Idaho Vandals

Robb Akey talks contract + signing day + Mike Iupati

Posted on 03 February 2010 by Jesse Baumgartner

First, a few highlights from today’s signing day over in Moscow.

The unexpected development was that Idaho got Maxx Forde, whose dad played at Washington State and who (according to Cougfan.com) had verbally committed to the Cougars. He’s rated as a 3-star defensive lineman, from Woodinville, Wash., and that’s quite a steal for the Vandals.

UI made an obvious effort to go after offensive and defensive linemen, signing seven and six, respectively at those positions. They also picked up an intriguing transfer in Ryan Bass, who was a 4-star recruit coming into Arizona State and played two seasons before getting suspended last year for team violations. He’s also a cousin of Idaho WR Marsel Posey.

Now, Robb Akey also answered some questions about his contract negotiations and the departure of quarterbacks coach Jonathan Smith to Montana (as an O-coordinator). Here are some quotes on those subjects.

On his contract renegotiation …… “I do expect for the contract, for those things to get taken care of. And that’s something that we’re in negotiations, we continue to be in negotiations, and I expect that that’ll get itself cleaned up a little bit more here shortly. And while we’re in negotiations, I think that that’s where I need to leave it at.”

On whether he thinks the contract issues would be done if it wasn’t recruiting season….“Oh I would expect. There have been a few things that have gotten in the way since the end of the season. And it hasn’t been ignored. The university hasn’t ignored it, and I haven’t ignored it. It’s just, we’re having conversations and I think that’s a good thing. I also felt like the Humanitarian Bowl was pretty important and the recruiting process was pretty important, and I think we all have the same goal in mind.”

Akey has also expressed concern over compensating his assistants better, which factors into the negotiations.

“We’re negotiating everything about the … and it’s about the staff,” he said. ” So what I said before is what I’m concerned about. And we’re negotiating it, so I think that that means it’s a good thing.”

On whether he was surprised by Smith’s departure……“No it didn’t, because I think he’s damn good. And when I know somebody’s that good and now we’re having success, other people know that, too. And it’s not like he’s a guy that didn’t have contacts and nobody knew him.”

More on Smith….“When (new Montana coach) Robin Pflugard called me, he did it the right way. He wanted to ask permission to talk to him, and he obviously wanted my opinion of him. Well, I told him, I said I’d love to tell you that he’s (bad), and he’s terrible and you don’t want him on your staff. But I’d be lying, and that wouldn’t be fair to Jonathan. So I told him what I thought of Jonathan. I thought he’d at least interview him…. he called him and offered him the job.”

More on Smith ….“That says something for our program if people look at guys that way, especially to bring them into decision-making positions. It’s a compliment to us. It doesn’t make our life any easier, but it is, in the grand scheme of things, it is a compliment. It’s also part of the business.”

FINALLY, I was also leaving the football center when I ran into Mike Iupati, fresh off his appearance in the Senior Bowl on Jan. 30. He’s training for the NFL Combine (Feb. 24 in Indianapolis) right now, working on his speed, bench press and cone drills. He’s also signed with an agent — Ryan Tollner of the Rep 1 Sports Group. He said he’s gotten lots of first-round projections, but the Combine is obviously an important part of the draft process. Iupati also said a lot of people were surprised with how well he did at the bowl.

Here are a couple of quotes.

On the senior bowl …. “The speed, the tempo and everything is a lot different,” he said. “You think that you’re going to try to dominate — no. Everyone’s a superstar there. … You’ve just got to adjust to the game.”

More on the bowl …. “To me I went there and I had a mindset of it’s a job interview, and just do my best. … I went in with high expectations. A lot of people, some of them they rated me as the number one guard, so I went there, my mentality was to play like the number one guard.”