"That was a coaching error"

by Nestor on Aug 7, 2007 5:51 AM PDT in Football Comment 25 comments

Coaching errors.

Somehow someway it always happens in Dorrell land, but its always the assistants who gets the blame. For the latest example, check out why Dominique Johnson is about to lose out on the chance to gain a medical redshirt season (emphasis mine):

UCLA receiver Dominique Johnson's shot to gain a redshirt for last season is nearly lost, and Dorrell said he was not optimistic the Pac-10 would side with the Bruins' appeal.

Johnson's 2006 season lasted three plays, all in the fourth quarter, in a season-opening win against Utah. It was learned Monday that Johnson wasn't supposed to play, but then-receivers coach D.J. McCarthy sent Johnson into the game.

"That was a coaching error," Dorrell said. "I didn't know (Johnson was sent in) at the time."

UCLA decided it will petition the Pac-10 for another season, not because Johnson was injured later in the season, but because of a coaching blunder. UCLA's argument will be not to penalize the player for a coach's mistake. If the Pac-10 denies UCLA's request, Johnson will be a sophomore.

Somehow it doesn’t matter to Dorrell fans that time and time he gets exposed for having no freaking clue of what is going on during the games.

The same routine is not going to work this year.

GO BRUINS.

UPDATE -N:Money observations from BruinsRule:

(1) Dorrell wasted no time putting it on ex-WR coach McCarthy. Way to throw staff under the bus and NOT to take responsibility for what your assistant coaches do in a game. If KD had done his job, McCarthy would have known not to use Johnson during that game.

(2) Putting in a player for 3 plays and burning his redshirt reflects poorly on the staff and the program.

(3) If I were Dominique Johnson, I'd be pissed off that they burned my redshirt, and I just lost a year of playing college football.

(4) Further evidence of the head coach's incompetence. Add it to Dump Dorrell's site.

(5) So they burned his redshirt in game one and then sat him for 12 consecutive games, despite knowing the rules. He could have played and maybe even helped the team last year.

Maddening. Pathetic. Hopelessly inept. That's your UCLA Bruins under "Coach" Karl Dorrell.

But hey he is going to "make a move." GO BRUINS.

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Let's get this straight...

... not only has KD been on record for saying that he forgot that a returning lettermen was available to play in one game (Manny White, KD's 1st season), but he is now on record saying he didn't know that a freshmen receiver who wasn't supposed to play in a game got rotated in for 3 plays (Dominique Johnson, KD's 4th season).

Oh boy...

WHY NOT US? WHY NOT NOW?

by Meriones on Aug 7, 2007 9:25 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I'd love to say that I'm surprised, but...

There is no way Dorrell can escape culpability for this error. There has to be some form of a master list of kids who all the coaches understand are not supposed to play. These aren't decisions made in a snap.

Then, as BR observes, they failed to utilize him for the rest of the season, rendering the season a complete and total waste.

All MCCarthy's fault.

Riiiiiiiight.

This says a ton about Dorrell's integrity.

by Ajax on Aug 7, 2007 10:01 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I wonder what the parents

of D. Johnson think about KD's overall competency. If it were my son losing a year of eligibility due to KD's mismanagement, I would be livid.

by bluegold on Aug 7, 2007 10:14 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Thanks Nestor for putting this on the front page

Plus if you read further...

"UCLA decided it will petition the Pac-10 for another season, NOT BECAUSE JOHNSON WAS INJURED LATER IN THE SEASON, BUT BECAUSE OF A COACHING BLUNDER. UCLA'S ARGUMENT WILL BE NOT TO PENALIZE THE PLAYER FOR A COACH'S MISTAKE. If the Pac-10 denies UCLA's request, Johnson will be a sophomore." The caps are mine.

So, basically the request is not to receive the extra year due to injury, which would probably be granted.

Instead our request is for you to save us from ourselves because we are too stupid to realize we are burning a year of eligibility for a player.

Would you grant him a year based on that argument? I wouldn't.

by Free the 16 on Aug 7, 2007 10:30 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Some more questions

Does the head coach have any input at all as to who plays?

If a kid isn't supposed to play, wouldn't one way to handle that be having him leave his uniform in the locker room?

Why was he put in for those three plays in the fourth quarter of the first game of the season? How much valuable experience can you get in three running plays if you're a wide receiver?

Why is it that these team and player management issues seem to happen to us more than anyone else? Indeed, how is it possible when we have a "detail-oriented" "CEO-type" as head coach?

(I'm running out of questions. The Socratic Method is, in fact, sort of boring.)

And how on earth can the Dorrellista apologists explain all this away?

by Fox 71 on Aug 7, 2007 10:49 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

???'s

I was wondering the same thing. If you don't want a player in the game, don't suit him up. Seems simple to me.....

Bob O. (Signholder #3)

by TuneMan7 on Aug 7, 2007 12:21 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Johnson...

also mostly worked with the scout team last year during practice...my guess is coach saw a kid with a blue uniform on that looked like a receiver and sent him in

by redsand514 on Aug 7, 2007 10:09 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Fox71 and ?

If they took the ? key off your keyboard, you would be lost!!! As I said somewhere else, I'll bet this occcured during one of KD's "deer in the headlights" moments when the assistant coach fxxxxx up big time, and KD was clueless until this week. What control, what attention to detail, what??? (now I am using those keys)....
Bill

BillSouthBay

by Mensgym on Aug 7, 2007 11:33 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

This really infuriates me.

by UCngLA on Aug 7, 2007 12:21 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Meanwhile over at BRO

The Dorrell shills are buying this spin hook, line and sinker and blaming it all on DJ. Amazing. I wonder what planet those tools live in.

by bluestreet on Aug 7, 2007 1:13 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Another cliche for Karl

"The buck stops with someone else."

by Barnes2JJ on Aug 7, 2007 1:16 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

There was a KD love fest

to the effect that: KD lost look, and his say-nothing-meaningful style was actually a PLUS, and is to be admired. That made ME want to make a move.

by bluegold on Aug 7, 2007 2:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thank god for daily SNAFUs

I should try the Dorrell approach with my bosses when I screw up at work: "I made an epic mistake, but it's not my fault, it's my co workers fault since she was talking to me when I was working"

If it works for Dorrell, it'll work for me.

Victory or until next year!

by ncrpz2 on Aug 7, 2007 1:58 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

By now its obvious

Lots of Athletic Department employees are reading this site. I wonder what goes through their minds realize our football program is being led by such a tool.

by bluestreet on Aug 7, 2007 2:09 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Even better

BOSS: "you only closed half the deals you were supposed to"

ME: "but I'm learning and growing!"

BOSS: "you've been here four years. you are a slow learner."

ME: "but I am going to make a move this year!"

BOSS: "and if you don't?"

ME: "well, my employees make mistakes, but I will turn the corner."

BOSS: "excuse me for a moment."
- TURNS AROUND AND JUMPS OUT WINDOW -

by tasser10 on Aug 7, 2007 2:10 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Here's my version

Boss: Why did you miss that discovery deadline?

Me: Not my fault. Secretary was supposed to file the responses.

Boss: But you are going into your 5th year. At what point will you accept responsibility for your errors?

Me: I'm doing all the right things to get to get to where I need to be. I'll fire my secretary.

Boss: But that is your 4th secretary in 5 years!

Me: Those secretaries just were not on the same page as me. I need a secretary that understands the nuances of my particular practice.

Boss: But you hired them.

Me: Did I wish you happy birthday yet?

by Ajax on Aug 7, 2007 2:17 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Happy B-Day....LOL

Nice. :P

by BlueReign on Aug 7, 2007 4:21 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

That's it, I've had enough

After last season, I wanted Karl Dorrell gone, but I didn't feel that strongly about it.

That changed after I read this.

This isn't just a mistake, it's incompetence. Good coaches make mistakes sometimes. But good coaches know who they're redshirting and make sure their assistant coaches and their redshirting players know who is redshirting.

And even when the mistake was made, why not let him play the rest of the season, so the year isn't wasted?

I've had enough. That was the straw that broke the camel's back.

by gilbert on Aug 7, 2007 2:15 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Welcome Aboard, Gilbert

Another convert. You join a growing (and groaning) body of Bruins.

by Fox 71 on Aug 7, 2007 2:34 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Gilbert

Can you submit an op-ed in the Daily Bruin as a former alum? You should making the case for Bruins Nation. That should put even more pressure on KD. Consider it.

by Nestor on Aug 7, 2007 6:40 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sigh....just hopeless....

It just baffles me how the KD supporters can continue to believe in a guy that makes such retarded decisions, moves, management of team, etc. When Manny didn't get in against Colorado, I knew something was up but I had to give this guy a chance. But through these years, my patience has flown out the window. Just unbelieveable.....

Oh by the way, "Leadership" is not throwin' people under the bus. Whether it was your mistake or not, if you're the captain of the ship, you take full responsibility because it happened on your watch. That is what "Leadership" is about. Instead of remembering birthdays, can you "turn the corner" and learn this?

by BlueReign on Aug 7, 2007 4:30 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

The CEO

needs to step up and take responsibility for SOMETHING. It's simply not possible that all these gaffes and blunders are someone else's fault, and even if they were, the buck stops at his desk. This is a comedy of errors, without the comedy part.

by Tydides on Aug 7, 2007 5:18 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Responsibility

I was talking to a friend of mine who coaches a pee-wee football team in his hometown. A parent that also assists him got into an altercation at a game when another parent made disparaging comments about his kid. My friend broke up the fight. He shared with me that he had gotten suspended for a week along with his assistant. When asked how it was fair that he had been suspended when it was him that broke up the fight, he replied simply, "Because I am the head coach."

by trojan killing greek guy on Aug 7, 2007 11:12 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Your friend should have

called himself a CEO instead, and then have them suspend his assistant.

After 4 years on the job, KD may not have figured out how to implement the WCO, but he's learn something about how to coat himself with teflon so that all responsibility just slides right off of him.

by bluegold on Aug 8, 2007 6:49 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Take Responsibility

If KD is focused on getting good assistant coaches, how does it look when he sells one out for making a mistake that he should have caught? And even if it wasn't his responsibility (though I really don't see how it wouldn't be), he should, as the leader of the program, take the blame. For someone who's value to the program to this point has been more about restoring integrity and keeping the program clean, this method of passing the buck doesn't fit with that.

by McNown to Farmer on Aug 8, 2007 12:09 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs