The Thinker's Credibility ...

by Nestor on Jan 19, 2007 11:36 AM PST in Football Comment 10 comments

Karl Dorrell officially pushed Jim Svoboda off the cliff yesterday. Here is Dohn's brief report on how the Thinker is in the market again looking for his fourth offensive coordinator in his fifth season. Dohn mentions former OC Tom Cable's interest in returning (after he abruptly bailed on the team and recruits last season) to Westwood. He also talks about possibilities (which we have brought up before) about Dorrell taking over the offense:

Dorrell said he might take over running the offense.

"That's something I've thought about heavily since the bowl game," Dorrell said. "That's part of the consideration, but I'm also looking at some outside candidates as well."

Dorell also served up usual bullshit clichés and coachspeak such as how is opened to the possibility of tinkering with his weak, ineffective, and predictable offense:

Dorrell's West Coast offense has failed to produce big numbers in three of his four seasons. He said an option was to implement another offense.

"We'll see about that," Dorrell said. "I'm always looking for doing what's necessary for us to be competitive on offense."

There is more of Dorrell's nonsense peppered all over the report written by the Trojan Times's UCLA beat writer (Trojan Alum) Lonnie White. White's report as usual doesn't provide any revealing tidbits except for Dorrell usual nonsense such as this:

"I know we have a foundation of offense ... but that foundation allows us to grow and to add and implement things for improvements. I'm receptive to doing what is necessary for us to continue to improve."

Of course all of this is the bullshit we have been hearing from Dorrell in his three mediocre, uninspiring years in Westwood. Here is Dump Dorrell's rapid response. And then there is epic response from Bruin Blue, who eviscerates Dorrell's credibility (if he had any left) as the leader of his football program:

He would have already fired Dorrell twice by now. Think about it. Here is Dorrell, stepping into the UCLA job, saying he's ready to go, predicting a conference championship in his first year. He fires a number of the holdover coaches, brings in his own guys. Hires his own offensive and defensive coordinators. One 6-6 year later (not quite a conference championship there), he fires the OC he had just hired, saying that a different direction was needed. Two years after that, he fires the original DC he had hired--different direction needed, of course. His second OC decides he would rather be a position coach in the NFL than an OC at UCLA, so off he goes. Dorrell promotes the man he had hired as QB coach (who had won an award in that role) to OC. A year later, he fires him, relying on his favorite phrase about a different direction being needed.

Meanwhile, Dorrell himself, with no conference titles, no BCS Bowls, 29-21 in four years, loves to talk about how we're building, going in the right direction. It's a long, slow process, this building--much more tedious than it was at USC, or Oklahoma, Ohio State, Georgia, Cal, et al. So we must be very, very patient with Dorrell as this goes on. But Dorrell shows no patience whatsoever with his assistants, whose careers and reputations are of course damaged when they are fired by him. If Dorrell's boss Guerrero was half as cold-blooded and self-interested as he is, he would have been fired after his second year--a new direction needed, you know. He would certainly have been fired after this last season--thanks for everything, Karl; but we really do need to go off on that new direction now. But no, he gets to stay, while relentlessly scapegoating anyone he can; until the year when he finally has that perfect concatenation of veteran players, easier schedule, short-term coordinators with ability; and he can have his one really good season. At which time, Dorrell, like many a company executive before him, will leave for a better job, having done what was personally necessary for him to look good, never mind the cost to others. In the Darwinian world of big-time football, that wouldn't be so awful--if only Dorrell were susceptible to the same rules that he chooses to apply to others.

It's sad really. Dorrell has become a joke. He really has no credibility left among the majority of Bruins Nation. It's pretty clear he is in it just for himself. If he wasn't he wouldn't be going through this sad but predictable scapegoating process year after year blaming everyone but himself.

Whatever. At this point I have become somewhat numb to existence of Dorrell. I have penciled him in as a lost cause. As an alum my expectation for this football program based on the talent and experience (20 returning starters) in our roster and the easy schedule we have set up for next season is nothing short of a Pac-10 championship. Do I think Dorrell is going to deliver? Based on his track record during last years I don't see how he can do it.

So I am going to put myself in a win/win mind-set for now. I do believe if Dorrell doesn't win the Pac-10 next season, the pressure on Dan Guerrero is going to be overwhelming to fire KD (we all have done a great job of ratcheting up the pressure during last 2-3 years and if keep it up it will reach a boiling point through next season). On the other hand if by chance miracle happens and Dorrell wins the Pac-10, as Bruin Blue alluded above, I think he is going to jump to the NFL route. I really think Dorrell is going to get out of Westwood if he has one successful season. I don't think he wants to be in Westwood. If he did his name wouldn't constantly show up in coaching candidate list just by accident. So if he finally delivers on the expectations he himself established when he was introduced to the LA media (which was to win the Pac-10 and beat Southern Cal) he will leave Westwood. And if he doesn't then DG will have to fire him.

We will get back to enjoying Ben Ball. It's lot more fun to root for a program which has a competent and inspiring leader, who understands what those magical four letters in blue and gold means to the Bruins Nation. No credibility issue there.

GO BRUINS.

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no nfl team would ever take dorrell. his name only

shows up in coaching lists because he is one of the few black head coaches in college football and the nfl has to abide by their minority hiring practices law where they must at least consider african american candidates. maybe dorrell doesn't want to be here and would bolt at first shot, who knows? but no nfl team would ever take him and he would never leave this job here with the job security he's got for another college job where he'll actually be accountable for his actions. if we win the pac-10 next year dorrell may as well sign a lifetime contract. if we win the pac-10 next year he'll be here longer than donahue. thinking about it makes me want to vomit. my stomach is churning. but as i said before i don't see how we're winning anything next year. ND, cal and suc are all very likely losses. stanford and wazzu on the road ain't gimmes, nor is byu or at utah. oregon, arizona, asu, i see us losing at least four games.

by babyblue98 on Jan 19, 2007 12:13 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Thanks again to Dohn for doing his job right.

Lonnie White's horrible lack of news or analysis leaves me baffled again and again.

Nothing enlightening in his article. Most people would think the next logical question after finding out someone is fired is who will be hired.

White doesn't go anywhere near it other than to parrot KD's "I think I have time to look" banter.

BTW, has anyone been reading White's NFL playoff pieces? They're a joke, just like his run-up to the $C game. He inserts a paragraph at the end with the subheading "Summary" or "Conclusion" but without any sort of argument whatsoever. he always equivocates, saying, "A could beat B if X happens, but B could beat A if Y happens."

In other words, no insight, no thesis, nor argument, NO POINT.

Often a lot of stats to fill column-inches, but no meat.

Pucin and White are not impressing me. At least Norwood's work reads well, and with less patter.

MIM

by Meriones on Jan 19, 2007 1:23 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Two points

Point 1 - The Fishwrap: Don't waste your energy on it

MIM - don't waste your time reading the fishwrap aka trOJan times. What do you expect from an editorial staff which thinks that a trOJan is an appropriate person to be the UCLA beat writer? (Hey fishwrap - name the UCLA alum who's covering justsc?)

There are LOTS of other sources for news. The fishwrap isn't worth wasting your time on, given the quality of their reporting staff. Or put another way, let's all count the piercing questions and responses that Lonnie served up to Coach Dorrell. How many, "Gee, Coach, haven't you been saying 'New Direction' ever since you came here?" or "How long do you need before the 'progress' you're always talking about produces wins?"

Point 2 - Character issues: KD Deserves no props in this area.

I had been going on the assumption that KD was entitled to a great deal of slack because he was, after all, a Bruin. But no more. A Bruin has character and intensity. A Bruins steps up and takes the heat when he makes a mistake. (Who took the blame for the Bball loss to Oregon? - Ben did.)

Not KD. He blames others (by firing them), and then spouts all the cliches which mean exactly zero.

And I give him no praise because for running a clean program. That's what he's supposed to do. Should we praise OJ and all the other OJ wannabes because they haven't committed any felonies lately? Also, how can he merit any praise for not cheating when he isn't doing anything in the first place. You have to be an active player to be in a position to cheat. He's inert. In fact, he may be in the room with me right now, but I wouldn't be able to tell because he's so absolutely noncommittally bland.

In one of my former lives, there was an Executive Vice President who did nothing, as far as anyone could discern. Before he left, he earned the title of "The Man in the Empty Suit." I think he may well have been KD, but no one will ever know.

by Fox 71 on Jan 19, 2007 1:44 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

NEWS FLASH: Dorrell hires new OC!

After submitting game film of my NCAA 2006 XBOX 360 games KD has agreed to hire me. After watching my spread offense shred "D's" from coast coast it was a no brainer. Averaging 78 points per. game was also a key factor in his decision. I look forward to helping the Bruins win the PAC-10 in 2007! You can expect lot's of reverses, flea flickers, qb scrambles and very few punts. I am looking to "GO FOR IT" on 4th down 98% of the time. Unless we are inside are own 5 yard line you can expect us to go for it. God Bless.

by bruinelder on Jan 19, 2007 1:45 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

KD & UCLA Football

WE fired Bob Toledo becuase the football program was heading in the wrong direction, So let me get this straight, I know there were some problems on and off the field, But finishing either below or at 500 and losing to Wyoming and San jose St in bowl games is considerd the right direction for the football program?

Someone explain that to me please?

by Bruin10 on Jan 20, 2007 2:37 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Sarkisian turns down the job @ Oakland . . .

and KD can't even get an interview!? How pathetic is that? KD is in his 40's and has a TON of experience compared to Sarkisian, Mr. El Camino College coach a few years back, and only 32 years old!! Is KD not an "young offensive minded coach", exactly what Mr. Davis is looking for, what he's been hiring for years now? Nobody is hiring this a%^ clown. We're stuck with him until DG pulls the plug on the KD campaign.

by TheStick on Jan 19, 2007 6:54 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Cable...

Honestly, having Cable back would be a great thing for the program. It would be a coup to welcome him back, and would put both sides of our ball in great shape next season.

Then, Dorrell can do whatever it is he does, and get out of the way of the coordinators. That's pretty much the best we can hope for.

I'd be excited about Cable coming back, though not at all confident about keeping him.

by CAJason80 on Jan 19, 2007 8:20 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Cable is logical choice

he could be the one-and-done OC that we wanted Dorrell to hire for a title run. But Cable may be overhyped. The offense did improve with Cable from the absolute cellar under Axman. But the 10-2 season was a bit of a misnomer. We had great offense because we had 1) great offensive playmakers, and 2) we had to go for broke late in so many games because we were behind. We dont have the playmakers we had in 05. On the plus side though, Cable knows the system, the players, and they know him. And, the defense will be better than in 05 so we won't have to score as many points to win, so we won't be needing those come from behind miracles, hopefully. So there is less pressure on the offense.

Cable is a good choice, Im just weary of the hype. The hype has followed Walker but look at what happened against an awful FSU team!

by DumpDorrell on Jan 19, 2007 8:39 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Cable kind of sucks

I will try to do a post on him later. But he is a little overhyped. I am not fond of his clunky offense which would have been exposed two years if not for 2LIVEDrew's heroics in game after game.

Sorry I am not a big fan of an offense that contniously put us in desperate situation in fourth quarters. Screw Cable.

by Nestor on Jan 20, 2007 6:47 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe not the best choice. Probably the only choic

In most of our games last year, we played great offense in at best one or two quarters. As you point out, because we had to really open up in the fourth quarters, and because we had game breaking athletes, Cable looked ok. However, I remember sitting in the Rose Bowl, when I was there, or in front of my TV when I was home, grumbling during painful first halfs.

I'm not sure Cable is the answer, as I'm not sure Walker is the answer.

We need coaches -- at all levels (Head and coordinators) who put the team in a position to win ALL games against ALL teams and ALL schemes -- coaches who get us to play COMPLETE games on both sides of the ball.

With this head coach, that will not happen. I think Walker has the skill and intensity to take personally the losses to the "spread offense teams" and use the off season to figure out how to stop them.

On the offensive side, I'm not sure we are in a buyer's market. Would you want to come coach for someone who will cut your throat to save his own? We may end up with Cable because no one else will come here.

sjh

PS. Has there been any mention of who will be our quarterback coach?

sjh

by Class of 66 on Jan 20, 2007 7:01 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs