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Spaulding Roundup: Coaching Notes

Some news and notes on the coaching front to pass on to close out this Friday. If anyone was wondering about the working relationship between CRN and DW Dohn served up this answer on his blog:

How was the relationship between coach RN and DW???
It was very good. Neuheisel let Walker do his thing, and Walker had autonomy over the defense. I don't think the relationship was a reason Walker left. He wanted to run his own program and believed he was ready to do so.

 s we have said many times already good luck to Walker. Meanwhile, Football Scoop injects a new name into the DC search for UCLA:

UCLA: Sources tell FootballScoop that UCLA head coach Rich Neuheisal is interested in talking with veteran defensive coordinator John Thompson and Montana head coach Bobby Hauck regarding the Bruin’s defensive coordinator job. 

Who is Rich? lol

Anyway, we already knew about Bobby Hauck. Thompson’s name is intriguing. He is currently the DC for Steve Spurrier at USC. Here are few excerpts from his bio:

John Thompson, whose 24-year college coaching tenure includes 19 seasons as a defensive coordinator, serves as co-defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach for Coach Steve Spurrier's staff at the University of South Carolina. Thompson is recognized as a top defensive mind and has experience at four Southeastern Conference schools - Florida, Alabama, Arkansas and LSU. Thompson came to USC following a two-year stint as head coach at East Carolina University. While he was with the Pirates, he coached a total of three first-team All-Conference USA players and had seven players chosen to the Freshman All-Conference team.

As a defensive coordinator, Thompson's units have led their respective conferences in total defense three different times. Twenty-eight of his defensive players have been drafted or signed with National Football League teams, 40 have earned all-conference honors, five have been named All-America, and one- former Northwestern State linebacker Gary Reasons - has been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

"John Thompson is an experienced defensive coordinator who I probably should have hired three weeks ago," said Gamecock head coach Steve Spurrier. "The best guy is usually the one that wants to come the most and John really wants to be at South Carolina. He is an enthusiastic, upbeat individual. His defenses like to come after people. We will blitz and we will blitz intelligently. He will be in control of the defense and will coach the linebackers."

Thompson has served as the defensive coordinator at Florida, Arkansas, LSU, Memphis, Southern Mississippi, Louisiana Tech and Northwestern State. A native of Forrest City, Ark., Thompson began his coaching career in the high school ranks in 1977 while pursuing his bachelor's degree at the University of Central Arkansas. He graduated from there in 1978 and continued to coach high school football until moving on to the college ranks at the University of Arkansas as a graduate assistant for head coach Lou Holtz in 1982.

Honestly, I think he will be a tough get given his extensive experience primarily in the SEC. If he were to become a serious candidate, it would be come intriguing because I like the idea of combining a SEC type of defense with Chow’s offense.

Lastly, Kenny is apparently still thinking about the UCLA job. When Jill Painter put him on the spot after last night’s game whether he would entertain a call from CRN, he was "non-commital":

After the game, Ken Norton was asked what he would do if Rick Neuheisel called him to talk about the UCLA defensive coordinator opening.
``The season's not over,'' Norton said.
The clock at the Rose Bowl read 00:00, so yes, it was over.

Sucks to be Kenny:

It Sucks To Be Kenny (via Killbait06Films)

See you during the hoops thread.

GO BRUINS.

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Sugar Bowl: Utah leads Alabama, 14-0

midway through the 1st quarter. Go western-ish team!

by bruinhoo on Jan 2, 2009 5:38 PM PST reply actions   0 recs

Considering it is Utah, not much

Not a BCS conference team = no one with any influence will care (except a few AP voters, I would hope)

If this were Texas or USC beating Bama however, heads would roll.

by bruinhoo on Jan 2, 2009 6:16 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

just fyi

i believe rick neuseiels name is richard neuheisel. that would explain who “rich” is :)

Go Bruins!

by bruinpower on Jan 2, 2009 7:11 PM PST reply actions   0 recs

lol

Good to know.

by Nestor on Jan 2, 2009 7:12 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

I like what i'm hearing in John Thompson

My first thought on reading his bio is that CRN is going after the National Championship. He knows that order to win one in this age you have to go through the SEC. They’ve won the last 2 and looks like they’re about to win another. All told, they’ve won 3 out of 5.

John Thompson’s familiarity of the SEC would pay HUGE dividends when combined with Norm Chow’s offense once it’s running on all four cylinders.

If I were Coach, I would be on the phone with three rich and influential alumni right now.

A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment. John Wooden

by MexiBruin on Jan 2, 2009 11:25 PM PST reply actions   0 recs

Tuberville for Defensive Coordinator!!!!

I wrote a blog several weeks ago that UCLA should get Tuberville for Defensive Coordinator. He is available (if his mother allows) since he resigned from Auburn.

by edflick on Jan 3, 2009 11:32 PM PST reply actions   0 recs

And there were responses to your idea

about Tuberville becoming UCLA’s DC is nothing short of a pipe dreams. We don’t do pipe dreams here on BN.

by Nestor on Jan 4, 2009 9:42 AM PST up reply actions   0 recs

No kidding.

A pretty successful former HC from a major SEC school … is going to be the DC for us? Really? I’d say look for Tommy to go to an opening in the SEC in the near future or the ACC even. He’s a proven winner and is a pretty good HC.

by Seanny Rotten on Jan 4, 2009 2:58 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

Pipe dreams like Tuberville can come true! Norm Chow is OC!

Everyone thought Norm Chow was a pipe dream for head coach, now he is our OC. There are pipe dreams coming for real all over college football. We need to do the same. For whatever reason nobody is pursuing Tuberville. We must do all we can to attract him over here.

by edflick on Jan 5, 2009 1:20 PM PST reply actions   0 recs

You need to stop and think

Norm Chow already lived here before we hired him. And there was the appeal of going up against Pete Carroll.

Tuberville is a southern boy who was a HEAD COACH in the SEC, arguably the toughest conference in the country, and he led his team to an undefeated season. And you think he is going to come to the Pac-10 to be someone’s defensive coordinator for less money than he’d make even as a DC in the SEC? Come on man, quit wasting people’s time. Feel free to have your pipe dream, but these unsubstantiated hopes are useless.

But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.

by tasser10 on Jan 5, 2009 3:11 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

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