Before we laugh too hard at the Wulff hiring, remember that other schools have done well hiring successful 1-AA coaches.
The fact WSU didn’t pursue Walker may not be a laughing matter. It could be that Walker has received a “wink” from the administration about his chances at the permanent UCLA head job.

I actually want a 1aa coach to take over at UCLA. Jerry Moore at Appy State is one name that I’ve mentioned. Huak for Montana is another name that I’ve considered. Tehse are ideal coaches, in my opinion.

I think Tressel is the acception when u look at 1AA coaches that have really been successful at a top notch program. anyone who has been under the tutelage of Carroll and especially Billichick,is pretty damn fine in my eyes! everyone is soo shell-shocked after what happened with Dorrell,that now Walker is being the scapegoat and paying for Dorrell. Dorrell hasn’t had the experience Walker has and was only with Shannahan for a couple years! Walker coached with Billichick and hell…i see Billichick and know how anal he is about his players,personel,and who he hires! if he hired Walker,there must have been a damn good reason for it! you all know how Billichick is on top of everything and I mean everything. so obviously he wasn’t that bad! one more thing. this relates to D.D. and everyone else out there. I love all my Bruins and am not trying to be a punk here o.k? but I still have not received any evidence about why Walker shouldn’t be the next coach,or anything pertaining to him not being able to coach!! STILL WAITING GUYS???? I am still somewhat hesitant for D.W. as coach,but just a little! not much! same thing goes for Norm Chow,and I still wanna see him in the mix! Sound off my fellow Bruins? Show me your Blue and Gold!!!

Over at Bruinsnation a blogger states, “….UCLA should never hire its coach based on who beats SC.” Sorry guys, while I appreciate your courage, passion, and diligence for stepping up to the plate, I respectfully disagree. To gain national credibility we need to explode the myth that SC is the football school….we are simply the “redhead stepchild” basketball school. I’m not saying I approve of going 7-5 on the year with a win over SC. However, going 10-2 and losing to SC doesn’t get us out of that behemoth’s shadow, either.

The presumption I make when I speak of hiring a coach that can regularly compete and beat Carroll’s teams is simple. And please temper this explanation with the knowledge that I am NOT a “Dorrellista”, “moronic blowhard”, or Donohue fan. I simply believe if we field a football team good enough to beat SC, without the win being considered a huge upset, we would probably be good enough to defeat any other teams on the schedule. Sure, there have been years when this theory didn’t hold true. There have been seasons when SC’s program has not been ranked nationally. But, would we feel any better losing to SC in those rare instances?

To gain true credibility and respect as a football program nationally, we first have to gain cred and respect in LA. That means going nose to nose with SC in the recruiting battle and beating them on the field.

I remember the years (think “Zero” Andrusyshyn missing an extra point or Danny Graham being called for pass interference) when the SC game decided not only the Rose Bowl rep but the #1 national ranking. We always came up short. Even losing to SC by one point, 21-20, kept us from crossing the threshold and dropped us in the polls.

I don’t want to return to a time when we can accept being a great team, but still #2 in LA. No, let’s hire a coach who can beat SC. The rest will take care of itself.

The more I hear discuss of potential coaches the more I would like to see Rick Neuheisel. I would say that my top three coaches would be Rick Neuheisel, Norm Chow and Steve Mariucci. Has anybody heard of any interviews being done yet?

A few days ago I mentioned that Kevin Sumlin’s name was popping up in conversations I was having with football guys around the country regarding vacant head coach positions. Now, I notice he was interviewed at WSU. No surprise he was passed over for “homie” Wulff in that situation. Sumlin has no head coaching experience and is basically making the rounds to gain name recognition at this time.
Keep an eye on Sumlin. No, he is certainly not a proper candidate for the Bruin job. But, watch him surface someplace, ala Turner Gill, and coach his way up the ladder. Walker would be wise to take notice. Sumlin is another young, black coach on the fast track. He’ll get there eventually, and it won’t be by assuming the reins of a major college program by default.

Javier….I have been a Neuheisel proponent since day one. I was encouraged to hear former Bruin football player, Bob Stiles, throw his support behind Neuheisel. However, the longer this search fiasco goes on, the more it becomes clear Neuheisel doesn’t have a shot.
The “powers that be” at UCLA are all about style, not substance. They want a white knight on horseback to play fair, speak of mom and apple pie and fight for truth, justice and the American way. You know, the way Dennis Erickson and Bill Bellichick do. Pardon the sarcasm.

The fact that it is obvious to everyone that Karl Dorrell is a perfect fit at Duke should be proof enough that UCLA is way off base in its approach to hiring a football coach. Dorrell is largely the same guy he was five years ago when we hired him. Squeaky clean, articulate, a guy you would want as a neighbor. Hell, give me Neuheisel. I don’t care if he borrows my drill and never returns it as long as he remodels my kitchen for free.

Ed … actually the hiring looks at first blush like a great hire for WSU. But we think WSU not even interviewing Walker is a knock on Walker. Heck, NO ONE has interviewed “future superstar” Walker!! So it makes you wonder if WSU was ever really interested. Makes you wonder if Walker’s agent might have pushed his clients name to the Wazzu AD just to say he is in the mix so he can then push Walker as a candidate to the media. It happens, believe it. Then again, you could also be right … he may know he has an inside track to UCLA. Who knows at this point it’s all speculation. But there is no doubt that Walker is not being considered for ANY OTHER JOB.

Jeff … settle down. We don’t operate on your timetable we operate on ours. We have listed Walker’s record here many times … just not altogether in one post. Your charge that because we haven’t posted our stats that they dont exist is ridiculous. For anyone who has been reading DD we have been talking about Walkers stats for an entire year. Do a simple search. But the HC position is not just coordinating one side of the ball. There are no stats on how Walker can do as HC because he hasn’t obviously been one. There is only conjecture and speculation that he is “HC material,” has “leadership quality in spades” (LOL - we heard that about Dorrell) and here’s one of the better ones “he gives great speeches and is great with the press.” This is the crap that the Hire Walker campaign is putting out there EVEN AFTER his recent embarrassing comments about how he feels like a head coach. All we are hearing is the same crap they said about Dorrell. There is NO evidence that is a great or even good HC, just hype, just hope. The evidence that he is a GREAT DC is spotty at best. His record his 2nd year is average, 34th best defense in the nation, up 1 spot from last year … and he had his guys for a 2nd year - 10 returning starters … mostly seniors!! We know better this time around than to hire promise and hope.

Neuheisel is the right man for the job. He may have had some issues in the past, but who hasn’t? Besides Tricky Rick will bring a very competitive spirit, and a winning attitude to UCLA, and that what we need. The UCLA job is Neuheisel’s dream job, and I really don’t think he would screw it up. If we (Bruin Fans) really want to win, and win now, we need to give Neuheisel the job. I know of one guy in LA that doesn’t want Neuheisel at UCLA; Pete Carroll. Of course, this probably won’t happen, but wouldn’t it be nice?

JW Reagan….LOL you are right on the money with the thought that Carroll doesn’t want Neuheisel in town.

And, yes, it would be nice to have a coach who has won the Rose Bowl as a player, and won the Cotton Bowl and Rose Bowl as a coach. Hey, those two bowls are BCS bowls aren’t they? I wonder what it would feel like to be involved in the BCS mix for a change?

The problem looming on the horizon for all those that want Rick to be HC is Brian Billick is going to be fired. Im not saying he will get the Ravens job, but his name has certainly been mentioned as a possible candidate with a better than even chance he gets a serious look.

Isn’t this amazing? Neuheisel is rumored to be a candidate for the Raven HC job and the Penn St. job when Paterno hangs ‘em up.

Yet, at his own alma mater, he is considered a coaching pariah.
Wow.

Would love to Rick at UCLA, however I have neighbor who is friends with Rick and says part of settlement with NCAA was that he not coach D1 for 5 years, he has another year to go.
But if DG really wanted Rick, could he negotiate with NCAA, doubtful. We speculated that maybe DG gives DW the job for a year, then brings Rick back…again, highly doubtful.

All the other names Mooch, Mora, Chow just make me go BLAH!! I will stay home on my weekends. With Rick..sign me up for 5 years of season tickets!!!

I’m leaning toward Rick. The Fresno St. guy, I think it’s Pat hill, looks like he should enter the stadium on a Harley.

If Neuheisel is hired then UCLA may as well open an office in the Morgan Center next door to Neuheisel’s for the NCAA to occupy.

Doug…Neuheisel won his suit against UW and the NCAA and was awarded in excess of 4 million dollars, as a result.
It turns out he was in possession of a memo that gave him permission to enter the NCAA BB tourney pool he was in.
Given the fact he prevailed in his suit, I would think it highly unlikely a guy like Neuheisel, an attorney himself, would allow the NCAA to write him out of future job possibilities. But, who knows? Is your neighbor a credible guy?

As far as the NCAA opening an office in Morgan Center, hey, it would be nice to know they acknowledge our football team’s existence.

No, they’ve already established that office next to Dennis Erickson’s. Rick is a choir boy compared to him.

About to Puke, I’ve heard the same Five year ban for Rick Neuheisel discussed on the Radio. At the same time, though, there have been other radio shows not acknowlege the existence of such a clause bannint Rick for Five years.

I’m going to follow up on this. I haven’t heard Brian Kelly’s name be uttered by anyone, so I may have to send my support to Rick

Puke…I am not going to drop names, my neighbor is a UCLA Alum, a well known attorney in LA, went to school with Rick and was one of the first people Rick called to get advice when the whole UW thing went down. But you never know…I hope he is wrong but he is pretty reliable and says he just talked to Rick last week.

Bluebruin (aka Diego),

The only issue with Jerry Moore is that he’s 68 years old. If he was 10 years younger I think he’d make a great pick. The guy is a great coach, and is about to win his third straight National Championship.

A friend just reminded me that Neuheisel and the UW program were reprimanded for giving recruits free boat rides on Lake Washington.
I started laughing because I find it humorous that SC can squire recruits up and down Figueroa, showing them where the Hoover St. Crips hang out and various famous drive-by shooting locations without fear of even a slap on the wrist.
Neuheisel gives recruits a boat ride transport to campus and he’s a crook. LOL

Doug…your info is disheartening. I suppose the university could appeal on Neuheisel’s behalf based on a determination of need for the program. But, I doubt anyone associated with this hiring wants to get that involved with an NCAA ruling.

Maybe we could convince Bob Stiles to use his contacts to find out if there is such an agreement between Neuheisel and the NCAA.

So, if Rick is out, who does it come down to? Hill, Kelly and Chow?

Puke and all..Rick is the right guy!!! I wish DG and UCLA would put full court press and roll out red carpet for this guy. He is the only guy on this list that could walk in and recruit in SoCal head-to-head with PomPom Pete. Of all the other names mention, no one else has the ties and experience of recruiting in SoCal(other then DW & Norton) and we all know beating SC on the field starts with beating them off the field.

BRING BACK RICK!!!! That would be a billboard worth putting on Wilshire in Westwood or in the Daily Bruin.

Puke..if not Rick, then I guess I could get behind Kelly from Cincy or Jones from Hawaii.

I also think if DG and administration insist on keep DW as DC it may scare off candidates who want to bring in their own crew.

I knew a coach who used to yell before entering the field, “OK, men. Let’s storm the Bastille! Plant the flag and storm the Bastille!” He mixed his metaphors on a frequent basis.
He was a funny guy, but his intensity was contagious. He could make you feel like you were standing in the middle of two giant, pounding drum lines because you could actually feel your heart rate climb when he got excited.

This site is great because it gives us guys who would normally go unheard a chance to “Storm the Bastille.” I hope someone on the Westwood campus is fearing the guillotine if they don’t get this right.

Puke…Did the Americans leave when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor??? No….Go Bruins!!!

And as Blutarski said…if Guerrero screws this up…DEAD MAN!!

Dohn just makes it up as he goes along until something occurs that shows his “reporting” is inaccurate. The data show that Walker was never a candidate the for the WSU job. Now that WSU made their hire and Walker was not even interviewed for the job (showing Dohn was absolutely wrong), Dohn is spinning it and now stating Walker was a “second tier” candidate. Dohn just made up the “second tier” thing as well. There was never any identified “source” for the claim that Walker was a WSU candidate, and there is no “source” for the claim he was a “second tier” candidate. Dohn just made it all up.

Doug….you have me laughing.

i wonder what Dohn’s motivation in all of this is. I understand his love affair with KD, but why DW? Why, after KD was fired, would he still want to fight for someone that has no experience? I just don’t understand some people in this city.

Okay, fight for your guy, but when your guy is gone, and you’re just a beat reporter, dude, chill out until the real coach is hired.

Fred- Valid point. One which I had dimissed for some inexplicable reason. If he’s that old, he has to be scratched.

Huak from Montana fits better, though.

Jim, did you mention Pat Hill and Harley in the same sentence?! Where is K. Streeter when we need him most?! HAAAA! What a joke he is.