Yes, Tosh Lupoi is well aware that his departure from California to Washington was awkward. Yes, he knows his hiring, which created what he termed "immediate competition" was jarring for everyone -- for him, for the folks at Cal and the recruits he'd once sold on the Bears who were now hearing him suddenly tout the Huskies.

"Obviously, I hadn't spoken a word about it to recruits [before accepting the Washington job], representing a different place, now going into the homes, wearing a different Polo," Lupoi said. "It was a little bit shocking of 'wait, hold on, we were just talking about Cal a week ago or something.'"

Lupoi spoke to Seattle reporters for the first time since he was lured away from Cal, his alma mater, in mid-January, just two weeks before national signing day. He was not made available to out of town reporters. His quotes here are from video and a transcription on Bob Condotta's blog for the Seattle Times.

It's sometimes hard to follow Lupoi's stream of consciousness remarks, somewhat reflective of the awkwardness of the topic, the hard feelings he knows exist on Cal's end of things and what he called "one of the toughest decisions I've ever gone through."

On the negative reaction from Cal fans: "That's my blood, sweat and that had a major impact as far as seeing what alumni or what stories were told. But it's something that you move on. You find out real quickly who your real friends are."

On Bears coach Jeff Tedford's reaction when he told him he was leaving: "It was kind of a quick conversation ... I think he was understanding of the opportunity that was offered here and the reasons to want to start something new.''

Lupoi was not asked about the recruitment of Shaq Thompson, a former California commit who flipped to Washington after Lupoi joined the Huskies staff. As we wrote here, there was a disconnect between Tedford and Lupoi over a home visit with Thompson, when Lupoi wasn't forthcoming with Tedford over where he stood with Washington. Tedford asked the Pac-12 to void Lupoi's visit as an official home visit for Cal, but the conference rejected that request.

As for that boat the Cal fans insist was a part of the lucrative package that convinced Lupoi to bolt Berkeley, Lupoi said it doesn't exist.

"Yeah, I haven't been on that boat," he said. "Maybe it's a canoe or something.''