Letter to AD and Chancellor

Letter which was sent requesting (politely as possible) that DG stick to the standards which he initially set out at the beginning of this search

Here is what I sent-  it is certainly not as eloquent as others which I have seen on this site, but hopefully, it will add to the total picture of concern-  this was sent to DG with a copy to Chancellor

I am sure that you are hearing from all sides with respect to the open football head coaching position.  You (DG) yourself have stated the goal (in your December 13 press release) as finding "the best head football coach for our program".  This could be interpreted as a different standard than the press conference on December 3, in which you stated that "a prerequisite that's pretty important...would be head coaching experience".  There should be no inconsistency in these statements, but it appears from media reports that prior head coaching experience may have moved down the list in terms of importance.

The December 13 press release could be viewed as endorsing candidate X, who is the best coach of those who have been looked at in a narrow spectrum (current member of UCLA coaching staff, former member of staff from cross-town rival, etc), rather than the best coach after an extensive review of coaches with relevant head coaching experience.  We certainly should not get too anxious based on rumors in the media, but these rumors must have some initial source within the Morgan Center.  As such, they are disquieting.

I graduated from UCLA in 1971.  I never saw a Rose Bowl game during those four years, but that was in the context of winner take all, with the conference champion playing on January 1 and everybody else staying home.  Tommy Prothro's teams were competitive, and fun to watch.

These adjectives can not be applied to the teams during the last five years.  It is hard to see how we would not suffer again for another five years if the same search criteria from 2002 (give an unproven candidate a chance) were to be applied now.  DeWayne Walker has no head coaching experience, and his defense, although an improvement over his predecessor, still had some very embarassing meltdowns during the past two years.  Norm Chow has been a career assistant coach.  If he was truly qualified to be a head coach, somebody else would have snatched him up at some point in the last two decades.  He sounds like a retread at best.  On the theory that two wrongs don't make a right, hiring Chow with a precondition that he keep Walker would not remedy the faults which each candidate in isolation presents.

Hopefully, this message is completely beside the point because you have not relaxed your goal to find a coach with head coaching experience, who will indeed be the best head football coach for our program.  If, however, the bar is lowered so that we can define "best" as whomever is selected regardless of experience, then I will have to reconsider my level of commitment to our institution.

Regards,

Raleigh Klein
Class of 1971
Chancellors' Associate