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Fear No Man: Don James, the '91 Huskies, and the Seven-Year Quest for a National Football Championship
In 1984 the University of Washington Huskies won every game but one, ranking second in national polls. For most coaches, such a season would be a career pinnacle. But for Don James second place motivated him to set aside what he knew about football and rethink the game. James made radical changes to his coaching philosophy, from recruitment to becoming one of the first college teams willing to blitz on any down and in any situation. His new approach initially failed, yet it finally culminated in one of the most explosive teams in college football history.
In Fear No Man, Mike Gastineau recounts the riveting story of Don James and the national championship team he built. Undefeated, the 1991 Huskies outscored opponents by an average of 31 points per game on their way to winning the Rose Bowl and a national championship. The team included twenty-five future NFL players, and in Gastineau's gripping account they come alive with all the swagger and joy they brought to the game. A brilliant examination of one of college football's greatest coaches and teams, Fear No Man is the inspirational story of an improbable journey that led to one classic and unforgettable season.
In Fear No Man, Mike Gastineau recounts the riveting story of Don James and the national championship team he built. Undefeated, the 1991 Huskies outscored opponents by an average of 31 points per game on their way to winning the Rose Bowl and a national championship. The team included twenty-five future NFL players, and in Gastineau's gripping account they come alive with all the swagger and joy they brought to the game. A brilliant examination of one of college football's greatest coaches and teams, Fear No Man is the inspirational story of an improbable journey that led to one classic and unforgettable season.
272 pages, Paperback
Published August 9, 2022
6 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
About the author
Mike Gastineau
5 books5 followersMike Gastineau is a freelance writer, author, broadcaster, and communications consultant.
His written work has appeared in SportspressNW.com, the Seattle Times, the Seattle Mariners Magazine, the Washington Athletic Club Magazine, Lindy’s College Football Magazine, and The Grand Salami. He has authored four books and consulted on a fifth.
His latest book, Fear No Man, details the 1991 University of Washington's successful quest to win a national college football title.
In 2018 he released Mr. Townsend and the Polish Prince. The book tells the remarkable story of Joe Purzycki, the first-ever white head football coach at a Historically Black College, and Nelson Townsend, the athletic director who had the courage to hire him. A script for a film based on the book is in development.
In 2015 he consulted with adventurer Stephen Trafton on Trafton’s book At The Edge, a story of Trafton’s adventures in the Arctic, his world-record high speed driving at Bonneville, and his colorful banking career. Gastineau wrote the first draft of the book and conducted most of the interviews for stories that were used in the book.
In 2013 his book Sounders FC: Authentic Masterpiece was published. The critically acclaimed regional best seller details the story behind the Seattle Sounders successful launch as a Major League Soccer expansion franchise in 2009. The book was published in Brazil in 2015.
In 2009, he teamed up with Art Thiel and Steve Rudman to co-author The Great Book of Seattle Sports Lists.
He worked full-time as a sports talk show host at KJR Radio in Seattle from 1991 to 2012.
Gastineau is on the Board of Directors for The Northwest Literacy Foundation, and the Morris Trophy.
Prior to his arrival in Seattle in 1991 he worked in radio in Montana, Nebraska, and Virginia. He is a 1982 graduate of Indiana University.
Mike and his wife Renee live on Whidbey Island with their dog Chico.
His written work has appeared in SportspressNW.com, the Seattle Times, the Seattle Mariners Magazine, the Washington Athletic Club Magazine, Lindy’s College Football Magazine, and The Grand Salami. He has authored four books and consulted on a fifth.
His latest book, Fear No Man, details the 1991 University of Washington's successful quest to win a national college football title.
In 2018 he released Mr. Townsend and the Polish Prince. The book tells the remarkable story of Joe Purzycki, the first-ever white head football coach at a Historically Black College, and Nelson Townsend, the athletic director who had the courage to hire him. A script for a film based on the book is in development.
In 2015 he consulted with adventurer Stephen Trafton on Trafton’s book At The Edge, a story of Trafton’s adventures in the Arctic, his world-record high speed driving at Bonneville, and his colorful banking career. Gastineau wrote the first draft of the book and conducted most of the interviews for stories that were used in the book.
In 2013 his book Sounders FC: Authentic Masterpiece was published. The critically acclaimed regional best seller details the story behind the Seattle Sounders successful launch as a Major League Soccer expansion franchise in 2009. The book was published in Brazil in 2015.
In 2009, he teamed up with Art Thiel and Steve Rudman to co-author The Great Book of Seattle Sports Lists.
He worked full-time as a sports talk show host at KJR Radio in Seattle from 1991 to 2012.
Gastineau is on the Board of Directors for The Northwest Literacy Foundation, and the Morris Trophy.
Prior to his arrival in Seattle in 1991 he worked in radio in Montana, Nebraska, and Virginia. He is a 1982 graduate of Indiana University.
Mike and his wife Renee live on Whidbey Island with their dog Chico.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 11, 2023
such a great insight into one of the best football teams washington has ever had!! wish i went to UW in 1991 lol
July 15, 2025
OK. I freely admit I am a little biased here, but I loved this book. One of the best sports books I have ever read. It was really fun to read about the inner workings of a championship team. I highly recomend it!
December 3, 2025
𝙁𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙉𝙤 𝙈𝙖𝙣 is pretty much the most well-known book on the 1991 Washington Huskies National Championship season. The book isn't very long (just 211 pages) but author Mike Gastineau put a lot about that '91 Huskies team in those 211 pages to satisfy any historical Huskies football fan or any historical college football fan.
𝙁𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙉𝙤 𝙈𝙖𝙣 was written by a man who has dedicated much of his life to writing about and broadcasting about various pro and college sports teams in the Seattle area including the Washington Huskies football program, the Seattle Mariners, and others. The man actually co-hosted a TV show (three football seasons) with the man (Don James) who was the head coach of the '91 Huskies, so it's safe to say (LOL) that Gastineau really knew his subject for this book.
The book started off discussing the 1984 to 1990 Huskies football teams which were teams who either were good, solid, decent, or on the cusp of greatness (1984 and 1990 teams). On page 14 of the book, the author put up a paragraph which discussed how disappointing it was to James that his '84 team didn't play for let alone win a National Championship (mainly due to a 16-7 loss to USC in Game 10). That disappointment helped drive James' passion for not letting a setback like that USC game befall his 1991 team.
Chapters 1 through 8 or pages 3 through 72 (the book started on page 3) were pretty much about the 1984 to 1990 Huskies teams, and I thought the author did a good job of giving the reader a good idea about the ups and downs of those seven seasons and how they served as a good leadup to what was the main subject of the book, the 1991 Huskies season. It's just like in a movie or TV show, you need the backstories, the detective work, and etc. to help you get to the good stuff which is the main plot or subject of the story (games 1 through 11 of the season) and then the climax (game 12, the 1992 Rose Bowl).
From chapters 9 to 22 (pages 73-198) Gastineau analyzed the 1991 Huskies season with game recaps on most of the games that the Huskies played that season (some games were left out due to them not being important to Gastineau's narrative about the team or they were blowout wins that didn't warrant space in the book) and some backstories on certain Huskies players and some of the coaches. Plus, one of the things I appreciated about the book was that the author put in some good quotes from players, coaches, area media personnel (when these quotes were originally said and from interviews with these people around the time the book was being written).
The book had two sections of color photos with some from the 1990 season and some from the 1991 season (most of them from the '91 season though) which helped give the reader a visual look at some of the key figures from that 1990 to 1991 period in Huskies football history.
Gastineau is a good writer, and he did a good job analyzing that '91 team, but the book was also helped by the quotes that he got from the 14 Huskies players that he interviewed which included wide receiver Mario Bailey, defensive lineman Steve Emtman, linebacker Chico Fraley, quarterback Billy Joe Hobert, and others. You can't have a book about an historical team without getting quotes from the players and coaches who were on that team and Gastineau understood that.
The book was filled with information that only people close to the team or who covered the team (like the author) would know. Like how in the offseason leading up to the 1989 season, Lincoln Kennedy was told (page 36) by his high school coach from Morse (John Shacklett) that he should switch to the offensive line, and he did and the rest was history (two-time college All-American and later an 11-year NFL career). Or like on page 130 the author let the reader know how much of the players from that '91 team felt about Magic Johnson's HIV diagnosis that year.
On page 154 of the book Gastineau laid it out on how Emtman was recruited and I ate that page up. I didn't know that it was the great Gary Pinkel (an assistant coach on that '91 Huskies team and later a head coach for the University of Toledo and then the University of Missouri) who recruited Emtman to Washington. I also found out in this book (chapter 18) that Emtman was lightly recruited out of Cheney, Washington. Talk about a rags to riches story.
I also found out (in chapter 19) how Michigan wide receiver Desmond Howard's behavior at some of the events (annual Rose Bowl soiree's and mingling events) that preceding the 1992 Rose Bowl game, rubbed a lot of Huskies players the wrong way which gave the Huskies defense the motivation to contain him in that 1992 Rose Bowl game. It was a good touch by the author putting in Howard's arrogance (Bailey's words not mine) at these Rose Bowl events and how he treated Bailey at some of those events motivated the Huskies receiver to outdo the Heisman winner in the game (and he did).
Pros of 𝙁𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙉𝙤 𝙈𝙖𝙣: The book was well written, and it covered the '91 Huskies season like a seasoned writer or beat reporter for a team is supposed to do. The book may not be the definitive book on the '91 Huskies season, but it did its job in telling the story of how that team put in the work to win the school's one and only National Title.
Cons of 𝙁𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙉𝙤 𝙈𝙖𝙣: As someone who was on the inside of the Huskies football program for so many years and who knew and who knew of many of the subjects on that '91 Huskies team, It would have been nice if the author would have included an ending chapter or an epilogue on where are members of that team now (coaches and players). Also, it wouldn't have hurt to have an ending chapter(s) or epilogue on the aftermath of the 1991 season which included some writing on the 1992 and 1993 seasons (why James resigned after the '93 season and why those teams fell short in their quests to get what the '91 team had, which was college football dominance and of course a National Title).
In closing, 𝙁𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙉𝙤 𝙈𝙖𝙣 was a good book on a team that deserved to be written about in book form. Articles all over the Internet on that '91 team only take you so far in terms of the intimate and deep dive into that team and their season. 𝙁𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙉𝙤 𝙈𝙖𝙣 is not the definitive book or authority on the 1991 Washington Huskies football season, but it was a well thought out, well curated, and thoughtful look on a team that sort of came out of nowhere and took the college football world by storm during the 1991 season. Every historical Huskies football fan should read this book or have it as part of their book collection.
𝙁𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙉𝙤 𝙈𝙖𝙣 was written by a man who has dedicated much of his life to writing about and broadcasting about various pro and college sports teams in the Seattle area including the Washington Huskies football program, the Seattle Mariners, and others. The man actually co-hosted a TV show (three football seasons) with the man (Don James) who was the head coach of the '91 Huskies, so it's safe to say (LOL) that Gastineau really knew his subject for this book.
The book started off discussing the 1984 to 1990 Huskies football teams which were teams who either were good, solid, decent, or on the cusp of greatness (1984 and 1990 teams). On page 14 of the book, the author put up a paragraph which discussed how disappointing it was to James that his '84 team didn't play for let alone win a National Championship (mainly due to a 16-7 loss to USC in Game 10). That disappointment helped drive James' passion for not letting a setback like that USC game befall his 1991 team.
Chapters 1 through 8 or pages 3 through 72 (the book started on page 3) were pretty much about the 1984 to 1990 Huskies teams, and I thought the author did a good job of giving the reader a good idea about the ups and downs of those seven seasons and how they served as a good leadup to what was the main subject of the book, the 1991 Huskies season. It's just like in a movie or TV show, you need the backstories, the detective work, and etc. to help you get to the good stuff which is the main plot or subject of the story (games 1 through 11 of the season) and then the climax (game 12, the 1992 Rose Bowl).
From chapters 9 to 22 (pages 73-198) Gastineau analyzed the 1991 Huskies season with game recaps on most of the games that the Huskies played that season (some games were left out due to them not being important to Gastineau's narrative about the team or they were blowout wins that didn't warrant space in the book) and some backstories on certain Huskies players and some of the coaches. Plus, one of the things I appreciated about the book was that the author put in some good quotes from players, coaches, area media personnel (when these quotes were originally said and from interviews with these people around the time the book was being written).
The book had two sections of color photos with some from the 1990 season and some from the 1991 season (most of them from the '91 season though) which helped give the reader a visual look at some of the key figures from that 1990 to 1991 period in Huskies football history.
Gastineau is a good writer, and he did a good job analyzing that '91 team, but the book was also helped by the quotes that he got from the 14 Huskies players that he interviewed which included wide receiver Mario Bailey, defensive lineman Steve Emtman, linebacker Chico Fraley, quarterback Billy Joe Hobert, and others. You can't have a book about an historical team without getting quotes from the players and coaches who were on that team and Gastineau understood that.
The book was filled with information that only people close to the team or who covered the team (like the author) would know. Like how in the offseason leading up to the 1989 season, Lincoln Kennedy was told (page 36) by his high school coach from Morse (John Shacklett) that he should switch to the offensive line, and he did and the rest was history (two-time college All-American and later an 11-year NFL career). Or like on page 130 the author let the reader know how much of the players from that '91 team felt about Magic Johnson's HIV diagnosis that year.
On page 154 of the book Gastineau laid it out on how Emtman was recruited and I ate that page up. I didn't know that it was the great Gary Pinkel (an assistant coach on that '91 Huskies team and later a head coach for the University of Toledo and then the University of Missouri) who recruited Emtman to Washington. I also found out in this book (chapter 18) that Emtman was lightly recruited out of Cheney, Washington. Talk about a rags to riches story.
I also found out (in chapter 19) how Michigan wide receiver Desmond Howard's behavior at some of the events (annual Rose Bowl soiree's and mingling events) that preceding the 1992 Rose Bowl game, rubbed a lot of Huskies players the wrong way which gave the Huskies defense the motivation to contain him in that 1992 Rose Bowl game. It was a good touch by the author putting in Howard's arrogance (Bailey's words not mine) at these Rose Bowl events and how he treated Bailey at some of those events motivated the Huskies receiver to outdo the Heisman winner in the game (and he did).
Pros of 𝙁𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙉𝙤 𝙈𝙖𝙣: The book was well written, and it covered the '91 Huskies season like a seasoned writer or beat reporter for a team is supposed to do. The book may not be the definitive book on the '91 Huskies season, but it did its job in telling the story of how that team put in the work to win the school's one and only National Title.
Cons of 𝙁𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙉𝙤 𝙈𝙖𝙣: As someone who was on the inside of the Huskies football program for so many years and who knew and who knew of many of the subjects on that '91 Huskies team, It would have been nice if the author would have included an ending chapter or an epilogue on where are members of that team now (coaches and players). Also, it wouldn't have hurt to have an ending chapter(s) or epilogue on the aftermath of the 1991 season which included some writing on the 1992 and 1993 seasons (why James resigned after the '93 season and why those teams fell short in their quests to get what the '91 team had, which was college football dominance and of course a National Title).
In closing, 𝙁𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙉𝙤 𝙈𝙖𝙣 was a good book on a team that deserved to be written about in book form. Articles all over the Internet on that '91 team only take you so far in terms of the intimate and deep dive into that team and their season. 𝙁𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙉𝙤 𝙈𝙖𝙣 is not the definitive book or authority on the 1991 Washington Huskies football season, but it was a well thought out, well curated, and thoughtful look on a team that sort of came out of nowhere and took the college football world by storm during the 1991 season. Every historical Huskies football fan should read this book or have it as part of their book collection.
February 6, 2022
3.5/5 stars:
The 1991 Washington Huskies football team was simply one of the *greatest* teams of all time. Over 20 future NFL players were on the team, coach Don James was legendary, and the Dawgs played 100 mph. The defense was merciless and the offense could score at will. Many of the games were over by halftime and the starters rarely played in the 4th quarter. I was a kid at the time and I remember how huge "Husky Fever" was. Not only did people argue about who should be #1 (UW or Miami; alas, there was no playoff back then), but I can recall arguments about whether or not the '91 Dawgs could beat the 1991 Seattle Seahawks! It was a thrill to watch the greatness of this team, and games/clips on YouTube today are 100% worth revisiting.
What is written in Mike Gastineau's book is very good. There is a lot about how the program was built, the coaches, and there are quotations and funny stories throughout. Some coaches and players are interviewed and these bits added a lot. But this book fails to deliver in some ways (see below), and that is why I am compelled to rate it 3.5/5 instead of 5/5 stars:
- Key players are not interviewed (notably Steve Emtman), and more importantly, there is very little background about the players' origins and personalities. I wanted to know more about each of the star players but it just never happened. For example, running back Beno Bryant, who was a huge part of the team, is barely mentioned, and Napoleon Kaufman (freshman but a very important Husky) only came up in the middle of a sentence a single time! The character development could have been far better. Nobody on the bench and no fans were interviewed.
- Other than a simple roster of the players, there is no appendix (scores, who's who, etc.). Also, there is an error: Napoleon Kaufman is from Lompoc, California (not Lompoc, Washington).
- The emphasis of the book is overwhelmingly on the coaches and the games. I wanted to read more about the players and the significance of the team. Something like 1/3 of the photographs are devoted to coaches! It felt disproportionate.
- There is no effort made to update the reader about what the players/coaches are up to 30 years later. I was disappointed. How did their NFL careers and/or personal lives go? What do they think of the season? Is there anything anyone wants to get off their chest after this long? Etc. True, there is some talk about the importance of the season but it could be *greatly* expanded.
- The massively important sanctions that UW received two years later (which caused Coach James to leave) and the 1992 season, which saw the Huskies ranked #1 for part of the season and also ended in a Rose Bowl, are entirely absent. I think these parts are vitally needed for context.
All in all, this is a fun ride about a great team, but there are some shortcomings.
The 1991 Washington Huskies football team was simply one of the *greatest* teams of all time. Over 20 future NFL players were on the team, coach Don James was legendary, and the Dawgs played 100 mph. The defense was merciless and the offense could score at will. Many of the games were over by halftime and the starters rarely played in the 4th quarter. I was a kid at the time and I remember how huge "Husky Fever" was. Not only did people argue about who should be #1 (UW or Miami; alas, there was no playoff back then), but I can recall arguments about whether or not the '91 Dawgs could beat the 1991 Seattle Seahawks! It was a thrill to watch the greatness of this team, and games/clips on YouTube today are 100% worth revisiting.
What is written in Mike Gastineau's book is very good. There is a lot about how the program was built, the coaches, and there are quotations and funny stories throughout. Some coaches and players are interviewed and these bits added a lot. But this book fails to deliver in some ways (see below), and that is why I am compelled to rate it 3.5/5 instead of 5/5 stars:
- Key players are not interviewed (notably Steve Emtman), and more importantly, there is very little background about the players' origins and personalities. I wanted to know more about each of the star players but it just never happened. For example, running back Beno Bryant, who was a huge part of the team, is barely mentioned, and Napoleon Kaufman (freshman but a very important Husky) only came up in the middle of a sentence a single time! The character development could have been far better. Nobody on the bench and no fans were interviewed.
- Other than a simple roster of the players, there is no appendix (scores, who's who, etc.). Also, there is an error: Napoleon Kaufman is from Lompoc, California (not Lompoc, Washington).
- The emphasis of the book is overwhelmingly on the coaches and the games. I wanted to read more about the players and the significance of the team. Something like 1/3 of the photographs are devoted to coaches! It felt disproportionate.
- There is no effort made to update the reader about what the players/coaches are up to 30 years later. I was disappointed. How did their NFL careers and/or personal lives go? What do they think of the season? Is there anything anyone wants to get off their chest after this long? Etc. True, there is some talk about the importance of the season but it could be *greatly* expanded.
- The massively important sanctions that UW received two years later (which caused Coach James to leave) and the 1992 season, which saw the Huskies ranked #1 for part of the season and also ended in a Rose Bowl, are entirely absent. I think these parts are vitally needed for context.
All in all, this is a fun ride about a great team, but there are some shortcomings.
August 21, 2022
What a fun book about the Husky football team that won the national championship in 1991. The author, Mike Gastineau, makes it clear at the beginning that the book was going to be a loving tribute to this special team and would not include any critical analysis of perhaps some of the cracks of the era which resulted in the Huskies being put on probation a couple of years later. Which is fine because there is nothing wrong with celebrating a special group of players and players.
The book sets the stage for the magical season noting the 1984 season where the Huskies won the Orange Bowl and should have won the national championship, the subsequent dip in Husky success and James setting a reset by recruiting faster players and opening up both the defensive and offensive playbooks. Much credit is given to Offensive and Defensive Coordinators Keith Gilbertson and Jim Gilbertson and their innovations, often to the initial unease of James. There are great memories and stories by the players themselves and many are described in detail. But what I may have appreciated the most was the credit given to Carol James, who was instrumental in recruiting and providing a family type feeling that allowed the players and coaches to push themselves
The book sets the stage for the magical season noting the 1984 season where the Huskies won the Orange Bowl and should have won the national championship, the subsequent dip in Husky success and James setting a reset by recruiting faster players and opening up both the defensive and offensive playbooks. Much credit is given to Offensive and Defensive Coordinators Keith Gilbertson and Jim Gilbertson and their innovations, often to the initial unease of James. There are great memories and stories by the players themselves and many are described in detail. But what I may have appreciated the most was the credit given to Carol James, who was instrumental in recruiting and providing a family type feeling that allowed the players and coaches to push themselves
June 7, 2022
Five stars from this lifelong Husky for the awesome memories. Also five stars for the excellent interviews and input from key players and coaches to paint a picture of drive, excellence, and passion coupled with the good fortune to be in that place at that time with those brothers. After 30 years they all appreciate how lucky they were to be part of it. Well done drawing that out, Gas Man.
September 15, 2023
If you are a Husky fan and old enough to remember Don James, this is a book for you. Even if not, still a good read about probably the best team (1991) in UW history. So, any chance this year's team will match them? Best chance in a long time and these days it will not be a vote but an actual playoff.
October 26, 2021
What a fun book for Husky fans, especially given the team this year! Mike Gastineau helps us relive the gloriest year of the glory years of Husky football and includes many good insider stories. A must read for all Husky football fans.
December 17, 2024
The average bloke would have no interest in this one, but gosh EASY 5 stars for me. Could barely put it down. Got me so fired up. Learned a lot too about a special team, including many details I won’t forget. Definitely worth the read for all Die Hard Dawgs Fans.
September 7, 2021
Well written with a ton of inside stuff only the players and coaches would know.
Good to kick off the football season!
Good to kick off the football season!
January 7, 2022
If you’re of a certain age AND a Husky football fan, you will love this book.
January 13, 2023
Mike Gastineau's very good somewhat oral history of the 1991 UW National Champions. A lot of details from players.
June 11, 2023
great, quick read if you're a Husky fan
February 5, 2024
An excellent read for any football fan, but of course it’s a must-read for every Husky fan. It will take you back, or, if you weren’t around for the original ride it will make you feel like you were.
June 27, 2025
Excellent book about the 91 Dawgs and the circumstances that lead up to that season!
November 29, 2021
I am not a uw fan
I might really despise the university of Washington, but this was an incredible book that took me back to my youth and how I used to root against us no matter who they were playing.
I might really despise the university of Washington, but this was an incredible book that took me back to my youth and how I used to root against us no matter who they were playing.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews