DeWayne Walker’s Bluff Backfiring?
Tom Deinhart of Sporting News has been handing it to our beat press all season, getting key news out before they do. He might have done it again with this seemingly insignificant bit of news:
Walker likely would remain at UCLA as defensive coordinator if Rick Neuheisel gets the head coaching job, according to a source close to Walker. Willingham is also talking to Walker about his opening as defensive coordinator at Washington.
Neuheisel remains the most logical choice to take over in Westwood. He has been humbled by his experiences at Colorado and Washington. And he told me a few months ago he is eager to return to the college ranks. Plus, UCLA is his alma mater. Neuheisel has a magnetic personality, which would help the program battle the big persona of USC's Pete Carroll.
And, maybe even most vital: Neuheisel will come relatively cheap.
It all makes too much sense.
A source close to Walker … hmm. This is interesting. Walker's camp has been in Brian Doh!n's ear all season, and by the looks of Doh!n's reports maybe they been set up in his own home. All we have been hearing is that Washington had an "intense push" for Walker, "their 1st choice" and all (disputed by local reports), and of course the interview with Udub on the same day Walker interviewed with Chancellor Block for the job Walker supposedly coveted. Now Walker's camp is in Deinhart's ear telling him something different.
The bluff that Walker was playing doesn't appear to be going his way. Walker faked that he going to take this jewel of a job at Washington if we didn't give him the HC job right away. Apparently, Walker's camp is now saying "yeah, no, um, yeah Walker would take the DC job if Neuheisel was head coach, of course. Walker loves UCLA. Walker loves Neu. Go Neu, Go Neu, Go Neu." Yep, Walker must not have gotten that desperate call from Guerrero he expected. Caught looking like a prom queen without a date, Walker is now sheepishly, through non-local press, trying to get the word out that ok yes he will take the UCLA DC job under Neuheisel. Doh! Brian Doh!n, cuckolded, must be feeling pretty stupid right about now.
In other news, Bill Plaschke jumps on the Dan Guerrero bash bandwagon:
The search has become the story, and the longer it continues, the weaker the program appears. Dan Guerrero needs to end it, now.The hiring of a football and basketball coach should be the only two times the UCLA athletic director is in the news, and Guerrero needs to own the moment. This is when he convinces boosters and donors of the program's strength. This is when he convinces recruits of the program's savvy. This is when he provides the athletic program with a strong, decisive face.
Instead, nearly a month into the search, UCLA's brow is furrowed and its mouth is agape.And if you don't think USC is e-mailing that photo to every high school football player in Southern California, then you don't know USC. So far, Guerrero has looked more like a beggar than a chooser, which means he either doesn't understand football or doesn't understand UCLA, charges he could disprove by simply making up his mind. You want Rick Neuheisel? Fine, what are you waiting for? You could have hired him three weeks ago, and every day that passes, his NCAA baggage grows larger and his credibility grows thinner.
Good points, but will you be writing the mea culpa if DG hires a great coach not yet talked about? We are getting crucified by the local media more than the national media, maybe because they are butt hurt for being left out in the cold. What's worse is Plaschke pulls out the dreaded Donahue quote:
"USC is the football school, UCLA is the basketball school, we all know that," Donahue said before pausing. "But UCLA is still a great institution that can get great players from across the country."
Won't Donahue just go away now … forever. Whatever. What a loser. Nuff said.
December 28th, 2007 at 9:41 am
At this point, it becomes harder and harder to give Guerro the benefit of the doubt with the way the coaching process has unfolded.
December 28th, 2007 at 10:06 am
This time period for hiring a head football coach is a defining moment in Dan Guerrero’s career.
If he gets it right, then he will likely get himself an extension with a nice raise.
If he gets it wrong, then he will be on the hot seat himself in the next few years as UCLA football continues to be mediocre.
Thus, we all have to wait and see if he has the guts and committment to make UCLA football a national power.
And Donohue should get it straight: UCLA football can and should be a top notch football program, competing for a NC just like UCLA basketball is now doing.
drbob
December 28th, 2007 at 10:34 am
that’s an UNBELIEVABLE QUOTE by Donahue. Maybe if he wasn’t such a mediocre coach, his opinion on UCLA football would be quite different. How EMBARRASSING that he would say that after being the head coach for 20 years and having every oppotunity to position football into a virtual tie with bball. 2 National titles (which were veryk likely) in the 80s would’ve flipped that trick, but Donahue mediocred his way to a bunch of 8-3 7-4 seasons.
December 28th, 2007 at 10:46 am
Hey DD, you should start a poll asking people how much longer before UCLA hires a head coach.
December 28th, 2007 at 10:48 am
Plashcke is leaving out a MAJOR point in his article. He’s not acknowledging the administration. This goes back to my point that the UCLA Administration DOES NOT LIKE FOOTBALL!! This is irrespective of who the AD is. You can make Bill Parcells the UCLA AD, but the Administration will still not like football. DG is likely butting heads with Chancellor Block. I repeat that I don’t know Chancellor Block like I knew Young and Carnesale, but it appears that he’s behaving no different from the aforementioned.
When we were choosing a bball hire, there wasn’t this much strain or this much news. The Chancellor wasn’t as involved in that hire as he has been in this hire, and in the Karl Dorrell hire.
there is no doubt in my mind that the UCLA administration is spiteful when it comes to football. I happen to believe that their mission is to purposely keep it down.
December 28th, 2007 at 10:55 am
Donahue was happy to get to the Rose Bowl. He never was close to a national championship. U$C was’nt a football school for most of the 90’s and we were’nt a basketball school until Ben brought it back to us. This just tells you that coaching can make a football and basketball school. Come on Dan stop your siesta and get us a winner.
December 28th, 2007 at 11:08 am
I honestly think DG is in way over his head. I’m not sure being the AD at UC Irvine qualifies you to be AD at UCLA. I also think having an AD with a baseball and not a football background is a tremendous liability.
At most universities, football is the driving force of their athletic program. It brings in millions of dollars that goes to support the other non-revenue producing sports. In this day and age of Title IX, revenue sports subsidize the entire athletic budget.
I feel having a non football person as AD taints the entire view of football and sports ingeneral at UCLA. Look at Nebraska this year. The football programs falters and they bring back an ex-football coach to be AD. How many schools have ex-football coaches as AD’s? Too many to name!
It just seems that since the 70’s when John Wooden retired, UCLA has been focused on restoring the BB program and just let the Football program coast. For twenty years we were subjected to the Donahue years. He won enough times and was successful in bowl games enough to last till his retirement.
When it came time to replace Terry, not a coach in the country wanted the job save one, RN. Terry had enough juice to nix that appointment. He drove Rick out of town and into exhile. Luckily for RN this gave him a chance to get some seasoning and experience in other venues.
Personally, I loved Toledo’s brand of football and save for a game in Miami that still has a stench of tank job to it, we could have had a NC. Besides Toledo schooled U$C’s ass how many straight times? That feat will never be duplicated in my life time.
I’ve got my fingers crossed that everything will work out but if not, I’m ready to go after DG’s ass and won’t feel satiosfied until he’s driven back to some two bit school like UC Irvine or maybe UC Merced, do they even have sports yet?
December 28th, 2007 at 11:17 am
That Donahue quote ticked me off, too. It’s time for Donahue to retire his mouth, as well.
December 28th, 2007 at 11:20 am
PATIENCE! OPTIMISM!!
A few bowls are ending very soon. That’s when we’ll find out who our next football coach is. One who will be quoted saying, “Everyone knows U$C is “a” football school, UCLA is “the” basketball school. But now people will discover that UCLA is a great institution and will be BOTH.
DG and GB are not on siesta. I gaurantee they are working on a great improvement!!!!!
December 28th, 2007 at 11:49 am
And how do you this BruinFamily?
December 28th, 2007 at 11:52 am
Was this search firm aquired via tax payer dollars? What a waste.
December 28th, 2007 at 11:54 am
I am back on to let you know what I was told last night by a friend who coaches at a Honolulu high school. Word is, UCLA is waiting until after Hawaii’s bowl game to interview June Jones. I cannot say this information is much more than a rumor at this point. But, I trust the source to be a little more “in the loop” than the average person.
Hiring Jones over Neuheisel would be a mistake. Jones did not just happen on the scene this year with his 12-0 Hawaii team. He has been around, and he has shopped his run-and-shoot offense for years since he was a run-and-shoot QB at Portland State under Mouse Davis. Interestingly, he has Mouse Davis on his staff at Hawaii. However, the offense did not work in the NFL. Jones brought it to Atlanta and it flopped. He tried it as interim coach at San Diego with no success. It did work at Portland State when Jones had a guy named Neil Lomax (a strong-armed QB who played for the St. Louis Cardinals in the NFL) playing against the likes of E. Washington, Montana St., and Southern Oregon College. And, it has worked at Hawaii playing against the likes of San Jose State, Nevada and Idaho. No Nebraska’s, Texases, Miami’s, SC’s or Michigan’s on those schedules.
It is a “gimmick offense” in the sense that it is not used by any major colleges that I can name. As such, it isn’t seen by defensive coordinators and, when you only have a couple days to gameplan for it, it can be difficult to defend. But, against teams with quick, physical corners who jam receivers or disrupt pass routes, it bogs down. If you don’t have an offensive line that can run block so you can keep a defense honest and maybe take advantage of their inability to defend the run, you are in trouble. If UCLA hires Jones, we will become known as a team that, out of desperation, had to install a little used, gimmick offense because we couldn’t compete as a conventional offense. this is baloney. We can recruit an offensive line that can both run block and pass block. We can recruit big tight ends that can block as well as catch. And we can recruit running backs who can break tackles and take it to the house from anywhere on the field. We just need a coach that can put the pieces of the puzzle together, demand excellence, and properly prepare and motivate the team.
Just a note here. The offense New England runs is NOT the run and shoot. The Patriots run a variation of the spread offense in which they use four wide receivers. Yes, they are successful, and it IS a “pass first” offense. However, they have four receivers who happen to be named Moss, Gaffney, Stallworth and Welker. It also doesn’t hurt that they have a QB with a strong, accurate arm. And, in the NFL, players are not graduating every 3 or 4 years.
Why is Jones looking to leave Hawaii? Well, there is no Timmy Chang or Colt Brennan to run his offense in the pipeline. Also, what can he do to top 12-0? And, Jones has been engaged in a war of words with Urban Meyer, head coach at Florida, since Meyer’s days at Utah, when Meyer laughed at the run-and- shoot and said the run-and-shoot only produces “system quarterbacks.” Jones slapped back at Meyer by calling Tim Tebow “just a system quarterback.” Guess what team Hawaii plays in their opener next year. Florida. It might get ugly should Jones be around to bring his run and shoot down to Gainesville next year.
What I can’t understand is why UCLA would entertain the thought of hiring June Jones as if he is the newest, latest genius to come along. He had a great year. Good for him. His success at Portland State and Hawaii does not mean we can extrapolate his system will have the same success in the Pac-10.
December 28th, 2007 at 11:58 am
I really don’t know what all the rush is. If UCLA scores a great coach it’ll be worth the wait. On the other hand I feel bad that Neuheisel has to sit around waiting while UCLA seems to try every option except him. Who are we really going to get that will want to win as badly and keep the program as clean because of his past as much as Neuheisel? DG and Block need to let go of the past.
December 28th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
RICK RICK RICK RICK RICK RICK! We will announce him next week after Baltimores last game.
December 28th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
About To Puke….WELCOME BACK BRUIN BROTHER. WE ALL MISSED YOU !!!!!!
December 28th, 2007 at 12:37 pm
Hey Diego, why do you believe the administration hates football so much when a powerful team can fill the Rose Bowl and bring money to the university?
December 28th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
ATP, you make some very good points. I definitely agree that UCLA can recruit at the top levels for every position. We do not to install a gimmick offense in order to be successful. We should be able to attract top talent using a more pro-style offense, something RN is accustomed to installing. No top running backs, tight ends, or offensive linemen will want to come to UCLA if we run Jones’ offense. Ask any offense lineman whether they would prefer to run block or pass block, and all will answer run block. Let’s bring in RN and make athletes like Deshaun Foster, Marcedes Lewis, Jonathan Ogden the norm, rather than the exception at UCLA. Why does USC’s second team (offense, defense, and special teams) look vastly superior to UCLA’s first team. They recruit 4 deep at all the major positions and we can’t even recruit 3 deep at the most important one (hence, the MacBeth and Ossar experiments). If we want to stop being treated like second class citizens in our own city, let’s stop acting like one. Signing day is coming up soon and we need to get our ship in order. RN is not only the right choice, he is the only choice that makes sense at this point in time. He is the only coach I can picture standing up to Pete and USC. Let’s bring back RN and so that he can bring our dormant 8 clap back to life.
December 28th, 2007 at 12:50 pm
Ucla should never listen to great underachiever that was coach Donahue. He was one of the original gutty little Bruina as a 190 lb. defensive lineman and coached like he was just grateful to get to the Rose Bowl game every once in a while. Talk about thinking small as a coach. We need a coach with an attitude that say’s ” I’m here to win National Championships because anything less I would consider a failure”. Ucla stop being USC’s Bitch and start crawling out of their shadow, and if you don’t my wish is that you are lucky to get 20,000 fans on Saturday as your consequence for not caring about making Ucla a power in football as much as you care about the women’s soccer or volleyball teams. Enough already fans. Let’s boycott their games if they continue to stick it to us with cheap coaches who are underachievers!
December 28th, 2007 at 1:02 pm
Look fells…I love June Jones and what has done, not only for UH football, but literally for the entire island of Oahu. I’ve been to the UH campus many times, and have even visited practice on a number of occasions. It just won’t work at UCLA. The WAC is “slightly” different than the Pac10 - Big 12 - etc. With the long travel to the islands, it doesn’t give opposing coaches much time for preparation before each game. Furthermore, if the administration is worried about Rick’s past transgressions in recruiting, etc., they’ll **never** want to deal with JJ’s recruiting. In order to “make it work” in Hawaii, he has to recruit players who have a hard enough time getting into UH….and would absolutely never get into UCLA. Not academically…legally or otherwise. Trust me…I’m a HUGE UH fan (almost as much as I bleed Bruin Blue & Gold)…I’m one of the few who think that they can really play with the big boys of Georgia at the Sugar Bowl, but there’s no way they’ll hire June Jones…and I don’t believe he is the right fit. My ultimate choice was Chris Petersen…but let’s hire Rick now. We can’t keep waiting, this is an unbelieveable joke already!
December 28th, 2007 at 1:27 pm
If it didn’t have such negative implications for the football program, it would be hilarious to watch the UCLA pc bureaucrats as they conduct the charade that’s supposed to pass for a national search for the best head coach. It seems pretty clear that DG has intended from the beginning to hire DW if he can get away with it. Recently, he’s been waiting for an interview at Washington (and hopefully an offer) to further elevate DW’s status. Now, he’s probably waiting to see whether the alums (always an annoyance) will swallow it. In the meantime by stalling, maybe he can get Neuheisel to grow frustrated and drop out. I think DG wants Walker, but doesn’t want to bear responsibility for the choice. If the alums hadn’t pushed for Neuheisel, DW would already have the position. It sure looks like there was no national search…..they just name dropped some good men who had no interest.
Even if they have to go with Neuheisel, they’re trying to attach conditions….keep DW. It should be up to the new HC what to do. After all, what evidence is there that the bureaucrats know more about football personnel and management issues than the HC?
December 28th, 2007 at 1:58 pm
Excellent post on Jones, and the serious question of whether his offense would work in the Pac-10. I don’t think so, either. But I feel the same about Leach’s offense. Neuheisel’s offense can, and has worked well against major competition. But I think that Guerrero might think that “flavor of the month” Jones is the more glamorous candidate. Let’s not even get to Hawkins, who is what?–6-16 in his first job in a major conference.
December 28th, 2007 at 2:29 pm
This is the key to ATP’s post:
We can recruit an offensive line that can both run block and pass block. We can recruit big tight ends that can block as well as catch. And we can recruit running backs who can break tackles and take it to the house from anywhere on the field. We just need a coach that can put the pieces of the puzzle together, demand excellence, and properly prepare and motivate the team.
I’ve long been against gimmick offenses for several reasons, but what ATP describes is spot on! This element I’ve spliced is key, though. UCLA has always been a pro-style offense, and we’ve put many players into the NFL because of this. In addition, if you look at the above excerpt from ATP’s post, this has happened throughout UCLA’s history, recruiting these types of players, I mean.
I didn’t watch the 60s and 70s teams, because I wasn’t alive and was born in another country initially, but in my opinion 1997 was the best team we’ve had at UCLA. That team and 1998’s team, had the best offensive lines I’ve seen us ever boast. We could run and pass with great efficiency. In the 4th qtr, we wore teams down. Skip Hicks ran behind and incredible line, as did Deshaun the following year. BoB toledo and Terry Donahue recruited these types of players. This fact spits in the face of thsoe that believe we can’t compete with Walker and his recruits. Bull SHIT!! We were recruiting big time athletes with teh same restrictions we have now. UCLA hasn’t diluted its standards, so to believe that we NEEEEEEEEEEED DW with his recruits is ridiculous.
Does anyone TRULY, TRULY believe that DW can out-recruit Neuheisel? NO WAY!!!!! Anyone that believes that simply isn’t paying attention.
December 28th, 2007 at 3:16 pm
Hey ATP, don’t get me wrong, I still want RN, but if we have become beggars and not choosers, we still could do a lot worse than June Jones, couldn’t we? Are you saying DW is the lesser of two evils?
December 28th, 2007 at 4:24 pm
I used to like Donahue even though he never produced a great team or contended for a NC. He was always ready for SuC and beat them often. However, he was an average coach at best and was the personification of mediocre. His quote is un forgivable. I liked Toledo because he brought excitement back to Bruin football and we were national contenders again. But Toledo too was a gimmick coach, trick plays and all, and ultimately failed. I was told by a player under Toledo that he never recruited/went after a defensive recruit the entire time he was in Westwood. My point: Walker represents at best a repeat of Donahue’s years and possibly KD’s. June Jones seems too much like Toledo. BEEN THERE, DONE THAT!!!
Come on DG!!!! Make the announcement for Rick!!!!!
December 28th, 2007 at 6:03 pm
buycker….Hey, no sweat. I’m just giving my opinion. I DO think Jones would win his share of games…and he CERTAINLY knows more about putting a team together as a head coach than Walker. I just don’t want to see us go to a one dimensional offense because someone believes we can’t recruit both a passing game and a running game. Balance on offense is what keeps a defense from keying on one aspect of the game and getting favorable match-ups. Teams like SC would throw a 3-deep zone at us, jam and flatten out the wide-outs, and blitz a linebacker or corner from our QB’s throwing side trying to force him to roll to his unnatural side. This forces the QB to throw back against the grain often. If he can’t plant his feet, the defense gets a lot of floaters, and with a fast footed secondary, they can close on passes quickly enough to get turnovers or break up the play. In addition, this may also force the QB to throw short under the linebackers. Linebackers love this. They just sit back and wait, and then UNLOAD on the receivers. The result is usually fumbles or injuries. Also, since the run-and-shoot is not known for producing NFL QB’s, kids who have a great shot at playing at the next level aren’t gonna want to come in and run the chuck and duck.
Another negative about a team running a one dimensional offense is what happens when the coach leaves. After years of recruiting guys to fit that offense, when the new coaching staff comes in, if they don’t run the same style offense, the cupboard is bare. They have to come in and recruit drive blockers, tight ends and running backs. It can take 2 or 3 years just to get back to ground zero.
There is no reason in the world why we can’t run a balanced conventional offense with the athletes we can recruit.
December 28th, 2007 at 6:08 pm
TD IS AN AH. WE WERE READY TO PLAY FOR THE TITLE VS TENN WHEN TOLEDO FKED UP. (TD’S MAN)NOT A FB SCHOOL? TERRY RETIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 28th, 2007 at 6:25 pm
I like About to P’s spirit, but I think he should stop worrying about the team after we fire the next coach. And, the comment about a balanced offense is a bit naive, too. Sure you always want a balanced offense, but you also want to do what works, what fits the players’ talents, and what wins games. I want to have a first class program. I want us to win at least 10 games every year, including the big ones, and the ones against the teams that are shit. I don’t want mental breakdowns and lackluster and emotionless coaching. I want to beat the Universe of Spoiled Children every year, and be in the running for a national championship — again — after 54 years. I suspect everyone else on this board wants the same thing. It’s just a question of how we get there.
In other words, yep, Neu.
editor: this comment has been edited slightly to remove an unnecessary attack on another poster.
December 28th, 2007 at 6:31 pm
One name - Rich Brooks
December 28th, 2007 at 6:35 pm
Dig dogs….If we run a run and shoot, we WILL be firing the next coach. Oh, and winning 10 games every year? I think they stopped playing football on the planet “Pipe Dream” many years ago.
You know….the purest form of competitive football is played in the NFL. It would be absolutely pure if only the winning teams got paid. But, since it is a business that fills seats and gets endorsements based on how many wins the team chalks up every year, don’t you think NFL teams would be running the run and shoot if it actually worked?
Glad we can agree on Neuheisel, though.
December 28th, 2007 at 7:33 pm
About to . . . We’re going to be playing 12 or 13 games a year. I want to win at lerast 10 of them. I don’t think that’s beyond the realm of the possible. The University of Second Choice seems to be able to do that year in, year out with its pros. So that’s what we should strive for,
I’m surprised you agree with me on Neuheisel. I thought you were agin’n him
{This post has not been edited, slightly or otherwise.)
December 28th, 2007 at 7:37 pm
Curly….Rich Brooks used to be my favorite coach. I love the guy’s intensity and his no nonsense approach to the game. I can’t think of a more nuts and bolts, blocking and tackling, fundamentals coach. He really stresses error free football. I’ve talked to him many times and he is a very matter-of-fact type guy. He rarely cracks a smile when talking football and, when his team loses, he doesn’t accept it well.
He is getting up there in years. I think he is 67 now. I wonder if he has the energy to keep fighting the recruiting war.
December 28th, 2007 at 7:43 pm
DigDog…..I agree with you on striving to win 10 games a year. Hell, I want to go undefeated every year. SC currently is on one helluva streak because they have had carte blanche with recruits in southern California since Carroll arrived. That’s why nabbing Neuheisel is so important. I believe he can compete with Carroll for some of the 5* players SC now gets routinely.
No, I have been pushing for Neuheisel for a long time.
December 28th, 2007 at 7:47 pm
DigDog…In my earlier post, when I said winning 10 games every year wasn’t going to happen, I meant if we start trying to run a run-and-shoot offense.
December 28th, 2007 at 8:15 pm
Just some questions and comments:
Terry Donohue: I have lost any respect I ever had for you.
June Jones: If your so darn good with the “run and shoot” why arn’t you still coaching in the NFL?
Coach Leach: Are you still having nightmares about the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
Rick Neuheisel: Hang in there buddy, it’s late in the fourth quarter and your driving.
Eric Scott: It’s time to come back home from Vegas. That place Pac-Man Jones told you about wants you to leave now.
DwWayne Walker: “Quick DeWayne, get our cellphone and check your messages.” Bill Parcells is calling you. The Dolphins need your experience and expertise to be their new head coach. Yor impressive record of one “MORAL VICTORY” and zero “MORAL LOSSES” cannot be rivaled and you are the main candidate. Take your posse and catch the next plane to South Beach. After all your a big time ex NFL coach who will work for peanuts.
Dan Guerrero: What was the football team record at UC Irvine when you worked there?
Brian Doh!n: Get some new sources, you have friends in low places, that is for sure.
ATP: It’s fourth and goal from the one yard line with seconds left in the game, we are giving you the ball and going to block for you.
December 28th, 2007 at 8:30 pm
BruinBuddy…..Thanks! You have me laughing here. I’d like to think we’re all in this together. Hearing so many Bruin fans express their thoughts is great. I checked out other sites and I can’t believe how much crap is being shovelled. I swear, it is almost as if there is a conspiracy to keep UCLA football down.
I really can’t wait until we start bringing in some stud athletes and give them the tools they need to win. With guys like you and sites like DD making it known we will no longer accept mediocre as the norm, we can turn things around.