NO to Rick. He’s a good coach, loyal alumnus, but with coaches such as Mariucci, Chow, Harbaugh, etc. We need a very successful coach with a good history, Chow at USC (as OC), Mariucci at San Francisco.

Agreed. Being an alumnus does not mean they will be a good coach. So that again points to the goal of getting the best possible coach. The one with the best proven record will most likely be internally motivated to succeed and not just motivated by the money or the school. Our new coach should be chomping at the bit to push UCLA to the top of the heap!

I have my reservations about Rick too, BUT I think he is a better candidate than Chow if only for the reason that he’s actually had previous HEAD COACHING experience. Sure, Chow has had success, but NEVER as a HEAD COACH. I mean, seriously, do we have to keep taking chances on coaches without previous experience? Between Football and Basketball, how many are there? Farmer, Hazzard, Lavin, Dorrell? And everytime it has failed. How long has it taken us to rebound? Too long. This is why we MUST NOT take a chance with an unproven head coach. Never again.

RICK WON A ROSE BOWL. Was a great recruiter and actually made Kordell Stewart look lik a good QB

what was Rick Neuheisals bowl record, with Colrado and Washington?

Norm Chow has probably forgotten more about football than R.N. remembers on a good day . I just heard the gatorade national player of the year say he would have to take interest in u.c.l.a. if Norm Chow gets the job .He said it on the live telecast of the CA. state championship game .DO YOU REALLY THINK he takes the same interest if slick rick makes his used car salesman pitch .What is he gonna sell the kids on ? His three years at C.U. ,his four years at U.W.? Recruits listen to their High School coaches among others .Who would those coaches recommend to further develop the player? Rick or Norm ? Yes ,Chow has not been a H.C. but he’s got like what? Thirty years coaching experience and you guys are worried . I would hardly consider the hiring of Chow “taking a chance”.

Ticked….We’re talking about apples, oranges and pears. The run and shoot, spread offense, and the New England offense are all different.

The run and shoot is an offense where the QB thinks pass first. Ideally, he should be able to roll or sprint out while reading coverage. Then he takes what the defense gives him.

The spread you see college teams run is primarily designed to take advantage of a running QB. It is most effective when the offense goes no huddle and is at the line of scrimmage with a lot of play clock left. When the defense is forced to be aligned quickly, it can’t shuffle personnel or change defensive sets readily. The QB has the advantage of getting a play from the sideline after coordinators have had time to see the defense. Going no huddle also allows the offense to set the tempo. With receivers spread wide, corners are not able to respond quickly enough to give run help. And, if the outside linebacker is just a bit out of position, the QB is by him and into the secondary.

New England’s offense is predicated on lining up 4 receivers wide so the defense has to “spread” coverage. If defenses try to take Moss away, or drop into a 3-deep zone, Brady just makes his hot read and throws to Welker, Gaffney or Stallworth. If the defense were to try and defend with extra DB’s, Morency would run wild. It doesn’t hurt to have an accurate QB and 4 receivers with that kind of talent.

This is an oversimplified explanation, but I wanted to mention the difference between a “run first” college spread and New England’s offense.

I have my concerns about Chow being a good recruiter. If Chow gets the job UCLA’s work is not done. UCLA has to step up to the plate and pay its assistant coaches FMV. With top rate assistants UCLA can cover for anything Chow maybe be lacking as a head coach. Next can anyone explain to me why UCLA allowed Ken Norton Jr. to get away and coach at the school that follows he horse?

Rise–That’s really encouraging to hear that Matt Barkley (I assume that’s who you’re referring to) would say that about Chow. This is precisely what I had suggested in an earlier post that if UCLA hires Chow, he gives UCLA instant credibility with the top QBs nationwide, and I would expect this to have a trickle-down (or gushing-down?) effect with attracting other top talent.

OutofThsWrld–I generally agree that head coaching experience is desirable but with Chow I make an exception given his long record of excellence. For the record, UCLA has hired someone without head coaching experience who fared well (with the highest UCLA bball winning pct as coach) although he didn’t win the championship–Gary Cunningham, with a 50-8 record as head coach from 1977-79.

Puke–Really impressed with your technical breakdown of the different offenses. You obviously know your stuff. I hope you are at least pleased with news of Neuheisel’s interview.

Anthony–I think any powerful football program needs top-notch assistants and UCLA would be no different. See my comment above regarding recruiting. As for Norton, as I recall he came to Dorrell asking for a paid position except he had no coaching experience. When Dorrell turned him down, Norton accepted a non-paying gig with USC. When he proved his mettle, USC hired him as a paid coach.

You guys are good. After reading the various posts and the logic of those that show some thoughtful analysis, I have
crossed the fence and would support Norm Chow. He’d be a heck of a recruiter. But I still put Neuheisel at the top of my list.

That was a beautiful dissertation on weather being an alumni matters. One part of the equasion was left out. Sometimes being an alumni matters when it’s time to schmooze the alumni for donations. Being an alumni helps to know who the heavy hitter are and how to keep them placated.
Of course the bottom line is scoreboard! Your Win-loss is all that really counts. But those big donors on the 50 yard line have to love you or you’re out so quick it’ll make your head spin.

When I was writing my post, I realized that it was getting long enough as it was so I had to end it before I started examining Rick’s record. Maybe, I’ll have to do it in another post.

Would we still be as excited about Rick if he hadn’t played at UCLA, and was just another coach?

Just looking at his coaching career, I’m not so concerned about Rick getting run out of Washington as I am about how his teams get worse over the years. Rick’s MO is that he’s a player’s coach, and a breath of fresh air. Initially, that works but then things get out of control and it seems he does best with other coaches’ recruits than his own.

I would support any coach that DG decides show be the next coach. I am please to know that DG is out on the road interviewing good coaches that can help UCLA be successful. Lets just remember; each coach has his flaws that we can throw in their face.

I know about Chow lack of being a head coach but look at what he has done as an assistant and OC coach. He has a list of successful players he halp mold into great or good players.

We all know about Rick’s problem with the other schools he was in. The NCAA violation at Colorado and Washington. We know about his problem at Washington with betting on basketball pool. But you also have to look at his overall win and lose record. He has put those other programs on the map when he was their.

So there are pros and cons to each candidates. I just can’t wait for an announcement of the next coach. That is if these are the top two candidates. I might be mistaken and they choose a different coach.

It is nice to hear of all the interest in the HC position. I have to question some of the logic here, however. We have guys badmouthing Rick Neuheisel because someone noticed a tendency for his teams to tail off over his stay at the program. Yet, these same guys are willing to take a chance with a guy who has NEVER been a head coach over his entire 30 year career. For me, I will take a coach who has won the Rose Bowl and Cotton Bowl as the HEAD guy over a career coordinator who has NEVER been a head coach.

I’m hearing, “Hey, yeah, Neuheisel has won 4 bowl games including 2 BCS bowls, but, since his teams only won 7 games in his later years, let’s go with a guy who doesn’t even have one (as in 1!) win as a head coach.” Or, “Yeah, it is acknowledged by everybody who knows college football that Neuheisel is a demon recruiter, but since his teams only won 7 games in his later years, let’s go with a guy who has NO (as in 0!) experience recruiting the needs of the entire team.” What is Chow going to do, recruit 20 QB’s and try to convert them to linebackers and wide receivers? We’ve had a lot of NFL QB’s at UCLA and that did not necessarily equate to a ton of wins and a national championship.

Moving an OC up to head coach does not mean the team will be as efficient as it might be if the guy were to remain as OC. It would be like Chow having to hire a replacement for himself. They are two separate parts of the equation.

I’m sure you all realize that the view of the field from the box is TOTALLY different than the view down on the sideline. It is likely, should Chow be hired, we would see a head coach squinting and trying desperately to gain the perspective of the field he has been accustomed to his entire career.

An analogy? In baseball, a great hitting instructor being promoted and hired as manager. He has to hire a new hitting instructor. Should we logically expect the same results as before?

Finally, shouldn’t we take into consideration that Chow, up to now, has not been hired at the schools where he previously applied? He’s a known quantity. Why did Stanford and ASU say “no thank you”? Now, because he is aging and wants to retire to his home in Manhattan Beach, UCLA should take a Stanford and Arizona State reject?

Regarding the essay Coaching Matters: Alumnus….I don’t believe a coach should be hired simply because he is an alum. However, does it make any sense to reject a coach simply because he is an alum?

What matters is: Can the guy coach? I’ll take a Jr. High gym teacher if he can win big games against the likes of Michigan, Miami, SC. And, if he can win conference championships in the Big-12 vs Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Texas as well as the Pac-10 vs SC, Oregon and Arizona State I wouldn’t even ask him IF he went to school.

My fellow Bruins….None of what I have to say on this site is meant to be taken as “I know better than you” or “I’m right and you’re wrong.”

I view this as a healthy discussion from which we might all learn something. You know what I hope? I hope Dan Guerrero, and those involved in making a final decision on our next head football coach, care as much as we do.

I just read Chris Fosters article in the LA Times, and he had a nice little plug for Walker to be the next head coach. Foster must be a USC fan. Walker would be a HUGE mistake as head coach! I hope the administration does the right thing and names Rick Neuheisel our next head coach early this week.

About to Puke - I agree with a lot of what you said. I personally like Rick Neuheisel but I also understand the excitement of possibly having one of the great offensive minds in the game as the next head coach. I really do hope that UCLA does consider Rick as an actual candidate and not just an interview that they had to do to please Rick’s supports that follow the program.

ATP.

As you previously noted, Chow has a residence in Manhattan Beach and would enjoy retiring there. Would it be possible to get the best of both worlds? Have Rick take the HC job and bring Chow in as assistant head coach. I realize that heaven and earth would have to be moved to get the administration to pony up enough money to do this, but it may be well worth it. I don’t see where it would really be too far of a stretch to accomplish. Both men would certainly apprecaite the other and it coul be the perfect blend. I don’t see where their offensive styles are that much different from one another.

Actually, I could see Rick realizing that by having a staff that included Chow and Walker he would be unifying all factions. Rick is too smart not to realize that that is a good thing. He has always ben considered a leader (the captain) and he should be able to influence his staff the same way. This would be a coaching “coup de tat” the likes this city has never seen before. What recruit wouldn’t be intersted in playing for this staff of coaches?

BruinBuddy - That would be amazing but it’s not happening. I like where your head is at.

Bruin Buddy- I would love to see Chow come over as OC. It depends where the egos lie in the mix. Neuheisel and Chow are similarly minded as far as running an offense goes, and if we were to put a DC in place that coaches aggressive, physical football, we’d be tough to beat.

To bad DG and UCLA would not think of such an idea. Or have they? Hummm?

The QB position remains the most important position on any football team. Norm Chow knows how to use and motivate QBs better than anyone on our alma mater’s coach consideration list. I’m going with Chow as my choice. It’s time for our second Heisman QB to begin play at UCLA. Go Bruins!!

A QB without a good left tackle is called ex-QB.

That is something nobody has brought up how the offensive line struggle this year. The offensive line coach should not get a pass either. The offense goes as the line goes. They are a key component.

Chow was a lineman when he played, I’m sure he’d agree with you guys.

Wasn’t Rick Neuheisel an offensive coordinator right before he got his first head coaching job at C.U. ? Did his reputation as a quarterback coach and O.C. prevent him from recruiting defensive lineman . My point is,I don’t think any of the arguments against Chow hold water if you support Rick Neuheisel . I just don’t see how someone with as many years as Chow has in D-1 football, would not know every aspect of running a program .Was he not an asst. head coach at B.Y.U. ?I believe he was also in charge of recruiting there at some point .He has worn many hats, hell the guy has a doctorate in education .Anyway ,I do enjoy the discussion .

You are correct RISE UP. The thing that we all need to understand is that just because a coach happens to coach offense or defense does not mean he does not know how to teach the other side of the ball. A lot of coaches learn the opposite side of the ball to become better all around coaches. Lets remember that these coaches at one point or another were coaching positions on offense and defense.

Guys, a head coach is teaching nothing. Nothing. It’s like saying a CEO is teaching marketing. You hire people to teach and you coordinate the effort. Do you honestly think Chow is going to be on the practice field with, or spend countless hours with QB’s, the way he could as OC?

I just read over at Bruinsnation that they are demanding the new head coach win a BCS bowl within the next 2 years. You know what I would tell DG if I hear this? “Forget it, I’ll look elsewhere.”

UCLA is not going to win a BCS bowl in 2 years. 3 years? Maybe.

This isn’t checkers. There are any number of college teams that are in a better position than UCLA to advance in two years. There are literally hundreds of variables involved in getting to a BCS bowl. Demanding we win a BCS bowl in two years is ridiculous.

Hey About to Puke,

I somewhat hear what you are saying. The head coach job is to manage the team and make sure the OC/DC and assistants are doing there job. He makes sure that the coaches are teaching what he want the players to do. In some cases the head coach will even select a group to work with so they know what to do. But if the coaches have multiple years experience they will allow them to do their job without monitoring them unless necessary.

One reason Pete Carroll might never go back to coach “Pacific”, is the fact that they ended their football program back in 1995.

Hear hear for healthy discussion! It’s important to remember that there is no “right” answer and we are just presenting our opinions (hopefully with some cohesive reasoning).

A comment on the article topic–it’s an interesting anecdote that alumnus coaches do not usually fare as well as an outsider. I think one of the most salient arguments against hiring an alumnus is that it makes firing them so much more difficult if things don’t go well. I support Neuheisel, but it could get ugly and the firing process protracted if things didn’t go well.

Puke–I would not consider posing the question of why Neuheisel’s teams got worse as time went on as “badmouthing”, merely reasonable curiosity based on observing the facts. But to answer your question, YES I would take a coach with no head coaching experience (Chow) over Neuheisel. Whether he would be more or less successful than Neuheisel or any other coach, nobody knows the answer, but I personally think he can become an incredible coach. In fact, once his team started to roll, I could see an aura of “invincibility” start to emerge with him at the helm, similar to the the one that teams led by cerebral coaches such as Tom Landry and Bill Walsh enjoyed. In fact, the closest UCLA has become to achieving such a dynamic was in the ‘98 season under another former offensive coordinator (without much personality and more cerebral), Bob Toledo. I’m not saying it will happen overnight, and Chow will certainly need the help of a good DC and strong defense, but I can see this happening.

As for what you said about UCLA having a lot of NFL quarterbacks, it’s interesting to note that the last time UCLA had a bonafide NFL talent at QB (Cade McNown), we did quite well. The last one before him was probably Aikman, and we did pretty well with him too. Is this just a coincidence? I’m sure you were joking about Chow recruiting 20 QBs because obviously it would only take recruiting one or two top talents that will lead to attracting great talent at other positions.

Finally, as for the argument against Chow because he is accustomed to the view up from the box and not on the sidelines, I don’t buy this. For starters, he will obviously have someone up in the box helping him. And the guy has THIRTY PLUS years of coaching experience in football. As I recall, I was able to ride a bicycle with no problem after not having ridden one in many years. Please.

Bring on the GLADIATORS.

Blue and Gold lovers. I think Neuheisel and Chow would be a great marriage. I can live with either one. I suggested
Chow three years ago to DG, but he was too bullheaded and stubborn to admit KD had to go. RN & Chow together would be divine, but until we build a stadium in Westwood, we will always be first to 100 championships, but a second rate football school. DG build a stadium now.

About To Puke,

I’m not saying that we should reject a candidate just because he’s an alum. But, I’m saying that we should just look at his record and not be blinded that a candidate had an memorable playing career for his alma mater.

You’re right about the need for a strong left tackle to protect the QB. But, that’s exactly what RN failed to do- he failed to recruit enough OL/DL and by the time he left, those lines were both very thin. For all this talk about him being a demon recruiter, why were his teams worse when he was coaching his own recruits? By the time he would leave those programs, they were in worse shape than the one he inherited.

With RN, we can hope that he’s finally learned his lesson even though he failed to learn it the first time at Coloroda and then again at Washington. Or, that since he loves UCLA so much, he won’t make those same mistakes again. But, as I tried to show in the data mining, alumni coaches don’t necessairly do better at their alma maters no matter how much they may love their school.

Why would Chow leave a cush NFL job, at a rumored $1 million per, to be an AHC at UCLA? I seriously doubt he would. Also, whatever HC is hired needs to be able to assemble his staff as he sees fit without any mandates from the AD office…As far as Norton, the new HC should call him, apologize for the last experimental head coach, and tell him it is time to come home to his school…

There are parallels between Chow and Toledo. Both are offensive genius’s but what happened to Toledo’s defensive?
We don’t know if Chow’s team would be any different. Remember he never has been a head coach. He would be high on my list but I’m leaning toward Rick.

Couldn’t agree more, RISE UP, Chow’s the real deal. Rick Neuheisel would be a fine second choice.

My concern for any new head coach is that their hire might be conditioned upon keeping DeWayne Walker as defensive coordinator. I don’t have a particular problem with Coach Walker and he may be a fine DC (the jury is still out after only two years), but that should be a non-starter even if it means we lose every new recruit (we wouldn’t). A head coach needs to have complete control of the program including the choice of whomever he feels can best get the job done. Otherwise, he is head coach in name only and that just doesn’t work.

Say no to Chow, yes to Billick!

We need personality!

snoekeldorf, excellent point! I agree wholeheartedly, as I said above. The new HC needs to be able ti assemble his own staff…

Billick sucks! his offense sucks, he is supposed to be this offensive guru with him calling the plays the offense has sputtered he is living off he rep. Its easy to be a genius when you have randell cuningham, chris carter, jake reed and running back michael smith.

Billick? His ego wouldnt fit into the Rose Bowl.

How did Billick get into this mix? He maybe leave the Ravens, but he will get any NFL job he wants.

As far as the HC goes, good head coaches will coach their assistants and let the assistants coach the players, especially in motivational aspects. Also, good head coaches will realize that their cooridinators may have superior coaching skills in aspects of the game that they may not be so strong in. Drawing from that a good head coach will use that knowledge they obtain from their coordinators to make the game plans and run the program successfully.

I do feel that this team needs at least one “tough guy” coach who can transcend both offense and defense with respect to enforce the rules and promote self-discipline among the players. These are usually line coachs. Wasn’t that what Marv Goux did at SC? Lay down and enforce the rules, create a positive attitude and promote team harmony.

Rocky Long was this sort of guy also.

Whatever happened to Larrye Weaver, the DB coach from years ago? Does anyone know? That guy could be the greatest guy but he certainly knew how to crack the whip also.

How, on God’s Green Earth could we EVER consider hiring Rick Neuheisel? If Dorrell gets an “A” for character and responsibility, Neuheisel gets an “F”. This guy is a cheater, full of hubris, and should never be considered for a head coaching job in college ever again.

Look at his track record. He did an OK job for a couple of years in Colorado with the old coaches recruits, then ruined the program, just as it was poised to enter the upper eschalon of college football programs, he ruined the program and left it in shambles, with NCAA violations a’plenty. Gary Barnett fared worse, not able to control the players Neuheisel recruitted.

Neuheisel next went to Washington, who was then considered one of the top 15 college football programs in the country. A perennial powerhouse, usually visiting the Rose Bowl once every three or so years. Now, while under the black cloud that followed him from Colorado, does Rick try to run a cleaner, better program at Washington? No he does not. He enters a NCAA basketball tournament pool, never minding that he is gambling on a sport that is played in very close proximity to where he works.

He continually showed poor judgement, hubris and constantly displays his lack of recruitting talent. How has Washington done since he left? I would say the Huskie’s are three years away from being three years away, all thanks to Rick.

JUST SAY NO TO RICK!

No Neuheisel! I couldn’t agree more. Seriously, “cleaning up the UCLA program” while not turning us into something as pathetic as Duke football seems to be something that Dorrell is universally given credit for. He should be. And then we want someone who is universally known for having NCAA sniffing around him the whole time? What??? All this because he is an alum with a decent coaching record and underdog story? What a joke.

Weeks ago I think dumpdorrell correctly made it policy to remove any postings that referenced Dorrell’s race even if they were fairly tactful ones. For anyone who implied Dorrell’s race was an advantage to him in his original hiring… can you at least admit now that Neuheisel being an alum (like Dorrell, I know) with a great story (unlike Dorrell) has everything to do with him being treated like the next Rich Rodriguez?

Neuheisel is fulfilling your little alum quota, but you won’t call it that. I will, and it’s a formula for picking the wrong coach. A quota is a quota, no matter what nonsensical thing it is based on to give someone an unwarranted advantage over others. Being an alum of UCLA is an irrational criterion. At best, it is icing on the cake. It should have nothing to do with the hiring process. Absolutely nothing. Think about it, if Neuheisel has his exact same record at Washington and Colorado (winning indeed, but not amazing) with all his NCAA trouble–but hypothetically he is not an alum–not one person on here would even mention him… and rightfully so.

It’s not rational that you guys think he is the next Rich Rodriguez. I’ll tell you that. Rodriguez is a great coach, (it pains me Michigan got him). If Neuheisel were so great (even with his shady history) national powers would go after him. Great programs make mistakes surely. Look at Notre Dame. They are on quite a streak. Overall, with bumps in the road, great programs come to great decisions. Great programs have never pursued Neuheisel hotly. Why should we? Even if we do pursue him (God forbid), let’s not pretend we are racing against anybody. We’re not.

UCLA’s two greatest big sport coaches, Red Sanders and John Wooden, left their alma maters for UCLA. Both instances turned out quite nicely for UCLA. They both changed their respective programs to respectability forever. Surely, it won’t always work out that way. (Though Michigan sure hopes so right now with Rodriguez leaving his alma mater). Bringing up two men who left their alma maters to perform miracles at UCLA merely highlights that the obsession with Neuheisel–a coach who is simply an alum and not that proven–other than his lack of ethics– is just sentimental drivel. I want the best candidate. I don’t want the best alum candidate. That’s nonsense–all the more so from all you who prop up Neuheisel and belittle Donahue. Donahue was a solid coach. No one can dispute that. However, he rarely even took us to the heights of even Toledo 97 and 98. Don’t you think his being an alum and the ultimate “gutty little Bruin” had an inordinate amount to do with him being groomed and ultimately hired as our head coach? Sentimental drivel doomed us to years of bowl victories but rare national prominence. You all are ready to make that mistake again? I know we won’t get a powerhouse like Rodriguez, but surely can do better than Neuheisel.

Just so Ace doesn’t totally cloud the picture with bull, because he sounds like he is full of hubris, Neuheisel took over a Colorado team that was already in a shambles. They had a coach who was recruiting with the aid of strippers and his daughter was fooling around with his players. Neuheisel took them to the Cotton Bowl and won plus a final top 5 ranking.
At Washington, they hadn’t won a Pac-10 champonship in 5 years. Neuheisel went 7-5 his first year, then 11-1 with a Rose Bowl win in his second year. Oh, and the big gambling scandal? He was given permission to enter a pool. When he was wrongfully fired, he won a $4.5 million dollar lawsuit.

I think “Ace” is actually Pete Carroll trying to sway everyone’s thinking.

RyBread….What do you know about Rich Rodriguez? 7 years at WV and when he plays the biggest game in that schools history he loses to a 30 point underdog? Bye bye national championship!

Then, mr. loyalty takes off for greener pastures when he gets the chance. All of WV is pissed off.

He’s your great coach? Man, you need to stop reading the papers for your information. The guys writing the articles telling you what great coaches all these guys are, are only a couple years out of college. They don’t know jack.

Dear Ry Bruin,

I couldn’t agree less with you having been a U.C.L.A. Football fan since 1961. You started off good about Red Sanders the greatest U.C.L.A. football coach! But, Terry Donahue was to be grooming Rick Neuhisel for the position and then sold him out for Toledo! Terry Donahue as one of my player friends who was on defense asked me,”Dude, I think TD is a racist!”. This was 80-85 years and Donahue was already punking his afro-american players. Doesn’t sound so SOLID too me!
All you namby-pamby guys who cry,”I’m afraid of Rick Neuhisel”,
“He’s a liability”. You don’t really know this terriffic guy at all!

Those of you that want an on campus stadium are not taking into account the terrible traffic tie up it will cause. The westside is already a mess. Using the famous Rose Bowl allows those folks in outlying areas an easier route to the games and those on the westside a quick ride east to the stadium. Also, there are some good bars and restaurants in Pasadena