[UPDATED: Golden Is Out] Ready For His Return
by Nestor on Dec 26, 2007 10:44 AM PST
in Football
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PrintThe conventional wisdom in Husky Land is that Coach Neuheisel is nothing but trouble. When you talk college football with a Husky Fan (or a Colorado fan) they will always make the easy argument that somehow it was Neuheisel's responsibility that their program cratered after his departure, even though it was their ADs who brought in losers like Gilbertson, Willingham, and Barnett.
None of RN's detractors, who make the easy argument that he drove his programs into the ground, will point to the fact he was 15-10 in his last year in Colorado and in Washington and, even though he had an abrupt ending at both programs, neither school had losing seasons the year after he left.
In this post, I wanted to zero in with the help of a couple of articles re. the situation at Washington, the only program that ever fired Neuheisel. However, as we know by now, that firing led to Coach Neuheisel filing a lawsuit, resulting in $4.5 million settlement in favor of RN.
And as this article from few years ago, written by Matt Hayes (ironically an original supporter of Karl Dorrell, who eventually realized Dorrell was in over his head in Westwood), pointed out the facts re. Neuheisel and Washington paint a different picture than the one sketched out by bitter Husky fans. Here are some details re. Neuheisel and that infamous tourney pool he participated in Washington:
* In 1997, the NCAA voted down an amendment that would have specifically outlawed participation in such pools, leaving NCAA compliance directors to interpret the rules--and that's the crux of Neuheisel's lawsuit against Washington and the NCAA.
* Neuheisel, thought by many to know no loyalty, turned down a lucrative job offer from Notre Dame two years ago to stay at Washington.
If you go on to read the rest of the article, it gives us a peak into the bureaucratic incompetence of both the Washington athletic department and a joke NCAA institution (which still cannot do anything about the out of control situation in South Central), that were dead set on going after an easy target:
Neuheisel and Washington went before the NCAA infractions committee last month, and Sulkin [Bob Sulkin, Neuheisel's attorney] asked NCAA gambling czar Bill Sauna why the NCAA voted down an amendment in 1997 that would have eliminated the need for university compliance directors to interpret the gambling rule. Sulkin says Saum responded, "Because everybody knows the rule."
Dana Richardson, Washington's director of NCAA compliance,' didn't. Her e-mails in 1999 and 2003 to the athletic department specifically gave Neuheisel permission to participate: "The bottom line of these rules" she wrote, "is that if you have friends outside of (intercollegiate athletics) that have pools on any of the basketball tournaments, you can participate."
The NCAA's response: Neuheisel should have known better.
This is the same organization that specifically told Neuheisel after his refractions from the Colorado case in 2002 that he should not interpret NCAA bylaws and should strictly follow interpretations from his university's compliance director. Neuheisel, of course, says he followed the advisement of Richardson, who resigned in February.
Neuheisel and Sulkin also say the NCAA was told about Neuheisel's participation in the pool a year before it acted. Only after the NCAA contacted a confidential informant a year later--and asked again if Neuheisel still was participating--did the case move forward. When Sulkin asked Saum at last month's hearing why the NCAA didn't investigate earlier, he says Saum replied, "Because we didn't believe it."
Despite initial reports Neuheisel won $25,000 or more, Sulkin's official response to the NCAA claims that Neuheisel bet $3,600 in 2002 and $2,790 in 2003, and won a total of $8,409. If that's true. Neuheisel bet less than one quarter of one percent of his salary over two years on the pool. By comparison, a person with a $50,000 salary would have bet a little more than $50 a year.
"Everybody knows that rule."
"We didn't believe it."
"He should have known better."
Maybe Rick Neuheisel made his bed. But the NCAA had better get its bedtime story straight.
Well, that was almost four years ago, which brings us today. And as we are living through a period in which the all out campaigning for the UCLA coaching position has led to DeWayne Walker's family member's apparent negative campaigning against Neuheisel, I thought this quote from Wayne Clough, the President of Georgia Tech University (who interviewed RN before going with Paul Johnson) was telling:
"He's a very bright and talented young man, and I hope the point will come where he does get that opportunity."
Via juliecinci's photostream
I hear 3 time Super Bowl Champion Troy Aikman is pushing for the return of Coach Neuheisel. When someone as reserved Aikman gets behind a cause in the Bruin Nation, we should take note.
As I mentioned above, if DG cannot land Petersen or Mendenhall or Leach, it is time for him to bring the prodigal son home. If you prefer RN over Walker please email Dan Guerrero at dguerrero@athletics.ucla.edu and Chancellor Gene Block at chancellor@conet.ucla.edu, and let them know respectfully and politely you are ready to welcome Coach Neuheisel back home. If you are an alum or student, please make sure to indicate your graduating class in your emails. As always feel free to post your email in the comment thread to share with rest of BN.
GO BRUINS.
UPDATE -N: Now at least in the public arena it looks like we are down to RN v. Walker as Golden has pulled out. GO BRUINS. -N
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Couldn't agree with you anymore.
NESTOR ARE WE AT ABW OR?
by Bear on Dec 26, 2007 11:16 AM PST reply actions
Im neither here nor there with RN
If you know your timeline, this occurred after he had already lied to her about having a job interview with the 49ers, and was caught by a journalist who overheard him talking about in the airport.
So, she had already had issues with him lying to her before this happened. That makes it hard to trust people going forward. Personally, I would fire any employee that ever lied to me.
On RN, in my mind it all depends on where he is as a person. Has he really changed? Has he really learned his lessons? I don't know, but he did have lessons to learn, and I don't think we should try to discount or minimize that.
I trust DG to make an adequate assessment of where he really is and if he has made enough changes in his character to lead a program of high character like ours. Also, I would want to hear his explanation on why his teams seemed to be better his first two years then his last two years.
If DG feels he can provide an adequate explanation to those two issues, I think he would be a great HC and we should hire him, provided a better mystery candidate isn't out there we don't know about.
by silverlakebruin on Dec 26, 2007 11:19 AM PST reply actions
The 49er Interview
RN decided to stay with UDub and perhaps he should have been more straight forward re. that scenario. However, that didn't give Hedges license to lie about the scenario re. the NCAA pool.
I will try to give DG benefit of the doubt. However, I will be done with him if he goes with someone like Walker or Golden over RN. There will be no excuses for that.
I am hoping he is waiting on someone like Leach to explain the holding out on RN.
This is close to home...
The over-the-top reporting of his violations at Colorado, as trumpeted by an angry Denver press, was generally acknowledged, at the time, as so much sour grapes by the Seattle press and UDub community. Even after TrOJie Barbara Hedges began to look for a way to get rid of RN - after the office pool 'scandal' broke - most of the community wanted to retain him. I live in an insular community and I can assure you that when Neuheisel's name comes up most locals don't hold their noses or make a quick sign of the cross. After the $4+million settlement, it became pretty obvious to the general public that Hedges and the NCAA had screwed up. And, despite all the blathering to the contrary, many UW alums MISS RN.
I've stated before on BN how ridiculous I find those statements that indict RN based on the events that transpired at Colorado and UW. Let's put it this way: Dalis was MUCH kinder to Harrick than Hedges was to Neuheisel. RN is a good human being and a very good coach. He is not the perfect candidate for the UCLA HC job but, then, no one else is either. There are too many variables at play to predetermine how successful a coach might become, and certainly DWW has had his chances at UCLA to demonstrate how well he can coach. Now, it should be someone else's turn. If that's Rick, I'll be happy. If it's June Jones, I'll be happy. If it's Leach or Peterson, I'll be happy.
But park those bullshit Slick Rick tags. They're based in prejudices that have no substance, just like the crap that DWW's brother is posting elsewhere on the web.
by SecondGenBruin on Dec 26, 2007 11:49 AM PST up reply actions
Moreover ...
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. He 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
Winning Holiday, Cotton (punking Bellotti while at it) and Rose Bowl. Losing Sun Bowl in a "down year"?
That's the example of leaving a program in "ruins."
I was never worried about the ethics
My reservations were always about his later year dropoffs. I still don't think I've seen an analysis of what went on football-wise during those years, but it should be noted that even during those "down" years, he did better than KD.
I will say that I'm going to go with the endorsement of a guy like Aikman over Chris Markey, when talking about how DyNoMite is a "championship coach". Markey doesn't know what a championship coach is because he's never come close to being on a championship team, conference or national. Aikman is a Super Bowl Champion. 3 frickin times.
Not so fast
How many times do you see a college coach that does well until his recruits hit the field?
I always thought that was the case with Ricky.
Another conventional argument
Let's see exactly how RN left CU in ruins. He went 8-4 in his last year at CU. CU hired a decent coach after RN left. In the four years after RN left Colorado they went 29-21 with as many BCS births as losing seasons. That's not exactly a sign of program cratering. I just don't buy the argument he left CU in awful shape.
RNs record in context at Colorado
Pre RN overall conference
1993 8-3-1 5-1-1
1994 11-1-0 6-1-0
RN
1995 10-2-0 5-2-0
1996 10-2-0 7-1-0
1997 5-6-0 3-5-0
1998 8-4-0 4-4-0
Post RN
1999 7-5-0 5-3-0
2000 3-8-0 3-5-0
He needs to address that in my opinion. That does not look like a program he made stronger. If you count the forfeits, his record in 1997 is actually 0-11 and 0-8.
by silverlakebruin on Dec 26, 2007 11:50 AM PST up reply actions
Interesting
I won't really evaluate the next head coach on their 2008 record because they haven't had a chance to recruit or build the program yet. I will still put that on KDs head.
by silverlakebruin on Dec 27, 2007 9:25 AM PST up reply actions
If you want to look at that way
And what happened in Barnett's 5th year? He went 5-7.
Again I don't buy the argument that RN left CU in bad shape.
Uh-oh!
Sorry
Who cares anyway?
Possible Second Thoughts
The Gambler
Rick Neuheisel got fired for the wrong reason.
By Jonathan Chait
June 16, 2003
Successful football coaches and successful guitarists are generally distinct, non-overlapping categories, and it seems there was a good reason for this. Neuheisel's mellow style may have won him acclaim from players and the press, but it didn't help him establish a disciplined atmosphere. At Colorado he inherited Bill McCartney's powerhouse program and compiled a 10-2 record in each of his first two seasons. But then he started slipping. His 1997 team, picked as preseason national champion by one magazine, finished a dismal 5-6 and often appeared demoralized. In 1998, he posted a so-so 8-4 mark.
Somehow, this mixed record persuaded the University of Washington to lure him away with a seven-figure contract, which Neuheisel quickly snapped up. In four years at Washington, he had one great season in 2000, going 11-1 and winning the Rose Bowl. The other three years, Washington went a combined 22-15, including a 7-6 record this past fall with a talent-laden squad whose players openly questioned each others' dedication. Somehow, this even shakier record persuaded the San Francisco 49ers to recruit Neuheisel as a possible head-coaching candidate. (Neuheisel's one great genius turns out to be his ability to make people think he is a genius.) He denied having been contacted by the 49ers until a reporter overheard him at the San Francisco airport discussing the job. Neuheisel explained that he lied to protect the 49ers--although it's difficult to fathom why the franchise would have needed to conceal the identity of its candidates for an advertised vacancy.
From Neuheisel's perspective, the great advantage of job mobility is that it allows him to stay one step ahead of the posse. After he left Colorado, the NCAA discovered 51 violations committed during his tenure, slapping the school with two years of probation. The American Football Coaches Association formally censured him for a lack of remorse. Neuheisel later described his approach to NCAA rules as "creative." Even when not breaking the letter of a rule, he often found ways to violate one in spirit. For instance, during periods when he was forbidden to visit recruits, he would drive in front of a prospective player's home, call him on his cell phone, and tell him to look out the window, where he would see Neuheisel waving. Washington high-school star Larry Stevens, who had spurned Neuheisel, described how the coach's pursuit bordered on stalking. Nonetheless Neuheisel, with a straight face, accused Pac-10 rival Bob Toledo of continuing to recruit players who had declared their intention to attend Washington.
I was/am prepared to be a big Neuheisel fan but, in light of this question about him being able to discipline his teams, I wonder if we are not just inviting another episode of what was laid at Toledo's doorstep and most recently what we criticized Walker for. Maybe this explains why Guerrero has not offered him the job as yet.
But having expressed those reservations, let me say that I am a devout ABW person and Rick is at the head of my short list of the [now] two known candidates.
Like you, Nestor, I am fond of him because he is an alum and I will back him to the hilt if he is offered the job.
by whp68 on Dec 26, 2007 12:42 PM PST reply actions
Dec 5, 1998
10-1. #3 in the country. And more importantly, still a program PERCEIVED as a national power, and an annual contender for the Pac-10 title and a major bowl. Those of us (and I imagine that constitutes most of you on this site) who watch the Bruins very closely, know that that team was something of a Toledo illusion - great offense, suspect defense the whole season, exposed finally on an Edjerrin James run that ended our national championship drive. More lastingly, that game for me changed the dynamic, and ended a run that had lasted through the 80's and to that season. I remember the announcers hinting during the entire game that UCLA was something of a pretender, that we didn't really belong in the title game even if we somehow got there, and would almost certainly be exposed if we did. And I remember thinking that if I was being honest about things, I agreed with them. Our team did not remind me of the Big 12 and SEC powerhouses, and there was something missing in our whole approach to the game, and to the program. I thought "why don't we have a Spurrier, or a Bowden" (at the time) coaching us? And I realized, we don't attract that kind of talent because we are not perceived as a truly powerful program, and in the modern era, perception, sadly, often matters more than reality. And for nine years since that game, I've watched the perception of our program sink lower and lower, so that in the eyes of the national media, opposing coaches, and potential recruits, we are not in their first consideration set, and that is a hole out of which we must dig ourselves, or we'll never reach the level most of us on this board hope we will.
Which brings me to my point - we need to ERASE the last several years from our program's collective memory. We need to turn away, decisively, from the Toledo/Dorrell/Walker era. An era characterized by lowered expectations, and excuse making. Every loss to a weaker opponent is blamed on injuries, or the players (!) not showing up. Every underachieving season is blamed on the "highly competitive" nature of the Pac-10, and the need for a little luck. Every recruit not landed is blamed on the "impossibly high standards" at UCLA. Yeah, yeah, blah blah. You make those excuses long enough, they start to sound reasonable, and they become the status quo. And when underachieving, and losing, become the status quo - it's time to blow things up.
Notice I don't say we need to turn away from the Donahue era. I respect everyone's frustration here with his ill-advised consulting, but the fact is his teams in the 80's won, and won consistently, and I always felt a measure of confidence going into the season or a bowl game. Those teams understood winning. They didn't make excuses. They were tough, and tellingly, the number of players who went on to the NFL - not just drafted, but excelled - was impressive.
I'm not a Walker basher. I think he did improve our defense, and for the first time in years, I actually looked forward to watching our D play. As a former linebacker, I love seeing kids hit, and these kids hit. That said, he is NOT a HC, and even if he might be one day (I actually think he will) his ties to the Toledo/Dorrell era disqualify him in my opinion. In my business, when things are stagnant, when you're losing for an extended period, when you've already tried making 'adustment', you bite the bullet and clean house. It's tough, but it's what winners do.
Rick N is not my first choice, but I'm a lot higher on him than most. The more I read about his past, the more I'm convinced he is/was a loud, charismatic personality who probably confronted and pissed off the decision makers, and they grabbed the first chance they could to embarrass him. The Rick N I'm enthused about has all the things I think we need most right now: he's won big, both as a player and a coach, and knows how that feels; he's enough of a personality that I think he'll improve the perception of our team to potential recruits and those covering the program, and I also believe he'll relish the chance to go jaw to jaw with Pete, something the program needs. But most of all, he NEEDS this job, and he NEEDS to succeed. It's one thing for a man to WANT to succeed. That's often a sign of potential success. But when a man possessed of skill and training NEEDS to win - he usually does. Rick NEEDS this. And our program desperately needs someone like him.
Sorry for the long post. I've been reading all your excellent posts for the past several days, and wanted to be sure I had my thoughts in order before I wandered too far into this jungle. I'm sure some of you will have different opinions. These are mine, spoken from the persepecive of a twenty year alum who still plans his Saturdays in the fall around this team, and can't stand the thought of more of the same.
by mike87 on Dec 26, 2007 1:03 PM PST reply actions
Very strong arguments in favor of RN
There are those who claim that RN would be an incestuous hire, and we need a break from the Bruin bloodline. That is the reasoning used to advocate Walker.
A ludicrous argument, of course, because the REAL incestuous hire would be Walker the holdover from the KD regime. The nauseating celebration of the LV Bowl moral victory should be evidence that Walker represents more of the same gutter-level expectations we saw under KD.
Neuheisel has proven he could win as HC. Walker has proven that he could pretend he won.
RN
by boomforucla on Dec 26, 2007 2:15 PM PST reply actions
for what its worth
still prefer peterson, mooch, and some others but based on the current search,
GO NEU!
June Jones
Fox, you are scaring me.
How about this.
Can we both write and post that Leach has been hired, at the same time and if we do, can our reward be that it is true?
Geez
by bornagainbruin on Dec 27, 2007 8:53 AM PST up reply actions
the idea is you give people a 2nd chance
After reading more and more about RN, I'm getting excited to see him as our head coach. If we can't get Mike Leach then I'm for RN. I want someone with the same excitement, passion, and proven ability for UCLA Football as Coach Howland is for UCLA Basketball.
in spite of the settlement...
I think the amount of money RN has lost because of the firing is far more than $4.5 million, too.
what was/is so bad about gambling?
by mark the bruin on Dec 26, 2007 3:03 PM PST up reply actions
exactly
There is no way, no way in hell, a guy with a 66-30 record as a HC, with 7 bowl trips in 8 years (4 wins), would be head coach jobless for 4 years.
Amazing
I agree!!!
Yes, a "pool" is gambling -- but it does not carry the negative connotation of "real gambling".
And, it wasn't on his own sport.
The way it's reported, people might think he was betting on college football, but he wasn't.
UW AD saw the office pools
It could happen
June Jones
Jones is being recruited heavily by SMU -- article in the Houston Chronicle and Dallas papers.
I still believe that DG is working on the "A" list candidates.
RN is on my B+ list. I've written a lot about him, already, and won't repeat it. He is way beyond DW and they should not be declared equals.
Finally, I really think we need a clean sweep of the past staff, but for the Towel Guy, and don't think it wise to keep anyone, including DW on staff under the new HC.
Ed Kezirian is UCLA's winningest coach 1.000
by mark the bruin on Dec 26, 2007 2:49 PM PST up reply actions
DG is too afraid to get rid of DW
DW has a stranglehold on UCLA right now.
Why? He's only been here 2 seasons.
by mark the bruin on Dec 26, 2007 3:09 PM PST up reply actions
Keep Ed
by whp68 on Dec 26, 2007 3:06 PM PST up reply actions
My thoughts exactly
by bruingreaser26 on Dec 26, 2007 3:39 PM PST up reply actions
How do some people equate the two?
colorado
by drummersix on Dec 26, 2007 3:31 PM PST reply actions
The time has come for DG to make a Public Statemen
by Bear on Dec 26, 2007 3:45 PM PST reply actions
here's what I want to believe
Mendenhall
by bruin920 on Dec 26, 2007 5:05 PM PST reply actions
Why UCLA
- The challenge of turning a program around (especially one that isn't O for everything like Temple - UCLA DOES have potential.
- Exposure at a bigger name university.
by BruinFam on Dec 26, 2007 5:23 PM PST up reply actions
BM
by bruin920 on Dec 26, 2007 5:53 PM PST up reply actions
skippy, come take the job, but . . .
"A" List
- DG would have already announced DW if that was (gasp) his choice.
- He must be still interested in some "A" list candidates, or he would have already announced RN.
- I believe RN (a Bruin same time I was) is B+/A-. I would like to hear explanation for the decline in records his last years as HC. However, even those were better than KD for the most part (8-4 is better than 4 out of last 5 years).
- We will receive good news, even if it has to wait until after the Monday games.
by BruinFam on Dec 26, 2007 5:18 PM PST reply actions
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