.)

But after an 0-12 season and 14 straight losses, few were surprised that Sarkisian would decide to start completely anew.

In fact, the makeover goes even deeper as the Huskies will also have a new full-time athletic director in Scott Woodward and a new associate AD overseeing football in O.D. Vincent.

Most notable of the new hires could be Michalczik, who had been offensive-line coach at California the past seven years as coach Jeff Tedford led a revitalization of that program.

Michalczik played guard at Washington State from 1984 to 1988. He is a Port Angeles native and is married to former UW volleyball player Jennifer Streatfield. At California he was noted for putting together road-grading offensive lines, with the Bears leading the Pac-10 in rushing in 2003 and 2004.

Nansen also is a former Cougars football player, playing linebacker in the mid-1990s under coach Mike Price, and most recently was defensive line-coach and special-teams coordinator at Idaho.

Martin played cornerback at Michigan State and has coached primarily in the junior-college ranks in Southern California but also spent two years as a graduate assistant at USC in 2006 and 2007 when he worked with Taylor Mays, among others.

Camp previously coached at Nevada and San Jose State, among others, and Roth is a graduate assistant at USC.

Washington might also today announce the hiring of Ivan Lewis as strength and conditioning coach. Lewis' hire at UW has been confirmed by several sources. He was an assistant at USC.

Bob Condotta: 206-515-5699 or bcondotta@seattletimes.com