New Flavor

SEATTLE » Don Schulze knows just how hungry University of Washington football fans are for a winner.

“Our best seller every football game weekend is the ‘Sarkburger’ ” — named for Huskies coach Steve Sarkisian — says the proprietor of Shultzy’s Sausage, an institution on “The Ave.,” as the main thoroughfare in the UW District is known.

The “Sarkburger” — described as “freshly ground top sirloin, swiss cheese, crispy hickory smoked bacon, a sweet pineapple ring and caramelized onion with a Sark-iyaki glaze” — is the creation of the Huskies’ third-year head coach, which these days assures popularity here.

Whether it is burgers or omnipresent “Bark for Sark” T-shirts, fans have bought into the purple and gold resurgence the former Brigham Young University quarterback has sold since the December day in 2008 he took over as the surprise successor to Tyrone Willingham.

A surprise, that is, because the then-34-year-old Sarkisian had never been a head coach and came from a hated rival, Southern California.

But from an opening press conference that had a revivalist feel to it, Sarkisian has said the right things about embracing tradition and fast-tracking rebuilding, and his teams have done enough on the field to capture imaginations and inspire hope for this season as the University of Hawaii comes to town Saturday.

“Sark is young, dynamic and approachable — and he can win,” said Schulze, who said he never offered Willingham a chance to design a signature meal because “he couldn’t win.”

Willingham’s 11-37 tenure, which concluded with an 0-12 thump in 2008, was not only rock bottom for a once-proud program but seemed to suck the life out of it.

It was a tenure that made even more distant the once-regular Rose Bowl appearances under the much revered “Dawgfather,” Don James (1975-92).

But not only had none of James’ four successors been able to approach that kind of success, few really connected with fans the way that Sarkisian seems to. Two victories over USC have made palatable the rebuilding that has come in 5-7 and 7-6 finishes in the first two seasons under Sarkisian, who is 13-13 entering the UH game.

That 2010 ended an eight-year bowl absence and concluded with a rousing upset of Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl was hailed here as a sign that things might not just be on track but maybe even ahead of schedule. To be sure, the feeling this year is that the Huskies might be able to mount a rise in the reshuffled Pac-12 North if things come around under the new starting quarterback, sophomore Keith Price.

“There are a lot of expectations here — and there should be,” Sarkisian said. “There is a lot of support and a proud, proud tradition. The administration has worked to give us the things we feel we need to get the job done.”

Indeed, Sarkisian ($1.98 million) and defensive coordinator, Nick Holt ($652,000), were two of the state’s highest paid employees last year.

For that fans are hoping for a season to savor with their burgers.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.