Not that he likely would; but what if Rick tells DG to “take your job and shove it”? He likely will be able to turn the Ravens job into something better ia a couple of years and become a NFL head coach.

Don’t tell me that DW is plan “B”. If so you can set up an LA County Probation office right there in Royce Hall because Scott will want to feel at home along with his buddies, cousins, friends and rercuits.

Here is an article with ESPN about Neuheisel and the rumors about him as UCLA next head coach.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3167451

Just a note on why UCLA is a second-rate program at this time.

It has been widely reported that UCLA players were allowed to provide their own transportation to the Vegas Bowl. Why does UCLA insist on doing things as if the institution is some broke-down junior college? Allowing the players to drive themselves to Las Vegas?
If the university is too cheap to charter a plane, why weren’t the players at least required to travel as a team on buses? Football is all about building a cohesive unit. They should have traveled as such. Why not charter 3 buses and put a couple coaches on each bus? Have one of the coaches stand up every 30 minutes, or so, to remind the team what their goal is. Keep them focused and ready to play.
What does UCLA do? The players pair off into cliques and drive the 285 miles to Vegas with pockets full of money (gas money and meal money provided by the university) and thoughts other than the game for what they’re gonna do in Vegas. Rumors of players drinking and gambling abound. What does the university think a bunch of 18-23 year olds are going to do in Vegas with minimal supervision and their own wheels? Rest assured, the liquor stores between LA and Vegas were visited frequently going and coming by Bruin players.
By comparison, BYU traveled as a unit, stayed away from the glitz of Vegas and won the game. I know all about BYU’s stance on drinking and gambling, but this is an example of the kind of losing culture at UCLA that needs to be changed.

I honestly think once DG hired Howland he figured his job had been accomplished. He brought back Bruin basketball to a respectable level, so why are we capping on him?? He wants to rest on that laurel, and apparently expects us to let him.
I will take all of this back if he hires a decent football HC!

What coach in his right mind would have placed those kinds of distractions before his team, make the means available and still claim a moral victory?

That is a terrific moral lesson to teach the players. I heard about the 2:00 am curfew from another source and that just knocked me over. Do you think that many of the players just went to Circus Circus for the video games, or do you think they wanted to play “PacMan” at a strip club?

Was DW out of his mind? Did DG know about this? No wonder they love DW as a coach. It is like the immoral Disneyland there for those guys, too many distractions and oppotuities to get into trouble.

Could you imagine how Tommy Prothro, even Vermeil would have handled this road trip. Those guys would have been excited about a potty stop at a rest area as the highlight of the trip. Red Sanders would have made them run up the grade up in the Cajon Pass. A quick stop in Baker for a pre-game meal and check your tunes and ipods in there to. They would have stowed away at some place without a pool in Henderson. And the only girls they would have been able to talk to would have been the Shiek motel manager’s daughters as they put out the week old croissants and bagels at the continental breakfast in the lobby of the hotel.

Sounds like the seniors were focussed on that game to me. What a bunch of garbage.

Did anyone ever tell them that the post game partying at the “Real Bowl Games” (BCS) is much better? But that was never an option considering the quality of coaching and play.

Walker is the worst.

Excellent observations ATP and BB…you hit the nail on the head. It’s about TEAM!! Not about a bunch of underage football players “finding their way” to Vegas!! They should have all gone together by bus, and bonded together for one purpose…for one focus. Instead we keep hearing how much they love DW…and “almost beat BYU”. I read Brian Doh!n’s article in the Daily News today…pure garbage. We need RN to shake things up…let the players know who’s the boss and change the “we almost won” attitude into the “we kicked their **sses” attitude. DW is still living off of one game in his career - last year’s 13-9 win over SUC. Enough already! Bring in RN and let’s change the program around!! Thanks for letting me blow off additional steam

“It has been widely reported that UCLA players were allowed to provide their own transportation to the Vegas Bowl. “

Mr About, et al,

This has got to be one of the most bizarre items in this whole season’s collection of strange occurrences; your comments about team cohesion and the manner in which this is team is administered is accurate. However, I know many JCs that hire team buses or even charter aircraft. The thought of 50-100 separate forays to sin city over a perilous weekend is just begging for accidents or incidents that could lay UCLA (as the resultant “deep pockets” sponsor of this activity) open to a lawsuit.

Was Walker responsible for this decision? He was certainly responsible for the players’ pre-game preparation and it certainly happened on his watch. We hear how Dorrell tightened up this ship from the loosey-goosey days of Toledo and then we further hear MSM reports on how Walker is a stricter coach than Dorrell — making the players sit up straight and pay attention during team meetings, hustle from one drill to another in practice, etc. If the gambling and bar hopping is an example of the discipline that is being imparted, I am not impressed.

..makes you wonder if any of the players parked in the handicapped spots at the casinos.

BruinBuddy….There is no question that the tail is wagging the dog in the football program. I love the picture you painted about staying in Henderson and checking the ipods at Baker.
When I give it more thought, I actually believe Tommy Prothro would not have allowed the team to play in the Vegas Bowl. He probably would have said, “Any team that goes 6-6 doesn’t deserve to play in a bowl game. Why show the rest of the country how inept we are?”

If the report is true about the Vegas trip then no wonder the players want him back. If the coaches wanted to be good role models I hope they gave the players condoms and in the future diaphrams for female players. It’s me PC Jim

We are color blind here Mr. Vandele.

Jeff Tedford is my guy not because he is white, but because he is the best football HEAD COACH.

We want an experience football HEAD COACH. Coordinators are not wanted. Chow, including your guy Walker, are out for that reason only.

NO racism here Mr. Vandele.

Art, don’t have a hissy fit. Nobody is saying a black can’t be a great coach. Many of us don’t agree with you that he is a great coach. He was inconsistent as was KD. Some of us are only saying he may be hired because he is black and that is political correctness.

Art….yeah, that’s what we want to hear. “If you don’t agree with me and hire a black coach, I’ll get my thug homies to come after you in a “not so legal way.” What kind of crap is that?

We aren’t going to knuckle under to a load of PC BS anymore. I WILL watch my back. And, if there is some do-rag punk trying to force me into something, he better watch his front.

I’m outa here. When the thugs start running their shit, its time to leave.

Jim,

At this point, anyone who thinks Walker will be hired because he is black is flat out wrong. That’s the mentally lazy approach to this DW potential hiring issue. To say “aww, he’s black so that’s why he’s getting the job” is too easy and doesn’t look at the argument those in favor of his hiring are making.

I AM NOT IN FAVOR OF HIS HIRING, but I’m not so emotional that I can’t at least understand what the argument is for the guy.

If he’s hired, it will be because he’s a cheap hire ($$), the college football media seems to like him, he’s considered a decent DC by some (not every UCLA fan thinks he sucks), he’s a good recruiter and current players and recruits like him. Also, with guys like Peterson and Bellotti passing on the job, DW naturally gets pushed higher up the list. (And, if the Ravens are able to keep RN by promising him the HC position after next season.)

I DON’T THINK WALKER IS THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR THE JOB, but to reduce his potential hiring to his race is incorrect.

This isn’t about race, and it never will be. Any coach who has done as crappy of a job as Dorrell has would be facing the same heat, it’s the nature of the business. Dorrell did an awful job as a first time head coach, and I hope the administration has the good sense to not hire a second inexperienced head coach, regardless of race, creed, color or religion. Frankly, playing the race card is pretty weak. Veiled threats make people seem even less intelligent than they are. Let’s hope we have a head coach (Rick Neuheisel)soon. This is getting ugly. Merry Christmas, and GO BRUINS!

John W. Reagan,

[Applause]

I agree 100%. Race needs to be left out of this issue. Those who play the race card on BOTH SIDES of the DW issue are flat wrong.

You know, I get the attempt at humor when a guy’s ID is Art Vandele, plucked from the Seinfeld Show.

What I don’t get is someone thinking the threat of physical violence is going to sway opinions. In fact, I can’t think of a better reason to kick Walker to the curb. This is what the believers in Walker’s ability as a coach have resorted to?

With apologies to Rise Up and Shony, Art closes his post by saying “Neuheisel doesn’t know defense.” So, does Walker know offense? Oh, I forgot, we did have a 4 yard drive for our only TD in the BYU game.

I don’t think anyone is saying Walker has no coaching ability. He does. Big deal. There are coaches all over the country with similar abilities.

The argument for telling Walker to move on is: We don’t need a remnant of a terribly inept coaching regime hanging around as if we won’t be able to win without him. God, Walker, get a life. Go somewhere else and prove you’re a head coach, instead of saying stupid things like, “Hey, listen to me! I’m sounding like a head coach.”

I don’t know about the rest of you, but if UCLA is so needy and crippled by the need to appear politically correct, and so freightened by piss-ant gang chatter, as to hire an inept coach because he happens to be black, then I, for one, will disavow any connection to the university. Isn’t the fact UCLA hired Walt Hazzard, Larry Farmer and Karl Dorrell enough to say we don’t harbor racial bias? When coaches lose, they go. Period. Color be damned.

Folks, dont pay much attention to Art_Vandele’s comments, they are no longer welcome here and have been deleted for their violent content. There are so many problems with his posting here we could write a few posts on it. First, what a coward and a keyboard thug. He physically threatens the editors of this site - a criminal offense. Second, he doesn’t have the stones to threaten us himself, but “he knows some people” who would. What an coward. Art you tell us when and where buddy and we will meet you face to face and lets see what you have to say then. Coward.

Third, Art pulls out the race card, which is patently offensive to all Bruins. Dan Guerrero said in his press conference after firing Dorrell that experience is a pre-requisite. We have had 40 years of hiring cheap and inexperience. Walker is cheap and inexperienced. We at DD have maintained from day 1 that we want a proven experienced head coach, that was before Walker even coached a game at UCLA. Walker does not fit the profile the admin or Bruin fans are seeking and it’s obvious it is a key stumbling to him being hired.

We do not agree with some commenters here that Walker would be hired as a PC candidate. There are reasons, valid reasons, for hiring Walker as a head coach … just not at UCLA. We don’t need another training project. The Tulsa’s of the world on the other hand probably wouldn’t care about that.

Finally, with people like Art we are beginning to see what a Walker-led coaching era would bring - thuggery. We have not addressed this yet, but we will in a post soon. Walker brings a thug like personality to the football team. Do we want that? Did anyone see how Bruce Davis gave the cut-throat gesture during the bowl game. Disgusting, and not UCLA football. If Davis weren’t graduating he should have been suspended. Also our players were engaging in way too many fights on the field, in taunting, and all around thuggery reminiscent of the U of Miami teams on the 90s. There is no place for those thug antics in UCLA football.

And that is not all. Walker tried to brow-beat Olson into playing with a bum knee. Tried to question Olson’s manhood. WTF? You’re an interim coach dude. Moreover, Walker is bringing in thugs that normally go to SuC. What is the over/under on the first time one of these thugs, under the supervision of a 3x ex-con assistant coach, will get hauled in by the police??? Just wait … just wait.

Now you see why the Arts of the world are out there and pimping Walker with aggression and violent threats … it will get worse before it gets better.

Please, Dan Guerrero, do not retain Walker on staff as defensive coordinator. We can’t afford to give the next head coach a built-in excuse for failure. What if you force Walker on the new hire and, next year, the defense does more el foldo’s, ala the Utah game? The new head coach is going to be able to point to Walker and say, “Well, hey, you made me keep Walker. It isn’t my fault.” No, the next head coach needs the autonomy to hire his own people.

Then, whoever the new head coach may be, if he doesn’t do the job, if we don’t see some tangible proof that the program is moving toward respectability, axe his ass quickly. I don’t care if its Neuheisel, Leach or Mendenhall.

But it did sound like somebody doesn’t like Shiek motel managers.

I was shocked when I read the post by “Art Vandele.” If ATP is right about the reference to “Art Vandelay” on Seinfeld, it makes more sense. That was pseudonym of the idiotic character George Costanza.
I have found this site to be very informative, insightful, and fun to read. However, in the last week or two, many posts seem to have degraded into name-calling diatribe - not appropriate for UCLA fans.
Let’s get back to intelligent, fact-based, logical arguments and suggestions for the success of our Bruins! Leave the raised-voice, “because I said . . .,” name-calling type of posts to the University of $econd Choice. You’ve got to realize that maybe some Morgan Center Admin-types read this site, as well as some trOJans. Let’s not give them reason to discount us as uninformed blowhards.

MERRY CHRISTMAS to all,
and to all (Bruins) a GOOD COACH!

I don’t care what anyone says, Dorrell was hired for 2 reasons, The price was right and he was black. I applaud DG for giving him a chance. I was hoping he would succeed. I am a believer in some affirmative action especially in sports. But the bottom line is performance. The experiment didn’t work and we shouldn’t make the same mistake this time around. I truly believe in being rewarded for your ability whether you are black or white but work your way up. This was an example of that.

Good points Jim, and I think the fact he was an alum was a third reason.

buycker. Your right. I thought of that after I sent it. Should have been 3 reasons.

The bruinsnation guys continue to say they wish Guerrero would hire a “big name” coach. For purposes of discussion, I have come up with my list of coaches, divided into three categories. Catagory I is big name coaches, Catagory II is coaches who are close to being big name, and Catagory III is coaches who haven’t broken through to the elite catagory, yet. I know many of you will disagree, and I may have forgotten your favorite coach, but I’m doing this off the top of my head, so bear with me. I’d be interested in hearing your opinions.
Note: These are coaches who are currently coaching or being considered for a college coaching job.

Catagory I — “Big name” coaches
Paterno
Spurrier
Carroll
Erickson

Catagory II — “Good coaches, lesser name”
Urban Meyer
Fulmer
Tressel
Miles
Bellotti
Neuheisel
Hill
Bob Stoops
Leach
Rodriquez
Mack Brown
Saban
Peterson
Tommy Bowden
Terry Bowden
Beamer

Catagory III — “Not so big name coaches”
Whittingham
Kelly
Riley
Price
Mendenhall
Jones
Tomey
Nutt
Tedford
Richt
Perino
Brooks
Pelini
Wannstedt
Franchione
Mike Stoops

Well, buycker, I apologize. I read my last post and noticed I did not spell the word “category” correctly. Sorry to appear to be a doofus. I agree with you, seeing all the spelling and grammar errors in posts is disconcerting.

DG is interviewing DW for a 2nd time on Wednesday, 12/26?? What has DG been doing for the past 3 weeks? Quit lisetening to the ill-informed alumni & advisors and hire RN today!

Merry Christmas!

Personally, I’d move some of those CatIII to CatII (BM, Jones, Tedford, Kelly . . .).
I don’t see my original favorite for the UCLA job - Paul Johnson - at least CatIII if not II.
What I do see is several coaches who would be good for UCLA, I do think DG is doing pretty good job of keeping it quiet - how many of us were surprised by the MB talk?
I hope we will be delightfully surprised within a week. RN wouldn’t neccessarily be a surprise, but I’d still be desighted.

Uh Dorrell seemed to blame “his” coordinators every year for the problems he was having. Every year they were changing the assistant coaches and coordinators. So I don’t think that by having Rick be the head coach with Walker will amount to anything different than what UCLA endured with Dorrell and his scape-goat coaches.

Cameron….yes, you’re right. The difference is, Dorrell was responsible for hiring his assistants. He didn’t have any of them forced on him.

I honestly don’t see DG making the same mistake. He would have to be an idiot to do that. Walker will not be the next HC, you can be assured of that. The guy has less experience than Dorrell did when he was hired as HC. I refuse to believe that DG is a complete moron. Even if he does feel pressure from above to push for DW, he will have to find a way to man up and put up a fight. I have a good feeling we’re in for some great football under a RN regime…

In the past 5 Bowl Games, many of them being “C” level bowl games (i.e. Las Vegas; Emerald; & Silicon Valley) the Bruins have lost 4 of them to BYU, Florida State, Wyoming, Fresno State). The only victory was for the 2005 team beating Northwestern in the Sun Bowl in a shootout.

In switching gears to our still vacant HC opening the big question is which candidate can move UCLA back into at least B level bowl games(short-term) and A level/BCS bowl games long-term? The only answer with other candidates not interested in the position is RN.

Failure to hire a proven winner in RN, will leave the Bruin Football program at the “C” level bowl category or the No Bowl category. We should not be going to any bowl at 6-6.

Merry Christmas to all Bruin fans!
Ted H.

p.s.Well at least the UCLA BB team is #5 in the latest polls.

Jim,

IF Guerrero was hell bent on making a “PC” hire of a black coach, why wouldn’t he bring in black coaches with successful HC experience?

If this was UCLA’s mission I’m sure the short list would include:

-Sly Croom, HC @ Mississippi State. => This years SEC coach of the year. He took an abysmal M.State football program and is winning in the SEC.

-Herm Edwards, HC of KC Chiefs=> Made playoffs 6 of his 7 years as a HC. Better NFL coaching career than Pete Carroll.

-Denny Green=> Made playoffs 12 of his 13 years as and NFL HC, plus coached at Northwestern and took Stanford to a bowl game.

Guerrero is no idiot. If his mission was a “PC” hire, clearly the three coaches I mentioned above would make much better choices than D.Walker!

I don’t believe UCLA is about “PC” coaching hires.

Green was in playoffs 8 of 13 yrs in the pros… sorry for mix-up.

i dont think dorrell was hired because he was black. i think it was more the pricetag more than anything else. i think its sort of messed up to make insinuations otherwise. i, like evryone else, thought he did a lousy job and have been vociferously calling for his job, but it is extremely disrespectful to make that sort of claim.
i think it’s also important to make the point that kd was not really dg’s hire. it was on his watch but was forced down his throat by the administration. our administration is incredibly anti-athletics despite everything the programs have added to the allure of our school. i’m sure dg will do the right thing again and make the right hire, RN. here’s my selling point- despite coach howland’s great resume what sold me most on him was his extreme desire to be here and do something great, i get that same feeling from rick. i’d love to here an announcement this week. i hope Dw’s second interview is really a meeting to let him know we’re going with rick and hammer out a deal to keep him and his recruits here

Fred, my comment about the hire of DW has more to do with HC experience. He lacks that as did KD. If any of the black coaches you mentioned were on the short list I would say Great. But I still think DW would only be hired because of PCness. The others have proven records and would be judged on their records not on their color.

Everyone have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! BE SAFE, DONT DRINK AND DRIVE.

I hope whoever the new HC is, he cleans house and brings in a new batch of assistant coaches. If the rumors about the football team driving themselves to Vegas and partying until 2 a.m. are true, that’s enough right there to bid adieu to Walker.

Merry Christmas all!

Here’s to health, prosperity, and happier days ahead for all UCLA football fans!

We are truly, I think, doing our school a favor by showing our great concern over this situation. We are not just sitting back and saying ho hum. We care and there are many more out there that care too. UCLA fight fight fight. Merry Xmas all.

excellent point Jim … have a great holiday!

Cameron - I disagree. I believe the difference between Dorrell and Nueheisel is that Nue is a much better coach. Look at his resume and you will see what he has done in the past. Nueheisel has a good record because he is a good coach and had good assistants. The assistants are a reflection of the head coach. UCLA assistants need to start getting pay better so that good good coaches stay. I am saying the same old thing everyelse has been saying.

It would really make my Christmas if DW went to the Atlanta Falcons as a coach. All problems would be resolved. No need for a second interview and he would be a great addition there.

Maybe it would be a good idea to hit all the Falcon blog sites and endorse DW, they need him badly. Remember he has this great record as a head coach.

Wins - 0
Losses - 0
Ties - 0
Moral Victories - 1

DumpDorrell, You people are to be commended for creating this site. You have done more for we alums and students than you can imagine. I will have an egg nog or two on behalf of you tomorrow but will have a designated driver. Thanks

Just to clear things up about the Bruin travel arrangements to Las Vegas: It is common practice for schools to give players the money that regular airfare would have cost from wherever they were traveling from, and players then find another, more cost-effective way to get to the site and pocket the difference. All perfectly legal. Now, whether the team should have traveled as a group is another matter for discussion.

ALX324 Amen on the not drinking and driving! Though this search may cause us to have a few more drinks than usual. GO BRUINS!

Don’t forget, Dorrell was Neuheisals Offensive coordinator at Washington and colorado. A head coach is a reflection of his assistants, I agree.