Karl Dorrell Named One of Five Worst Coaches in NCAA

by BruinEd03 on Jul 11, 2007 5:06 PM PDT Comment 38 comments

Bumped. SI's Mandel finally states what so many of us have been saying out loud for last few years. My only quibble with this list. If not for some heroic efforts of 2 LIVE Drew, Doba would be 4-0 against Karl Dorrell. So Dorrell should be number 4 on this list. GO BRUINS. -N

Sports Illustrated's Stewart Mandel has an article on the top ten coaches and five worst coaches in the NCAA:

Al Groh, Virginia: Matt Schaub. D'Brickashaw Ferguson. Heath Miller. Ahmad Brooks. Groh has produced his share of talent in Charlottesville. So what does he have to show for it? A 25-23 ACC record and a whole bunch of Christmas dinners in Charlotte and Boise.
Dennis Franchione, Texas A&M: Having now had four years to gauge Coach Fran's tenure in College Station, I think we can safely describe it in one word: disappointing (15-17 Big 12 record). A program like A&M's should never be this mediocre for this long.
Tommy Bowden, Clemson: How does a team with James Davis, C.J. Spiller and Gaines Adams manage to lose four of its last five? How does a program with Clemson's resources fail to crack 8-4? And how has Bowden managed to survive half a decade on the hot seat?
Bill Doba, Washington State: With each passing year, it becomes painfully apparent that Doba -- a super-nice guy and former legendary high school coach -- is in way over his head. After a successful 10-3 debut in 2003, he's gone 8-17 in the Pac-10 since.
Karl Dorrell, UCLA: Last year's USC upset was the first sign Dorrell's Bruins were finally turning the corner -- and they promptly followed it up with that Emerald Bowl debacle. On paper, UCLA looks like a BCS contender this year, but Dorrell's track record doesn't exactly inspire much confidence.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of BruinsNation's (BN) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of BN's editors.

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Interesting in many ways

The message is getting out there about mediocrity. I suppose the Dorrellista apologists will now accuse SI and Mr. Mandel of being fanatic, lunatic, heritic and any other kind of tic there is for suggesting that Mr. Dorrell is not the perfect coach.

But from a slightly different perspective, did you notice where Mr. Mandel uses his only cliche? Sure enough. Ever other description is straightforward, but in Mr. Dorrell's, he uses the phrase "turning the corner." Mr. Dorrell has lived so long in an atmosphere that is 78% cliche that when people write about him they feel constrained to use the same sorts of figures of speech.

by Fox 71 on Jul 11, 2007 11:18 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Hellz yes!

To be fair, I don't think KD is one of the five WORST coaches in the NCAA, but I think what Mandel is trying to say is that, with the resources available and the type of program that UCLA is, KD has failed miserably.

Also, a sad little note: Of Bill Doba's 8 Pac-10 wins, two have come against KD. And it should have been three but we had a miracle win in 2005 (KD is 1-3 against him...that is just pathetic). Bill Doba loves Karl Dorrell and would love for him to stay as the UCLA coach.

by tasser10 on Jul 11, 2007 11:26 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

KD fans

All of my SC friends want KD to have a lifetime contract!!!

BillSouthBay

by Mensgym on Jul 11, 2007 12:25 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Just like

All those Arizona (and rest of Pac-10 fans) loved Steve Lavin.

Good to see the early pressure from SI.

Now will the Daily Bruin take note of this?

by bluestreet on Jul 11, 2007 12:40 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Taking notice

It's heartening to see that what appears to be approaching a critical mass of national observers writing about what we've all known far too long.

And I think Stewart could have used some of the blurbs for the other coaches he mentions to describe Dorrell. Let me suggest he also say:

-A program like [UCLA's] should never be this mediocre for this long.

-How does a program with [UCLA's] resources fail to [win a conference title]?

-With each passing year, it becomes painfully apparent that [Dorrell] -- a super-nice guy and former [stand-out college receiver] -- is in way over his head.

Just say'n.

by Menelaus on Jul 11, 2007 11:29 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Texas A&M

I'm a little surprised Franchione is on this list. He was hired at the same time as KD, but took over a program in worse shape. Sure his record isn't that great, but he is building a team with solid depth, CONFIDENCE, and CONSISTENCY; the latter two have never been part of KD's program. I know they got blown out by Cal in their bowl game, but other than that, their other 3 losses were by a total of 6 points against good competition.

Not that Franchione is the greatest coach ever, but I would trade him in a heartbeat vs. KD.

by bornagainbruin on Jul 11, 2007 11:53 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Franchione

KD couldn't carry Franchione's jock. He's had some down years at A&M, but he did a good job at Bama and TCU.

by chaphill1 on Jul 11, 2007 9:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Another slap in the face

The expectations are building for this upcoming season, as stated here (and my own personal views) anything less than a BCS appearance would constitute a failed season. The Morgan Center can't avoid the expectations for this coming season, Dorrell has got to perform (beat $uc, get to a BCS bowl) or he's out.

In closing
Go Bruins.

Victory or until next year!

by ncrpz2 on Jul 11, 2007 12:06 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Do We Have A Clever Name For Dorrell?

If not, someone should come up with one.

by BruinFan1 on Jul 11, 2007 12:38 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I have been using

"The Man in the Empty Suit."

by Fox 71 on Jul 11, 2007 1:11 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Past Years

Last Year:
Chuck Amato (NC State)- Fired
Gary Pinkel (Missouri)- Survived (8-4)
Chan Gailey (Georgia Tech)- Conference Championship Game
John L. Smith (Mich St.)- Fired
Bill Doba (WSU)- Survived (6-6)

2005:
Chan Gailey (Georgia Tech)- Survived (7-5)
Rich Brooks (Kentucky)- Survived (3-8)
Gary Pinkel (Missouri)- Survived (7-5)
Bobby Wallace (Temple)- Fired
Joe Paterno (Penn St.)- Orange Bowl Win

by SuperBruinMan on Jul 11, 2007 1:57 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Five "worst"

I cannot stand KD. But I cannot put him in the "five worst" category.

Think of it this way: things could even be WORSE at UCLA. We could lose every game or more than we already do.

I am as harsh a critic as anyone, but this list seems a bit too much, at least as to KD.

by Barnes2JJ on Jul 11, 2007 2:06 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Disagree

He looked (the deer in the headlight look) like THE WORST COACH IN AMERICA when his team was pissing away victories against UDub and ND.

by bluestreet on Jul 11, 2007 2:07 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not only does he belong in this category...

...but he may be THE worst coach in America.

When the season starts, watch him closely. He walks around with that clipboard thing in his pants, but never seems to do anything with it. He wears a headset, but he never appears to be offering any input. He is essentially a figurehead. How often has the camera panned over to catch him with that stupid clueless look on his face just when you think that he should call TO or make some type of strategic decision? Would last season have been any better or worse without him on the sideline? Now ask yourself that question about Urban Meyer or Charlie Weis. I would bet that many JC or even HS coaches could coach the Bruins to a .500 season.

It took 4 seasons for Dorrell to lead his team to a win over a team that they were not favored over(USC). In other words, the Bruins usually win the games they are supposed to, and always lose when they are supposed to (with the singular exception of USC). That's coaching, baby. Dorrell has done absolutely nothing special, agains, with the exception of last year's defeat of USC (and that had little to do with Dorrell's vaunted Denver Bronco offense).

Until its proven otherwise, I think the case can be eaily made that Dorrell is one of the 3 worst coaches in America. I sincelery hope to be proven wrong in 2007.

by Ajax on Jul 11, 2007 5:43 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

sniper shot - epic A*

by Nestor on Jul 11, 2007 6:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ajax has nailed it

Ajax has described what I perceive but have not been able to articulate. Mr. Dorrell just seems to be occupying space without actually doing anything. And by doing nothing when something should be done, Mr. Dorrell is really hurting the team.

by Fox 71 on Jul 11, 2007 6:36 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

The thing is...

Nobody wants to believe that an entity with the reputation and cache of UCLA would hire someone for such an important position and pay him $700k when it is so painfully obvious that the person is nowhere near qualified.

Well, almost 5 years later, it is pretty clear that this is the case.

Apologists will argue that, despite the fact that the football team is not meeting expectations, and nobody can rationally debate this fact, the character of the program has improved, so progress has been made and the Dorrell hire was not in vain. Some apologists seem to be satisfied with that. However, running a program that stays out of trouble and only recruits good character kids is not mutually exclusive to running a program that can compete for BCS bowl bids. You know, like all of the other programs at UCLA that are in the national championship discussion almost every season?

Pardon my myopia, but this is UCLA folks--we can and should have both.

by Ajax on Jul 11, 2007 7:28 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ajax keeps hitting the nail on the head

My former home town baseball team (the Dodgers) were seduced by the same mentality. They would sign a free agent (generally past his prime) and then insist on playing him despite his mediocre numbers based on this same sort of thinking. He had to play, because otherwise it would mean that signing him was a mistake. Meanwhile, the rookie making much less but with better skills would languish on the bench. (Actually, the Yankees do this even more. I believe they're still paying Darryl Ward something from a contract he signed in the 1970's.)

This same rationale comes out of Morgan Center. We hired Mr. Dorrell and are paying him a lot of money. If we fire him, it's admitting that we made a mistake, and we can't do that. So we'll keep him on board which proves that we didn't make a mistake, no matter what his record is. Which in itself is a perfect example of Mr. Dorrell's coaching - "I don't care what anyone else says - running up the middle on first and second down is solid, WCO football, as is a three-yard out on third and eight. And we'll keep doing it no matter how many times the other side stops us."

And the excuse that Mr. Dorrell is keeping the program clean is not a valid justification. He is supposed to run a clean program. All coaches are supposed to run clean programs. The fact that some (many?) don't does not mean that congratulations are in order for honesty and obeying the rules.

Another parable - one time a judge asked me a question which I answered honestly, and which hurt my position. The judge actually stopped proceedings and gave a speech about what a noble guy I was and how I deserved the Nobel Peace Prize and all that, simply because I told the truth. But lawyers are supposed to tell the truth to judges. It was nothing that warranted any commentary at all.

Its the same with running a clean program. It should not be a surprise when it happens. (The morally bankrupt folks across town are snickering at this concept, of course.)

by Fox 71 on Jul 11, 2007 7:48 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not quite the worst

I do agree with your analysis of Dorrell, and that he has "earned" his place on Mandel's list, possibly even a bottom-3 placing. But from personal experience, I can say that Al Groh deserves this #1 spot (same wasted talent and questionable playcalling, at twice the salary).

by bruinhoo on Jul 12, 2007 1:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree

Plus, I don't think the ACC has been a very good football conference lately.

Scary thing is, isn't our new Chancellor the former UVa Chancellor?

by tasser10 on Jul 12, 2007 1:17 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

ACC has been down lately

If Wake Forest winning the conference (and BCS berth) over a Chan Gailey-"led" team isn't enough of a sign.

Gene Block is the new chancellor, was the #2 man at UVa. From what I know of his work at Virginia, he seems like a good choice for us.

by bruinhoo on Jul 12, 2007 1:50 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think he's a good choice too

I have read some good things about him and frankly, that is one position that UCLA usually gets right (though Chuck Young had his moments of blah).

I also think that UCLA football is due for a revival soon. I believe it firmly, one way or another, with or without KD.

by tasser10 on Jul 12, 2007 1:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Have you been reading "The Secret"?

Just messin. Actually, I feel the same way .. one way or another, with or without Dorrell, UCLA football is on the precipice of a big revival. Why I have that optimism I dont know .. Im just a positive guy ... no really. Go Bruins!!

by DumpDorrell on Jul 12, 2007 3:18 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Seems to have worked

for Pete Carroll.

Hopefully we can do it without the cheating.

by godblesstyus95 on Jul 12, 2007 4:44 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I hint to this above

I don't think he's in the five worst category either. But you have to take into account the fact that he's at UCLA. With everything we have going for us, he's still mediocre. Hence, one of the worst coaches of a big program. We shouldn't compare ourselves to lesser programs.

by tasser10 on Jul 11, 2007 2:11 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm with Blue on this

It's not just the wins and losses. It's the way those wins and losses occur. It's the thought that we would have a much better record with someone else in charge. I "calculated" that Mr. Dorrell was worth 1.5 losses a year. Hence, we should have been 35-15 instead of 29-21 over the past four years.

I agree with Blue - he is one of the five worst coaches in the country in my opinion. Or to put it another way, name five coaches who are more inept than he is.

by Fox 71 on Jul 11, 2007 2:17 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

All fair points

I suppose, in the end, calling someone or something "the worst" is subjective, if we are not just looking at the number of wins and losses.

I think it is fair to assume that teams that only won 2 or 3 games last year, and maybe also the year before that, would exchange their coach with ours in a heartbeat.

I think we will just have to agree to disagree on this, but we can agree that our coach sucks.

by Barnes2JJ on Jul 11, 2007 2:31 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Right On

Perspective is what is needed. There are plenty of coaches that have a worse record than KD but when you factor in the innate advantages at UCLA (Academics, location, fertile recruiting ground, tradition, etc), a "real" coach would get a lot more out of what we've gotten thus far.

If we were Poh-Dunk State and KD had this record, I'd be jumping for joy. However, that is not the case. Mandel is right on about KD.

It's about time the mass media picked up on what we've been saying for quite some time.

by BlueReign on Jul 11, 2007 2:38 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree with Tasser's comment

I still think that there are some schools, like UCLA, where any coach should be able to recruit well, and pile up a bunch of wins. (Easy for me to say, I know).

Taking that perspective, KD is pretty awful.

i c u, u c me, i luv bn > candy.

by Barnes2JJ on Jul 11, 2007 5:17 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

We Bruins are reduced to this:

KD brings discord even among those who have all agreed that he is a bad coach. Now the discussion is, just HOW bad.

KD is divisive in so many ways.

by bluegold on Jul 11, 2007 2:56 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not really a funny subject...but

this comment really cracked me up. It's funny because it's so true!

by WoodenLegend on Jul 11, 2007 8:29 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Excellent!!!

This is the kind of pressure Guerrero needs. All the Dorrellistas can call us crazy to make themselves feel better, but now they have to throw their hate to ESPN, SI, RealFootball, Blue Ribbon, and a growing number of independent observers that aren't shills for Dorrell or Morgan Center who also believe that Dorrell is not getting the job done.

by DumpDorrell on Jul 11, 2007 2:35 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Evaluating KD

More years ago than I care to remember, I played in a high school band. One of our members, a soprano saxaphonist, was a player of legendary ineptitude. On one occasion the band director stopped the rehearsal and had him play his part alone. Amazingly, he made it through with no excruciating reed squeaks or missed notes. The director was speechless. Then he burst out -- "Dan, that was great, just great. You were ALMOST MEDIOCRE!"

Dorrell often makes me think of that.

by Oldguy on Jul 11, 2007 5:45 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs