Guerrero’s Dilemma
Editor's Note: BruinBlue at BruinsNation.com wrote this great piece below on the current coaching search. We thought we'd bring it to you in whole as it describes the situation Guerrero finds himself in, whether he created it or not.
We are all still hoping that Dan Guerrero ends this extensive coaching search with a winning hire . And that might well still happen. But I think it would be pollyannish to believe that the ultimate choice is going to be someone who is met with consensus approval, or whose name immediately gains us much-sought national respect for both the process and the hire. It is tempting to simply hope that the man who brought in Ben Howland will do it again; but it is equally easy to believe that this search has been mishandled and compromised to such an extent that however it ends up, there are going to be some very unhappy people, and some immediate problems to deal with.
As I said the other day, no one is certain as to whether there are any "big name" candidates left with whom we would have a reasonable chance. At this point, I think it's doubtful, though not impossible. There is a good chance that the three candidates who will shortly all have been interviewed twice–Rick Neuheisel, Al Golden and DeWayne Walker–are really the final list, barring some real deus ex machina in the next week or so. And if those are indeed the three finalists, we can look at the problems we will face, some of which were actually created or at least accentuated by Guerrero.
By letting Walker coach the Bowl game, Guerrero gave him a chance to "audition," in an almost "can't-lose" situation, since the fact that we were using our backup QBs would be a pretty good excuse for a loss. And a win, or the close loss which we got, would inevitably be used as major ammunition by the corps of Walker supporters who have been pushing for his hire since midseason. Letting Walker handle the gathering of recruits a couple of weeks ago gave the media a chance to collect quotes from some of them about how much they hoped to play for Walker. Now we are seeing various current players push for Walker. This is very common, as players and recruits always want to play for the person they know best. But it is part of the media narrative which drives the Walker campaign. And now, if Guerrero chooses Neuheisel, there are going to be some unhappy people, a lot more than there would have been had these situations not been allowed to occur. And even worse, if Neuheisel coaches and Walker remains as defensive coordinator, is there not a very real possibility that sides are taken by some of the players who would have preferred Walker? And if the offense initially struggles while the defense is the stronger side, could this not cause real internal discord and dissension?
If Guerrero chooses Walker, he will anger the group of boosters which supports Neuheisel. Guerrero will have chosen a man who has coached one game (0-1) over someone who has coached 96 (66-30), and has actually won a Rose Bowl. If the team gets has a bad season next year, how ridiculous will Guerrero look, particularly given that he will have once again done the opposite of what he said he would do–bring in someone with head coaching experience? At that point, Guerrero would be in the UCLA hall of shame along with the incompetent Peter Dalis. And after Guerrero waxed rhapsodic about how UCLA's increased revenue under his tenure has allowed them to be very competitive in the football hiring marketplace, how could he credibly sell Walker as the best choice for UCLA? And would anyone mind that a school as academically prestigious as UCLA would pay its second highest salary–far more than that of any professor–to someone who "graduated" from an online "university" known as Excelsior College?
If Guerrero goes with Golden, he will anger both the Neuheisel and the Walker factions, all in support of someone who may have fine potential, but who currently has a lifetime record of 5-19. Some programs–really bad or really good–might be able to get away with this kind of hire; but can UCLA, at this point? If the team struggles next season, the outcries will grow louder. Walker would likely not stay if Golden is hired, since Golden's specialty is defense. Golden would be stepping into a minefield here.
So any of these choices now come with significant risks–not just on-field risks, but internal risks. And here is where Guerrero has painted himself into a corner. Had he gone with Neuheisel last week, there of course would have been some criticism, but it would have looked like Neuheisel was his clear choice; and of course Neuheisel's on-field record, while hardly spotless, is pretty solid. But then came the Bellotti bombshell, making it look like Neuheisel was certainly not the main choice. It may have been bad timing there–that Guerrero had wanted to speak to Bellotti, but that Bellotti had only granted access late last week. Whatever was intended, this episode managed both to hurt Neuheisel's image and to make UCLA look rather futile in its search. Then, of course, by not hiring Neuheisel before the Bowl game, he allowed Walker to try to enhance his case. He has now granted Walker a second interview, this with the Chancellor included.
I have always said that an athletic director should never be afraid to be turned down by a coaching prospect, or even two or three. Too often in the past, we have seemed unduly afraid of being turned down, so we have gone for the safe choice. I do not at all blame Guerrero for seeking out Bellotti, even though the latter would not have been one of my top choices. But with the various leaks and rumors (some undoubtedly false but some very possibly valid), it looks to all the world that UCLA is casting about frantically to find a coach. We hear that Steve Kragthorpe was contacted but declined interest; similarly for Chris Petersen. We have heard various things about Steve Mariucci; he's interested, he wants too much money; we're still talking to him; negotiations have broken down, etc. We have heard that there was an interest in June Jones, but that he is either not interested or that he wants to take his entire staff with him, and we have insisted on Walker being retained. Most of the reasonably fair part of the national media, such as CoachesHotSeat Blog, are seeing UCLA looking like a program which can't attract anyone of prominence, so will have to settle for another assistant, an alumnus who desperately wants the job, or a very young coach whose current claim to fame is winning four games this year. Now, that may not be at all fair, since I happen to think that both Neuheisel and Golden have good credentials, but that's how it looks to most. We are not in the business of placating the rest of the country, but I am also tired of being looked at as a national joke.
Well, the proof is always in the pudding. Whomever Guerrero hires will have a chance to vindicate it by doing a really good job. As always, he will be given a chance to do so; though I think that the patience of Bruin faithful has now worn very thin indeed. Right now, it looks to me as if Guerrero was either not prepared for the rigors of this hire, or that he severely misjudged the landscape. It appeared that he was not certain that he was going to fire Dorrell until after the USC game. The search firm seemed to be hired late. The amount of money that we originally came to the table with (by all accounts about $1.5 million a year) would have been impressive five years ago, but is at least 30% under market value today. The apparent insistence on having the new coach keep Walker as defensive coordinator may well have turned off those few current coaches who didn't balk at the salary. There are legitimate questions as to whether Guerrero had the knack for "selling" the job, as a good AD must have. Going after some big names is commendable, but not so much if nothing was broached to them that would make them really consider the job. If the final list does indeed come down to Walker, Neuheisel and Golden, can anyone say that the list is appreciably better than that in 2002? And if not, does it not enhance what the critics and carpers always love to say: that UCLA is not an appealing place for a coach, and that our program is destined to always have to settle, while the other schools go after and often land the big fish?
I personally think that Neuheisel is still a very credible choice. But the longer we extend this, the more it looks as if Guerrero wants to go in another direction. And the more it appears that he might be looking for the excuse to take the easiest way out and hire Walker. If he does that, I can comfortably predict that UCLA will lose a good 25% of its booster and alumni support base. It's not a good position for an athletic director to be in; and we will soon see what the final decision will be.
December 25th, 2007 at 1:43 pm
Excellent analysis on the current state of affairs. I fully agree that the indecision of Guererro is alarming. Neuheisel’s record is solid (0.6875) and Walker has no head coaching experience (excluding BYU’s shamefull loss). It seems like a pretty easy choice to me…
December 25th, 2007 at 2:12 pm
The national media would always regard this coaching search as futile cause the frontrunner is a person who just a few weeks ago had no shot at getting this job. But, due to a combination of factors- support from wealthy boosters and teammates(some of whom also supported Dorrell’s hiring five years ago) to a lack of interest from other top caliber head coaches- Rick is now probably the favorite.
I had argued quite often for not firing Dorrell earlier cause I feared Walker would have been named interm coach and thus gain an inside track for the job. Even though Dorrell was not yet officially fired earlier, I had assumed, erroneously it now seems, I thought that our AD had already started the process of finding a new coach. Its been a disaster because while he was setting up the process to go find a coach with this committee to find a new coach, other programs had already zeroed in on who they wanted and have thus narrowed the potential pool of coaching candidates for UCLA where the frontrunner is somebody, who just a few weeks ago had no shot.
The irony is that some good coaches could have been had at the 1.5M salary that UCLA was offering- Paul Johnson and David Cutcliff- but they’ve already been swiped by Georgia Tech and Duke.
December 25th, 2007 at 2:27 pm
I don’t want Walker for the HC, but I thought that was a cheapshot to imply he shouldn’t be hired because of his educational background. Cal, the crown jewel of the UC system, has no issue with Tedford even though he graduated from Fresno State. If a succesful head coach with a similar educational background as Walker, somebody who left college early to go play professional football, decided to take the UCLA job, do you really think his educational background would really be that important?
December 25th, 2007 at 3:13 pm
Those of us who believe Neuheisel is the logical choice as head football coach should now be nervous. It is NOT a good sign that Walker is getting a second interview after the bowl game has been played. The optimum time to have named Neuheisel has now passed. He should have been hired on Monday if he was the choice. There was no reason whatsoever to wait longer than Monday unless Guerrero has someone else in mind.
At this point, I have absolutely no idea what is going on in Guerrero’s head. I suggest we hope for the best but prepare for the worst. Those of you who are hoping for someone other than Neuheisel to be hired should feel heartened by the delay.
December 25th, 2007 at 3:20 pm
After all that talk about cleaning up the program with Dorrell and we hire Neuhisal?
Or what is this trash about insisting whatever coach that comes to UCLA have Dewayne Walker on as an assistant? Thats just garbage and an excuse to hire a B or C list coach.
This program is quickly becoming a joke. Why doesn’t UCLA even take a look at Pat Hill? Hes a UC grad, a local guy, with a proven and successful record. He would be the perfect antithesis to everything that USC stands for too.
December 25th, 2007 at 3:21 pm
I am starting a movement on this website to push for UCLA to interview Pat Hill from Fresno State.
December 25th, 2007 at 4:51 pm
And so we wait.
December 25th, 2007 at 6:05 pm
ATP if I am correct, it was announced on Thursday or Friday that DW would get the second interview. I believe that the announcement was the PC thing to do, considering the seniors on the team, returning players, recruits, press and spurious Walkeristas who were saying “Why isn’t DW getting his second interview?” I would like to thnk that DG is only going through the emtions and the second interview is merely a courtesy. This second interview should have been last week, but in all fairness the guy was supposed to be getting the team ready to play BYU. That would have been the biggest game and biggest interview of his carreer in the same week. Additionally, I believe that wanted to give him that game as a audition.
So now DG has all the information he should need. Personally, I think KD is a better coach than DW. But niether is what we are looking for in a coach. And I hope DG feels the same. DW would take the program backwards with top recruits. How would that be to have such great talent and another sub .500 season or two.
If it’s DW that is chosen as the coach, I am not going to waste my money on any tickets and I might even cancel the cable TV. I still have that old Radio Shack monster up on the roof and VHF-UHF will be fine. If I see them play thats OK and if I don’t thats OK also. I can wait until the AD gets serious about football. OOOOPs! I am 60 now, I will have to think about that one.
December 25th, 2007 at 6:10 pm
Annually I give a modest 2K to UCLA athletics. Neuheisel was my choice in 1995 and again in 2007. From the day KD was fired I wanted RN. But I thought he would not even be considered because of his past troubles at CU and UDUB. But influential alums put the pressure on DG and the RN consideration was set in motion. RN should have been hired right after our bowl game. If Neuheisel is hired, I will increase my donation 100%. If DW is hired, I will lower it 50% and if Al Golden is hired - I don’t even want to think about it. Neuheisel will bring an energetic and spirited passion to our program and we will win! I am of the opinion that once KD is fired then we should clean house. Let the new HC bring in his own chosen staff. DG is coming off as a very weak AD as I see it.
December 25th, 2007 at 7:12 pm
im holding out hope tha this second interview with deeee-wayne is a meeting to square out the scenario of rick as hc and dw’s position thus forth. and i hope that the reason rick was not announced on monday as coach is because it was xmas eve. i hope?
December 25th, 2007 at 8:02 pm
BruinBuddy….I suppose you could be correct about Walker getting a second courtesy interview. But, if Guerrero is merely doing some sort of political grandstanding to placate players and others who favor Walker, he is flirting with peril. Why give the Walker camp any hope that he may be hired? I don’t see any need to deceive Walker, at all. He lacks the experience we are looking for, we have someone else in mind, thank you very much and good luck. Leading Walker on could be inflammatory
Remember, we have recruits who are under pressure to make a final decision and they are getting antsy. If the comments on this site are any indication, a high percentage of alums and fans are also losing patience.
I still believe the perfect day to hire Neuheisel, if indeed he is going to be hired, was Monday. With Christmas falling on Tuesday, any immediate heat from those opposed to Neuheisel would have been deflected by holiday distractions.
We’ll have to wait and see, but I’m not as hopeful as I was over the weekend that Neuheisel will be hired.
December 25th, 2007 at 8:02 pm
Neuheisel is an average coach I do not see the admiration for him. His teams become worse in the 3rd and 4th years. I hear what a great recruiter he is. really name one high profile recruit that played ro plays in the NFL. DW should be the next UCLA coach awsome recruiter will have a top 5 recruiting class for 2008 and is all b/c of him. Before he came UCLA was not recruiting in the inner cities. USC was getting all the top notch recruits in Compton,Watts,Southcentral,Carson and Gardena.
December 25th, 2007 at 8:17 pm
JC, is this JC in Long Beach that used to call Kevin Wheeler on Sporting News Radio?
December 25th, 2007 at 8:20 pm
JC from Compton
December 25th, 2007 at 8:30 pm
A HC is oly as good as it’s assistants. Ask PC at USC how many National Chapionships do they have since Norm Chow left. Who was Dennis Dixon before the new offensive cordinator came.
December 25th, 2007 at 8:31 pm
JC…not true. I’m not supporting nor dissing Karl Dorrell, I do think he was a good coach, and a good man….he just didnt get it done like a lot coaches when they first start. But we started recruiting inner city schools right when Karl came to coach. It wasnt Dewayne Walker, but Karl that got the kids from Inner cities
December 25th, 2007 at 8:32 pm
ATP, I also read in here somewhere that it may be just a visit to see if DW will agree to work as the DC under Rick and to see if they can both work together.
JC, I know the inner city and have coached there before on the high school level and have recruited there as a D-III coach on the college level. I had no problems at all with any recruits, especially those who could academically qualify. I had no athletic scholarships to offer, only the usual financial aid. Most of the kids I worked with qualified academically and also for financial aid. The HS coaches there are very knowledgable and steer their kids straight. It is when you have some outside intermeddlers or their homies that they get led astray. It does not matter if the coach recruiting is black or white, just tell the truth and don’t make promises you can’t keep. BTW, I am white if you can’t tell.
December 25th, 2007 at 8:33 pm
And what is this wait? How much longer do we have to wait?
But what I think is that Dan Guerrero is trying to convice DW to stay as D-coordinator.
That is what is going on in Westwood.
December 25th, 2007 at 9:03 pm
Joe, I agree I never liked the hire of KD. I tought it was a bad hire from the start. Honestly the coach that I want is June Jones. I hope that the reason is taking so long is b/c DG is waiting for the bowl season to be over and interview June Jones.
BruinBuddy, I agree it’s not about Black or White. UCLA stop recruiting players from the inner city. the only thing I can think of was b/c of grades.
Pete C does a great job of having events in the inner city. Oregon, Oregon state and even Cal have events in the inner city.
December 25th, 2007 at 9:33 pm
Dana, we agree … the educational reference is unnecessary.
December 25th, 2007 at 9:37 pm
Why are people saying Rick Neuheisel is an average coach. He has a 66-30 record as a head coach. He has won a Rose Bowl, Holiday Bowl, Cotton Bowl and Aloha Bowl. Show mean somebody else that has accomplish what he has accomplish. So that UCLA can interview him for the head coaching job. His success was in the Big 12 and the Pac 10. If his record indicates him is an average coach show me somebody who is a good coach? Or is good and average the same thing? You decide.
December 25th, 2007 at 10:32 pm
BC…you are right on. People are saying Neuheisel is an average coach because they choose to ignore the fact that he has some “big time” wins under his belt (wins over Miami, Fla., Michigan, SC, etc., programs led by what other’s call “big name” coaches. They also ignore or are unaware of his wins in important bowl games (Rose Bowl and Cotton Bowl) and the fact he has had his teams ranked in the Top 10 in 3 of his 8 years of coaching.
They cite what they believe to be “big name” coaches in Erickson and Bellotti, yet ignore the fact Neuheisel is 3-1 vs Erickson coached teams, and 4-1 vs Bellotti coached teams.
What they DO NOT choose to ignore is the one thing they can point to…the fact that Neuheisel’s teams have won fewer games the longer he stayed at each program. Never mind that he was 10-2 and 11-1 and would have had to be unbeaten in his following years to avoid a drop off in wins. The guy goes 8-4 and that makes him a target for ridicule. Amazing. And, let’s remember, his teams weren’t playing Sam Houston St. or San Jose State. He was thrown in the mix with heavyweights….Oklahoma, Nebraska, Texas, Miami, Michigan, SC and good Arizona State and Oregon State teams.
A couple people even complained that his 66-30 winning record (.685) is unimpressive, even though this winning percentage puts him in the same league as coaches considered icons of the game. Joe Paterno, the winningest active coach, has a winning percentage of .747, for instance.
Here is UCLA, a program without a national championship since 1954, with recent losses to Wyoming, Utah, BYU, and Fresno State, and some of it’s fans feel justified in thumbing their noses at Neuheisel. I don’t know what to say anymore. Maybe we deserve to be thought of as a basketball school.
December 25th, 2007 at 10:43 pm
David, it’s funny you say PAT HILL…I did mention him a few weeks ago on this site. Not to many people agreed with me, due to the perception that he wouldn’t be a fit for a school like UCLA. I’m glad someone finally agrees with me. That “play anybody, anytime, anywhere” attitude is exactly what we need. He’s gritty, from SoCal (so he understands the rivalry with SC and most likely has connections in the area). I agree it would completely go against the UCLA image, because of Pat Hill’s personal style. But it’s time to start winning football games, instead of worrying about image. He’s also had success in Fresno State, it would be a perfect step up for him, and UCLA could get away with getting him on the cheap (or at least cheaper than a real high profile guy)–Pat Hill is a great call!!!!
December 25th, 2007 at 10:46 pm
1995 Colorado 10-2 5-2 3rd in coference
1996 Colorado 10-2 7-1 2nd in coference Won 3 out 4 bowls
1997 Colorado 5-6 1-5 5th in coference in colorado
1998 Colorado 8-4 4-4 4th in coference
1999 Washington 7-5 6-2 2nd
2000 Washington 11-1 7-1 T-1st Lost 3 out 4 bowls
2001 Washington 8-4 6-2 T-2nd in washington
2002 Washington 7-6 4-4 T-4th
I don’t know about you BC those #’s above are AVG to me.
Rick Neu is not the savior of UCLA football.
December 25th, 2007 at 10:53 pm
DM…I love Pat Hill. And, unlike others, I don’t think his image is a stumbling block, at all. I do think Hill has carved a nice litte niche for himself in Fresno, though. He has that tough home field, rabid fans and his “play anyone…..anytime” credo going for him. He is a big fish in a little pond up there.
All indications are that Hill would probably like another go at the NFL. He coached at that level for about 5 years and has a pretty good relationship with Bellichick among others. He already has Pac-10 experience under Dick Tomey at Arizona and that’s why I think he might actually see coming to UCLA as a step DOWN from his situation at Fresno State. Why abandon a winning program where you’ve rebuilt the facilities and people think you’re great, to start over at UCLA? I don’t see Hill making himself available.
December 25th, 2007 at 11:00 pm
DM….You might have a tough time selling Pat Hill to JC. Pat Hill’s winning percentage at Fresno State is .626. According to JC, Pat Hill is way below average.
December 25th, 2007 at 11:06 pm
About to Puke…those are some good points on the Pat Hill situation. I see the significance of a possible step DOWN situation for him, but I think an HC job at a high profile, PAC-10 school, like a UCLA, would be a step UP, b/c he was an assistant under Tomey instead of a HC. I think leaving a mid-tier program like Fresno State and coming to UCLA would be a good move for him resume wise, challenge wise, and b/c of the possible ties to SoCal area. As for making himself available, I don’t think he has yet. If I was the search firm UCLA had hired, Pat Hill would’ve been one of the first people I’d call, and least get some feedback as to why he wouldn’t/would be interested. I think UCLA should’ve at least made an attempt to throw Hill’s name in the ring, and have him contacted somehow, someway…
December 25th, 2007 at 11:13 pm
DM…..Maybe you’re right about UCLA being a good move for Hill. At least you and I can build a case for why that looks like a logical step up. But, Hill knows what’s going on. He knew Dorrell was on paper thin ice. If he was interested in the UCLA job, he would have found a way to let UCLA know of his interest. A quick call from Bob Duncan to Guerrero would have been sufficient.
December 25th, 2007 at 11:18 pm
OK–so maybe Pat Hill’s record may not be stellar, but let’s remember he’s pulling mostly people from the Central Valley to play at Fresno State. His Fresno State teams are competative against bigger schools with that talent, and his coaching (like beating UCLA in the Silicon Valley Bowl a few years back). Can you imagine the top talent he could pull from the SoCal area, along with the UCLA name, and his coaching abilities? Don’t get me wrong, with all things considered, he’d be a dark horse of a candidate. Pat Hill is as good as any we have the search right now (Neu, Golden, and DWalker)…
December 25th, 2007 at 11:20 pm
The issue with Pat Hill is that his teams don’t win. It must be noted that Freson only has one conference title under Hill. ONE! I like his attitude, but the outcomes are simply not there. If you can’t win the WAC more than on year, then why should we herald you as an outstanding coach?
December 25th, 2007 at 11:22 pm
This discussion is all very troubling.
By the way, JC, recruiting isn’t, and it shouldn’t be, the most key element in coaching. It is highly important, please dont’ misconstrue me, but it’s never been, and never should be, the most salient element in a coaching search.
December 25th, 2007 at 11:26 pm
I agree, but instead of Duncan calling DG, what about DG being a little proactive and calling Hill himself. I like DG. He made a good hire with Howland (basketball) and John Savage (baseball, which was a few games away from the CWS). I would assume DG knows what he’s doing with football. I’m just surprised no one has really thrown Hill’s name around. It makes me worry about the program when guys like Chow, Petersen, and Bellotti claim to be disinterested. I appreciate the dialogue.
December 25th, 2007 at 11:43 pm
DM….Well, I wouldn’t be too concerned when coaches from these other schools don’t line up at DG’s door for a shot at the job. No coach is going to relish being in the same city with SC and having to compete for players in southern California with them. Peterson has a good deal going with Boise St. But, as you saw the other day, even so called “big name” Chris Peterson lost to East Carolina in his bowl game. Wow, I guess that makes him a terrible coach….he tailed off in his second bowl game. And, Bellotti has a similar sweet deal in Eugene. Remember, Boise and Eugene are not exactly media centers. These guys can make their million dollar salaries and remain in small communities where there isn’t half the pressure a coach in LA faces.
That’s why Neuheisel is unique. He actually WANTS to coach at UCLA.
December 26th, 2007 at 12:02 am
I’ll give you an example using Bellotti. Bellotti lives in a house overlooking the McKenzie Rive outside of Eugene. In LA his house would cost 4 or 5 million dollars, considering how much acreage and the view he has. He is recognized wherever he goes in town and gets celebrity treatment at restaurants, sporting events, etc. His job is secure as long as he wins more than he loses. He coaches at a university that takes in millions of dollars each year from alum Phil Knight, who has a vested interest in making sure the U of O maintains it’s track-town USA image.
If he has to go someplace, he drives over to Mahlon-Sweet airport, no traffic, no wait at the airport, and flys wherever he wants to go. The Eugene area is uncrowded, clean and provides all kinds of opportunities for outdoor recreation. The crime rate is low and a dollar goes about twice as far in Eugene as it does in LA. Why would Bellotti
want to complicate his life by jumping into the fire in southern California? Obviously, he didn’t want to.
December 26th, 2007 at 12:18 am
Here is my deal.
Neuheisel, if hired would do good. He would not cheat. UCLA is his dream job, and he wont mess up again, he wont cheat. I think Neuheisel would be a great hire.
I honestly think Al Golden would be a good hire. I heard he is an awesome coach. He played 22 true freshman in his first year, only winning one game. This season, his team won 4 games, and he produced 2 all conference players. And finished 4-4 in conference. He will be a great coach. If not with us, with somebody else. I think he would be a good hire too. Temple wants to extend his contract already, to win 4 games at Temple, is nothing short of a miracle.
June Jones will not get interviewed, and shouldnt be considered. He is a good coach, but he wouldnt be able to handle all of the academic issues UCLA places on their athletes.
Same with Pat Hill, plus…if UCLA doesnt want Mike Leach, you really think they’ll want Pat Hill.
December 26th, 2007 at 3:49 am
i like most of your content DD.
However, I don’t think you should be picking such lowly fights on other boards so much…
December 26th, 2007 at 5:31 am
Rick Neuheisel has already proven himself as a head coach at the highest level. When he was at Colorado he had to compete against the likes of Oklahoma, Texas, and Nebraska (when they were still good), and he did so successfully. The same is true when he was at Washington competing against Pac 10 teams. These are top BCS conferences and Chris Peterson, June Jones, and Pat Hill have not coached this kind of a conference schedule. I was at one of Rick Neuheisel’s bowl losses and the word loss doesn’t tell the real story. His #20 Washington team played #9 Texas. What it took for Texas to win was coming back from a 19 pt. deficit in the fourth quarter which was at the time the greatest comeback in Texas football history. It was also Major Applewhite’s greatest game with 473 yards passing. That’s what it took for a highly favored top 10 team to beat a Rick Neuheisel coached team.
December 26th, 2007 at 5:32 am
Sorry, I should add that this was in the 2001 Holiday Bowl.
December 26th, 2007 at 8:04 am
Roger, great point about that Holiday Bowl game.
December 26th, 2007 at 8:39 am
I really beleive that Walker is getting a courtesy interview, and that’s it. He will not be named the UCLA football coach, Guerrero will not bet his job on a second inexperienced head football coach. Neuheisel will be named coach late this week. Oh, and by the way the little stunt Bellotti pulled with UCLA got him a nice raise. He now makes over 2 Million in base salary alone.
December 26th, 2007 at 9:39 am
Here’s the issue, I don’t see UCLA firing an AD for anything other than insubordinate behavior. While DG may be feeling the pressure, his job isn’t on the line. Put it this way; if Peter Dalis wasn’t fired for his continued contributions to UCLA’s mediocrity via the atrocious coaching hires, there’s no way DG will be fired.
December 26th, 2007 at 9:48 am
Hey JC,
1995 Colorado 10-2 5-2 3rd in coference, Cotton Bowl win against Oregon
1996 Colorado 10-2 7-1 2nd in coference Won 3 out 4 bowls, Holiday Bowl win against Washington
1997 Colorado 5-6 1-5 5th in coference in colorado
1998 Colorado 8-4 4-4 4th in coference, Aloha Bowl win against Oregon.
Oh, by the way. Heat beat Mike Bellotti Oregon teams in the bowl games.
1999 Washington 7-5 6-2 2nd, Holiday Bowl Lose against Kansas St.
2000 Washington 11-1 7-1 T-1st Lost 3 out 4 bowls, Rose Bowl win against Purdue
2001 Washington 8-4 6-2 T-2nd in washington, Holiday Bowl lose to Texas
2002 Washington 7-6 4-4 T-4th, Sun Bowl lose against Purdue
“I don’t know about you BC those #’s above are AVG to me.
Rick Neu is not the savior of UCLA football.”
Hey JC, I do believe the Rose Bowl, Cotton Bowl and Holiday Bowl against some perty good teams is much better then Emerald Bowl and Las Vegas Bowl.
What a bad coach. Good points JC. Try not to forget his accomplishments when describing his failure. They come hand and hand.
December 26th, 2007 at 9:54 am
It’s all Politics About to Puke…It’s all Politics.
December 26th, 2007 at 10:00 am
Excellent analysis. I do think DG was NOT prepared for KD’s and the team’s failure this year. And after the 4-1 start and even the loss to putrid ND, I don’t think he saw it coming. If WSU and Arizona didn’t tell him something, well he wasn’t paying attention. I think this is a very PC search and Chancellor Block is much involved….Al Golden would not have been interviewed if not for Block. DG had to be talked into interviewing Neuheisel. I do believe DW has a more than a “courtesy” shot. To me the key point in the interview today will be:
Q — DeWayne, if we choose another candidate, would you stay as DC, Ass’t HC/Recruiting Coordinator with a 100K increase in salary?
A. — ????????
By the way, if the answer is NO, why panic? Most of the recruits (Suspects) aren’t going anywhere. And guess what?
If the concern is recruiting and inter-city recruiting, Ron English, fired DC at Michigan, is from Pomona, was Secondary Coach at San Diego State and Arizona State before going to Michigan. Yes, he is African-American, and known as an “outstanding recruiter.” He would be a fine DC and recruiter for RN. And yes, before anyone says anything, I DO know how Michigan’s defense did vs. D. Dixon and Oregon!
December 26th, 2007 at 10:21 am
Relax, guys. Let’s not presume to know whom Rick will choose for his staff. It is both appropriate for the AD to do his best to ensure smooth transition for young athletes who’ve devoted so much to UCLA and for him to offer his judgment about staffing to the new coach.
I predict that Rick Neu is ready to put his imprint on our (his) program and community. He has deep roots in both. We ought not assume he’s too insecure or without judgment to even be the one to select DW as a key member of his team.
Let’s see.
December 26th, 2007 at 10:36 am
Bruce,
I have to agree with you regarding Ron English, he is a fine DC and would be perfect here in that role. Additionally, he totally supports academic standards. While at SDSU he was reruiting my son’s teammate from HS and he stressed the academics even for SDSU. He dosen’t take one ounce of attitude and when he uses the word “excuse” it is always preceded by the word “no”. He has tremenous integrity and that can be seen by the way he took his firing.
I din’t think about him before, I was thinking that likely he would be considering a head job at a smaller school. Now I am excited, if RN can talk Ron into moving back here and working with UCLA you will see a big difference right away.
Pat Hill is not going anywhere. He loves that place, read the Fresno papers.
December 26th, 2007 at 10:44 am
English would be a nice addition and bring a refeshing change of attitude to UCLA football. Did he coach under Craft at SDSU?
December 26th, 2007 at 11:06 am
Just to add to what Bruce Nagy and BruinBuddy said about Ron English, I remember hearing how he was raiding southern California and convincing some pretty high profile kids to go to Michigan.
You guys are right. He would be a coach worth pursuing as DC. If I remember right, he had a stint with an NFL team, so he’s been around.
December 26th, 2007 at 11:25 am
If anybody wants to read an article that was writing back when Rich Neuheisel was fire from Washington. Here is an article that found on BRO.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1208/is_29_228/ai_n6142184
What is your opinion? Even yours JC.
December 26th, 2007 at 11:28 am
I don’t understand what’s the big deal on recruiting in the inner-city… I mean everybody is raving on these recruits in the inner-city, and how we have never really done it b4, but I say who cares. Why should that matter? Look at us in the 90’s, we were in the Top 10 pretty much since the mid 90’s til the end, and we didn’t really have any inner-city kids on our squad. If they’re there and wanting to come to Ucla, cool, if not, I don’t see the big deal on having the pressure to recruit them. Ucla was doing just find how they were recruiting bdfore.
December 26th, 2007 at 11:41 am
Tom…..it depends on whether you are content to have 4.7 forty kids on the team, or would rather have 4.4 forty kids on the team.
Further, if you were to watch a game between Crenshaw and, oh, lets say, Glendale Hoover, who do you think would win?
December 26th, 2007 at 11:42 am
It is always amazing to me that UCLA never imagines hiring a great coach like Les Miles, Bob Stoops, Rich Rodriguez, Frank Beamer or Bob Tressel. Where is our pride as the first to 100 national champioships? WE know that football has never been treated like basketball at UCLA, and that is a major insecurity for UCLA. Until we build a stadium in Westwood, we will continue to be a second tier football program. How can we realistically compare the UCLA football atmosphere to OU, LSU, Michigan, Alabama, USC, Nebraska, Texas, Washington, Oregon, or any other top tier program, when our fans have to travel 30-50 miles to the Rose Bowl and our sports coaches have to live off campus.
I still think Bob Toledo was the best coach in my lifetime at UCLA, and he was one game away from a national champiohsip in 1998. He should not have been fired, and when he was Rick Neuheisel should have been hired. Donahue blocked him, and now we have a second chance. I think Riok knows UCLA better than anyone else, and he should go after Norm Chow as his OC.
Amen, and on to a Rose Bowl game with Rick next January 1 or the BCS national championship. Bring back pride, enthusism, and a brilliant offensive and defensive football mind.
December 26th, 2007 at 11:53 am
Well, like I said About to Puke, we were in the Top 10 last decade and I don’t remember really Ucla having any inner-city kids. i could be wrong…But I knew they heavily recruited in O.C.(i.e. Ezperanza, Servite, Fullerton,Troy, South County etc) If the inner-city kids can be recruited, by alll means, but like I said b4, Ucla has have been doing find. Bye the way, what’s wrong with recruiting in the O.C.?
December 26th, 2007 at 11:54 am
DG may only hire RN as a last resort, so as not to offend his cronies at the NCAA.
December 26th, 2007 at 11:56 am
Resume
ATP,
Here is Ron’s resume:
Years Title Location
2006-Present Defensive Coordinator Michigan
2004-2005 Secondary Coach Michigan
2003 Secondary Coach Seattle Seahawks
2001-2002 Cornerback Coach Arizona State
1998-2000 Safety Coach Arizona State
1996-1997 Secondary Coach San Diego St.
1995 Outside Linebacker Coach Northern Arizona
Per Rivals.com
these were his commitments and targets:
Name Pos Stars Ht Wt 40-yard Visit Video Hometown
Boubacar Cissoko DB 5-8 171 Detroit, MI
Martin Bayless WR 6-3 190 4.53 Missouri City, TX
Vaughn Dotsy OL 6-4 364 5.59 Ventura, CA
Anthony Dye DB 5-10 179 4.5 Corona, CA
Lawrence Guy DT 6-6 265 4.77 Las Vegas, NV
Jamaar Jarrett DE 6-6 238 5.32 San Marcos, CA
Trumaine Johnson WR 6-2 170 4.55 Stockton, CA
Dion Jordan TE 6-6 215 4.6 Chandler, AZ
Rahim Moore DB 6-0 185 4.45 Los Angeles, CA
Chris Polk RB 5-11 190 4.5 Redlands, CA
Ray Polk RB 6-0 195 4.47 Phoenix, AZ
Vaughn Telemaque DB 6-2 180 4.53 11/17/2007 Long Beach, CA
Joel Turrubiates OL 6-7 340 5.3 Bakersfield, CA
What I see is a lot of SoCal in there. Tony Dye and Vaugh Telemaque have already commited to UCLA, he is one of those good DB’s that have committed. Of this bunch. Martin Bayless and Joel Turrubiantes are the ones you really want. Chrs Polk dosen’t like the idea of waiting in line at SC either for a turn to play.
December 26th, 2007 at 12:00 pm
Pat….The problem is, I would venture to say that less than 5% of Bruin fans knew who Les Miles and Rich Rodriguez were prior to their taking over at LSU and West Virginia. They built their names after being hired at those respective schools. Sure, Miles was a known cat at Michigan, but not out here. I’m not a big fan of Stoops. I like what he did at Florida, but he is a major cry baby at Oklahoma. Every time he loses, he blames something other than his coaching. Beamer, though having successful teams at VaTech, has more-or-less built a program that is Miami North. The dog killer, his brother, Pac-Man Jones, guys who can’t read after graduating, etc. They win, but their is always a bad smell left in the program. Tressel, of course, was highly successful at a lower division school, but even he took some broadside hits when his RB, whose name escapes me now, sued OSU.
So, I guess my point is…very few successful programs hire a guy who is already considered a great “big name” coach. They usually show they are great after they arrive and build the program. Look at Spurrier. South Carolina probably thought hiring Spurrier meant they were going to be the new Florida. Hasn’t happened. I think you’re right about Neuheisel. Given some time, he will probably become one of the “big name” coaches in the country.
December 26th, 2007 at 12:05 pm
BruinBuddy….Wow, thanks for the info! Great research. After I had some time to think about English, I started thinking that, if he were to come to UCLA, he would probably bring some of the kids he actively recruited for Michigan, with him. Looking at some of the names you list, that would be great!
December 26th, 2007 at 12:13 pm
ron rnglish got fired? wow, if we can’t keep dw, that would be one hell of a plan b. i don’t think oregon should be held against him, the only thing that stopped oregon this year was dixon’s knee, yikes.
to respond to the point about recruiting in the inner-city, it is of paramount importance that we recruit there. whether speaking in comparable terms or not there is a lot of talent there and we should leave no stone unturned b, ecause dirty pete doesn’t.
secondly, and this is my own personal opinion, i think we get more out of these players. these prep school kids from the valley that seemed to be a majority of the team in my years were a bunch of spoiled brats that were far more concerned with partying and looking cool than getting better and winning. for the athletes in the inner city, sports is the way out and more seem to be more focused on their craft than anythig else. of course there are exceptions and some carry some baggage but that’s on the recruiter to make the assesment of pros and cons (no pun intended).
although we were doing ok in the 90’s without these players, it was because the big time ones were leaving the area because sc sucked. when that pipeline was re-establishedwe began to sufer by ignoring it. jst my thoughts though
December 26th, 2007 at 12:13 pm
Tom….Nothing wrong with the O.C. LOL I just think we can’t altogether forsake the goldmine of talent at schools like Dorsey, LB Poly, Crenshaw, etc. SC goes in their and snatches a new fleet of RB’s and WR’s every year.
December 26th, 2007 at 12:37 pm
As a concession to my OCD, I apologize for using the word “their” in place of the word “there” occasionally. Sometimes I get ahead of myself and spell the word as it sounds, out of context.
December 26th, 2007 at 12:39 pm
Vomit Mouth aka About to Puke:
Big name coaches change dance cards more often than you admit. I went to OU undergrad, and the football experience at OU is so far superior to UCLA or USC. There is nothing that can compare for the student body to walk from campus to the game, and to bring back the Alumni to the campus than a great stadium, tailgating, after game parties and restaurants to eat at and mingle with Alumni, sons and daughters, and fans before and after the game.
UCLA fans have been deprived of this atmosphere for their entire lifetime. We need to address that issue now and not put it on the back burner as usual. Football is king in revenue generation and spirits for most campuses. Let’s make this the focus of this website after Rick Neuheisel is hired. We don’t have wild and crazy fans at UCLA because the administration has always treated our fans like redheaded step children on a company plantation. We need to be just as loud and fearsome as the Oregon Duck, Arizona Wildcat, Cal Bear, OU, Nebraska, LSU, and other vocal fans. We just do not get wild and crazy at football games as other schools do. The players love the fans to get it on, and get behind them. I suggest this site change its name to Bruin Fan Speak or some other positive name after the KD fiasco dies. The site should also change its focus to all sports and not just football. There is not even one of the 100 championships in football on our totem pole.
December 26th, 2007 at 12:43 pm
Ucla was NC in ‘54
December 26th, 2007 at 12:47 pm
Pat M……Excuse me? Did I say something to contradict your statement about needing a new stadium? Did I say anything to make you believe I am against having an enthusiastic fan base?
I merely stated that your list of coaches as “big name” coaches is a list made up AFTER they became so-called “big name” coaches. Who the hell wouldn’t hire one of those guys if you knew beyond certainty they were going to become “big name” coaches?
Vomit Mouth is not a very polite thing to call someone. If you would like to know why I call myself “About to Puke”, it is a phrase I often used after watching another loss by the Bruins under Karl Dorrell.
I understand you are a self-described fanatical OU grad, football fan, whatever. However, try to remain civil, okay?
December 26th, 2007 at 12:56 pm
Pat M……Also, if Bob Toledo is the best UCLA coach you can remember……well, maybe that says it all.
December 26th, 2007 at 1:32 pm
About to vomit:
You are obviously way too defensive and on the edge. Lighten up. There is no intention to impugn your silly email address. Bob Toledo motivated UCLA, and he was the most imaginative coach we ever had at UCLA. I have been attending UCLA games since 1965. I have lived through several ADs at UCLA, and no one compares with JD Morgan. Bar none. Since then we have had a breakdown at UCLA, similar to the breakdown we have had at the FBI since Hoover died. We have had ADs who have been sycophants for the Administration ,and they have not been good for the players, fans or alumni. UCLA athletics and the Athletic Department is for the fans, students, alumni and players, not for the small clique of athletic department employees and insiders it has been for too long. We need an AD who takes care of those who bring in the bucks and attend the games, not the dead wood in the athletic department and administration who bring little to the program, except mind and physical control over those who attend our games.
December 26th, 2007 at 1:42 pm
Dana, what’s your source for calling Cal the “crown jewel of the UC system?” That may have been obviously true in the distant past, but I don’t see Cal being named “Best Mega-university” or listed as a “New Ivy” as UCLA was recently. I would submit that UCLA has not only given Cal a run for its money as the UC’s “crown jewel,” but that, by many indicators, may have even surpassed it.
December 26th, 2007 at 4:10 pm
Bob Toledo certainly brought a lot to the table offensively. He was imaginative and our teams had a flair to them that Donahue certaily lacked. Toledo had a big hand in the 8 straight against Figueroa Tech.
The people in our section of the Rose Bowl could call Terry’s plays before the ball was snapped. That’s how imaginative Terry was.
But I’ll disagree with your choice of best coach.By far, Tommy Prothro goes down in Bruin lore. Those games against U$C were classics. Gary Beban, Heisman winner, what more can you say.
If you can remember Norm Dow leading us to a win over U$C while Beban watched from the sidelines with a broken leg. Now that was Bruin football.
December 26th, 2007 at 5:45 pm
I’m a big Bob Toledo fan has well. He should have not been fired. It wasn’t his fault for the actions of some of his players… any head coach can only do so much.
December 26th, 2007 at 7:10 pm
Bob Toledo was good for the time and place. He came a long way from his playing days at UC Davis and coaching at UC Riverside. Toledo was innovative and provided the razzle-dazzale that people needed at that time to win. But the game was beginning to pass him by. Not just the technical aspects, but the player personalities. Bob loved and respected his players and would do anything for them. His players would let him down by taking advantage of him and not being the good citizens we would expect them to be.
Bob certainly was not the best coach in Bruin history, Sanders and Prothro are the best I can remember. But I do agree that Bob was exciting. I believe that Bob eventually got frustrated with the lack of respect some players had for the game, the school and their roles as ambassadors of the program. I was sorry to see Bob go, he was the right guy at that time, but some of his players ruined it for him. And when he needed help from above, Dalis played Pountius Pilate and washed his hands of Bob. Dalis did that quite well as you may remember.
The role of the AD is to guide and assist the coaches of all the teams, and not just the Title IX teams. I am sure that DG will be remembered as the AD who couldn’t find a football coach when he had a good one in rigt there in his office when he was meeting with Rick.
December 27th, 2007 at 3:16 am
Didn;t realize Rick’s record was that good, at Col those years in that conference along with being at Washington in the Pac 10 he was 3 for 8 in double digit winning seasons, I think Bruinnation would be beside itself if it could get 10 wins more than once a decade.