Is Chianti Dan’s Latest Tone-deaf Non-Move Sabotaging UCLA’s Coaching Search?
by Nestor on Nov 27, 2011 9:20 AM PST
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PrintThere is no use of talking about the game at this point. Honestly, after the first couple of touch downs I didn't get all that upset. I was more amused at the comments pouring into our blog threads and email account from distressed alums about the humiliation and pain they were feeling. I couldn't feel any of that because we have had to go through the same embarrassment so many times during what has shaped up to be an ugly, disgraceful regime of Dan Guerrero ("Chianti Dan").
What was telling to me last night was not the searing images of another Bruin collapse at the Mausoleum but the utter lack of respect Chianti Dan showed for thousands of UCLA alums, season ticket holders, students and fans from the greater Bruin Nation by issuing one of the most absurd public statements I have ever read from college athletics administrator.
I don't really give a cr*p about the crock "championship" game on Friday night. Oregon fans, Larry Scott, Pac-12 officials and Morgan Center loons can party it up Eugene for that charade. What I do care about is who UCLA is going to hire as the next coach. It looks like some of the murmurs we have been hearing in the background in recent weeks are now out in public. However, the problem here lies squarely with the incompetent, buffoonish move on the part of Chianti Dan to hold on to Rick Neuheisel for one more game.
By stringing Neuheisel along for few more days, Chianti Dan himself is heightening the sorry spectacle around UCLA football and possibly sabotaging our search for a new head football coach. More on this after the jump.
From the OC Register:
UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel is expected to be fired following Pac-12 championship game against Oregon with Boise State coach Chris Peterson, Houston's Kevin Sumlin and Cincinnati's Butch Jones the leading candidates to replace him.
UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero said after USC's 50-0 blowout of the Bruins on Saturday night that Neuheisel will coach against the Ducks next Friday but declined to commit to the former UCLA Rose Bowl hero beyond that.
Getting rid of Neuheisel will be less expensive than previously reported, with the university owing the coach a $250,000 buyout.
Neuheisel is 21-28 in four seasons at his alma mater. Should the Bruins lose to Oregon in the Pac-12 title game they would slip to 6-7 on the season and have to petition the NCAA for a waiver to play in a bowl game.
"Rick is coaching next week," Guerrero said. "This is a devastating game for us obviously. We expected to have an opportunity to get a signature win and it just didn't happen.
"We did not execute in any aspect of the game today. "
Asked if Neuheisel could save his job with an upset next week at Autzen Stadium, Guerrero said, "Right now I'm going to evaluate this program at the end of the year like I always said. We've got another game to focus on. It's a big game. If we could bounce back like we've bounced back after every bad loss this year and played well the next week we'll see what happens."
Someone clue in Scott Reid it's Chris Petersen not Chris Peterson. But back to the main culprit who is responsible for the total devastation of our major athletic program: Chianti Dan.
WTH is Chianti Dan thinking? Does he really believe that the UCLA community is going to stupid enough to fall for his pathetic and disgusting bamboozlement about UCLA focusing on a "big game"? Is he that naïve or is he just completely a dumb ass, ignorant fool? I have met this guy in person before and he seems nice. I know I am being harsh in my comments here but there is no other way to describe these words and latest action from someone who seems totally hell bent on taking the cowardly way out and showing no desire to make the right and decisive move for our football program.
As we have discussed numerous times before if Chianti Dan had any sense he would have fired Neuheisel after the Debacle in the Desert and have UCLA compete with an interim coach for rest of the season. Our team proved talented enough to win games at the Rose Bowl without any competetent leadership from it's head coach. If Chianti Dan had made the decisive move to pull the trigger after Arizona game, we wouldn't have found ourselves in the absurd situation of last 48 hours, when we still had few dozen delusional and psyhcophant Neubs still spinning the talking points about making a run to the Rose Bowl.
It is clear to me that people like Chianti Dan have survived all these years at UCLA because they have been able to ride the ignorance and delusions of a small segment of UCLA fan base who have always operated with "support the coach at any cost" mindset for years. There is no doubt few of them will pop up if somehow, someway Oregon finds a way to pull of "choke of the century" next week by having the whole "smoke it all" the night before the game against Chianti Dan's doormat program (not going to happen). But why even create that chance.
If Chianti Dan wants to project the image of being a decent Bruin who has any sense of pride in those four letters, he'd let go of Rick Neuheisel today and make sure that all of us don't have to go through the charade for another week. It would also help intensifying the search for our next coach, and not jeopardize UCLA's chances with any of the candidates who are being considered, as other schools have already made their moves or are deep into the process.
What is Chianti Dan going to do? Is he going to remain a coward like he has been all season? Is he going to keep taking the easy way out by letting Neuheisel dangling in the wind in front of the Southern California and national media, while creating a circus hurting our coaching search? Is he going to be that craven? Is he going to continue to act in a way that will strengthen the perception around him of being a lazy bureaucrat? Or will he for once make a decisive move and send the signal the word "accountability" does matter in the world of UCLA Athletics?
If there is no move on the part of Chianti Dan by tonight, we'd think UCLA alums living in the greater LA area and students should consider gathering in front of Morgan Center tomorrow and demanding some answers.
GO BRUINS.
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Thoughts on who to replace Guerrerror with?
Also, no way you’ll get students to participate, it’s finals week.
What do we think of James Franklin at Vanderbilt? Hiring Vandy's coach worked once before?
by ocbruin1985 on Nov 27, 2011 9:32 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
I think he is good
But he has only been there for one year, he isn’t leaving.
Spent the night at a friend's last night after watching the game there.
Wife picked me up this a.m. and asked that we go to breakfast on the way home. I asked to go home first so I could change out of my UCLA shirt and hat from the night before.
First time I have ever been embarrassed to wear the letters and that, for this passionate fan, says everything that needs to be said.
There is no chance Neuheisel is retained, Nestor
He was gone after last night. The question now is what happens to Guerrero and, sadly, there is no word anywhere – on or off the record – that they’re even contemplating removing him. I personally don’t even think it’s even on their radar, because I don’t think Blockhead gives a rats ass about UCLA athletics. The focus now has to be on somehow convincing/cajoling/motivating the idiots in the Morgan Center to hire a top tier D1 football coach. For myself, I plan to make clear that my annual donation – not the biggest, but not the smallest either – is in jeopardy if they don’t show some genuine care for the program. Last night was a genuine last straw for me (see last night’s post) and I won’t soon forget it.
Can we go to the UC Regents?
By not taking action NOW, Blockhead is destroying the most valuable brand in the UC system.
by orlandobruin on Nov 27, 2011 9:48 AM PST up reply actions
Yes, you can.
We should all go wherever it takes. It’s not like Block is going to do this on his own. He’s going to need a great big swift kick in the ass.
greg in denver, U.C.L.A. guy for life - BruinsNation.com
UC Regents
They meet tomorrow at the UCSF campus in the Baker Center. The only reason I know this is my gym is there and is closed at the request of UC Police. I will go before work and stand outside with a sign.
Sure can.
Putting up a Christmas tree now. Will do immediately after . . .
by orlandobruin on Nov 27, 2011 11:10 AM PST up reply actions
Yep, I get that
But if Chianti Dan wants to maintain any shred of credibility with UCLA alums he needs to let go of Rick NOW, TODAY. If he doesn’t … only way he can salvage any of his shattered reputation and credibility is by locking in someone like Chris Petersen or a first tier head coach. Not a lot of room for Chianti Dan now.
Petersen gossip
Sorry for the “3 wealthy alumni” type chatter… but i watched the game last night with close family friends visiting from Boise who happen to know the Petersen family well. They say they are very happy in Boise (particulalry his wife Barbara) and they are grateful/trusting of teh medical care their son has received. In their words, it would take a “small miracle” to get them to leave Boise. i don’t have an opinion either way, just passing along some gossip.
Mike Leach should be the name at the top of our list as far as I am concerned.
by DoubleTroubleBruin on Nov 27, 2011 10:31 AM PST up reply actions
All Boise people
say that. It doesn’t matter if it’s UCLA chatter, UNC or whatever. They all truly believe that that former community college is the center of the universe. Sorry, but UCLA and UNC are clear steps up, and the right chance, the right amount of money, right timing, he would go. Not saying he will, but he could. UCLA’s medical center is head and shoulders above almost anywhere else in the country.
yeah, thats a totally fair comment
you could also argue… do we even really want a guy without the requisite competitive drive, who ‘s willing to settle for Boise State, a school with almost no chance of ever winning “the big one”? not judging petersen here, by all accounts he’s a stand up guy and a phenomenal football coach. its just interesting to think about why he’d stay versus why he’d leave.
again, all else equal, my vote is for leach.
by DoubleTroubleBruin on Nov 27, 2011 10:43 AM PST up reply actions
I have heard the nugget about Petersen's specific concern ..
… about having a world class medical care center. That’s one specific area UCLA has a leg up on pretty much every major program in the country.
Maybe that was the plan all along!
Prepping out Medical Centers to become top notch in the nation to attract Chris Petersen → leading out football team to glory → OH CHANCELLOR BLOCK, you’ve DONE IT AGAIN!
BS Fanspeak
How many times have you heard a Corporate CEO, CFO, or even executive say the same psychobabble? How they are so happy with their current position and the opportunites that exist and the wonderful benefits and stock options they are receiving. Then as soon as they get a BETTER offer from a competitor and/or their stock options vest. BOOM!!!! They are gone and all you get is some resignation e-mail about how they have left to explore “other interests”.
Well, Petersen has NO stock options, so he has nothing to wait to vest and his Buyout is a VERY manageable $650k.
It is reported that Chris Petersen places the well being of his family above all else. As a caring father, he should. His son apparently had a Brain Tumor and Spinal Cancer, but he is said to now be cured. However, properly monitoring his condition is obviously paramount.
I say, let’s roll out the Red Carpet for Petersen in style, give him a personal tour of UCLA’s world renown Medical Center, by Gene Block, Dan G, The Dean of the School of Medicine, the Director of the UCLA Medical Center, and the Director of Oncology and NeuroSurgery give him a personal tour, and throw in the Director of the Mattel Children’s Hospital, if need be. UCLA Medical Center is Ranked #10 in Cancer/Oncology and #7 in Neurology/Neurosurgery. The Mattel Children’s Hospital is also highly ranked.
Do this BEFORE you even have ONE conversation about FB. Show him you really care MORE about Chris Petersen the person and Father, than Chris Petersen the Coach.
Then, give him a tour of Bel Air, and show him what it would be like to live in an ultra exclusive private community, which would be no more than 5 minutes from his office. Show him what financing options he would have and what his cost of living would look like. As I have stated before, the cost of living in LA is NO more than $100k a year more than living elswhere, with most of those expenses being Tax Deductible anyway. When you are making over $3 million a year, it’s almost a non factor.
Finally, get to FB and I say, let’s make him a strong offer. One in the range of $4million a year, and offer to finance his down payment on a new home. Then we shall see how open he is to moving to LA. Do that, and then you will know you did your all. I have a feeling he would bite, but if he doesn’t, the message will be out. UCLA is SERIOUS about FB, and is willing to do what it takes to get the right Coach. The AD’s office would be flooded with interview requests.
GO BRUINS!!!!
by BruinFaithful on Nov 27, 2011 2:16 PM PST up reply actions
this is probably right
I mean, who is he kidding? Why have Neuheisel coach Friday night’s game (UCLA’s next turn in the stocks – instead of playing, they should just have them all stand in the middle of the field and let the Oregon fans throw cabbage at them…)? I’d relieve him today and start the search immediately. The only rational argument – and I wouldn’t make it, but I’d say it’s reasonable if someone makes it – is that they don’t want a new coach to view them as treating the old coach badly? That said, no top tier coach would question sacking Neuheisel after last night’s drubbing. Hell, even Neuheisel has to know he’s gotta go after that.
Thank you BN for being
the only proactive UCLA site in the blogosphere…
BRO is pretty furious, too.
Though their format isn’t built to drive a message so much
greg in denver, U.C.L.A. guy for life - BruinsNation.com
How about someone going to the Bruin statue on campus and hanging a
black wreath on it with the words, RIP UCLA athletics., maybe include a picture of DG..Then, take a picture and flood the media, blogs, etc..?
by Gary72 on Nov 27, 2011 9:47 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
that
would likely be all over the national media in a heartbeat. good idea
by captainqtp on Nov 27, 2011 11:54 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
Just Curious - Could Chianti Dan be stupid enough to wait AFTER a bowl game to fire Rick?
If you look at what Chianti Dan is saying, he is going to wait until after the year/season to talk to Rick about his future. Is after the year/season considered after bowl season or ‘regular’ season?
If he waits until after bowl season, we’re going to seriously lose out on some good candidates.
Dan’s quotes:
“Right now I’m going to evaluate this program at the end of the year like I always said.”
He fired Toledo and Dorrell the Monday after our final regular season game of those seasons
I am guessing that he is counting the Oregon game as a non-bowl game and treating it accordingly. By that measure, the end of the season would be Saturday/Sunday/Monday.
formerly bruinhoo
What could possibly happen between now and the day after the Oregon game that would have any bearing on whether Neuheisel should be retained.
It’s another reasson to fire Doughnut Dan immediately if he is not sure whether he should fire the coach immediately.
By the way, I don’t think we should call him Chianti Dan. I understand the rationale, but chianti implies a sort of dignity that Guerrerror doesn’t deserve. I think Doughnut Dan is a more accurate description, given the eerie likeness to Homer Simpson and given the Homer Simpson-like intellect.
Could not disagree more.
The Donut Dan moniker is disrespectful, uncalled for, and only serves to paint Bruin fans as juvenile.
Chianti at least has relevance to his job performance.
by Kenneth Powers on Nov 27, 2011 12:44 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
The thing I like about "Chianti Dan"
is that he brought it on himself, with that you’ve-got-to-be-kidding Chianti Cruise with DG.
Whereas, “Doughnut Dan” is a nickname placed on him by others. While humorous and seemingly accurate, it’s like dubbing someone “Big Nose.”
Then, too, I could abide “Chianti Doughnut Dan.” A nice, plain cake Doughnut works both as a middle name and as an accompaniment to a medium-dry, fruity Chianti.
this thread deserves a fan post
I hereby call this meeting to decide what to call the incompetence sitting atop Morgan Center
I coined Doughnut Dan for reasons which I thought were good at the time.
I resisted Chianti Dan because it made Guerrerror sound cooler than he is. After all, if you say “chianti” with just a bit of an accent, you might be mistaken for The Most Interesting Man Alive, but no matter how you say Doughnut, it’s still just a doughnut.
But Ty makes a point that I had not considered. It really is better to go with Chianti Dan. The chianti cruise is all Dan’s. He could have vetoed it – after all, he directs every single solitary aspect of athletics on the entire UCLA campus (and probably at the extension locations as well.) If he didn’t want to go, he could have said “I’m not going,” although that would take much more courage than we have seen so far. I therfore adopt the name “Chianti Dan” and relegate Doughnut Dan to the bench.
Nut, Doughnut Dan was not created to describe a body type gained by overfamiliarity with doughnuts. It stemmed from the fact that I believe Homer Simpson was cloned, and that clone is sitting in our athletic department.
Nonetheless, Doughnut Dan is dead. Long live Chianti Dan.
I get it
and I, myself, have marveled at both the physical and mental similarities between Homer Simpson and Chianti Dan. “Doughnut” fits DG like spandex fits a fat guy, but it’s not a name he earned all on his own. If he starts holding press conferences with a glazed in one hand and a French cruller in the other, then we can re-open the Doughnut category. My “Big Nose” reference was just an example of a nickname that’s usually chosen by others, and not by the one with the schnozz.
In the mean time, the name “Chianti” is a gift to us directly from Doughn…, er, Chianti Dan, himself. It’d be a shame not to hoist him by his own petard.
BTW, I’ll clink your glass of Chianti and join your toast of “Long live Chianti Dan,” as long as the long living is done somewhere else.
Guerrero's words are actually very clear
Neuheisel’s gone. Nobody likes the politician speak, but that’s what comes with the AD job at UCLA. Just need to read between the lines. CRN will coach his last game on Friday and be dismissed. That’s what DG’s comments mean.
The next six days are irrelevant in the coaching search. Petersen and any other existing coach/coordinator worth hiring is focusing on their own team right now. If by some miracle Mike Leach is a candidate, he’ll know about it and will wait. You think he’ll sign on at Wazzu before Friday if that’s the case? Any good coach not working right now has a good agent keeping an eye on this. They know about UCLA and understand what DG is saying.
I’m not defending DG, just suggesting there’s no need for worry.
I would rather have an interim coach for the next week.
For the sake of keeping some shread of dignity against the Ducks.
At least the players would pay attention to Mike Johnson or even Mastro. They’ve tuned out Rick.
by orlandobruin on Nov 27, 2011 10:20 AM PST up reply actions
Agreed
I’ve never understood the reason for keeping a coach when it’s a foregone conclusion that he will be fired.
Players don’t want to play for someone or won’t listen to someone that they know won’t be around next week. It’s not good for morale. I think the players will respond better knowing their future. Look how Arizona did immediately after the firing of Mike Stoops.
If you know you’re going to fire someone, have the cajones to fire them instead of dragging it out.
Uhm, we can read between the lines just fine
But the optics of now firing Rick today is beyond appalling. Also, knowing this guy’s trackrecord he is praying in a corner for a miracle against Oregon.
You are defending his actions by making a weak excuse.
that's not the point
the point is we deserve better. we deserve an AD who does not need to hide behind political speak. we deserve a leader who fights for the tradition and history that is UCLA athletics.
by DoubleTroubleBruin on Nov 27, 2011 10:27 AM PST up reply actions
Amen brother.
Spot on.
I thought CRN would be that person, but that is clearly not the case.
I may work with the Waves, but I'm still a Bruin!
(Formerly "HoozierDaddy")
Out of Petersen, Sumlin and Butch Jones
I’d much rather have Petersen. Though I doubt he’d leave Boise as he has it made there and they’re most likely headed to a BCS AQ conference. I’d love to give Mike Leach a shot.
Christian Ponder: Super Bowl 50 MVP for the Minnesota Vikings
out of petersen, sumlin and jones
i’d vote for leach too.
either way, i don’t trust Guerrerror to make the decision but i fear that’s exaclty where we’re headed. i’ve sent another letter to block’s office calling for swift action replacing Neu and Guer but have no idea where to start in terms of suggesting a new AD…
by DoubleTroubleBruin on Nov 27, 2011 10:49 AM PST up reply actions
Priorities
It is all well and good to consider which dream head football coach we should bring to Westwood. However, until DG is gone, our athletic program will sputter. I am sure the same dream names came up before Dorrell was hired, and they came up before Neuheisel was hired.
We need a sea change at the top if there is to be real progress. And don’t forget on DG’s watch- the Pauley mess, the “LA monopoly is over” ad, the reach out to Fresno State fans to fill the Rose Bowl, etc etc. As the basketball program continues to show signs of serious decline, do we think DG would ever act?
The letters to the Chancellor have been about DG. We need to keep the pressure there.
Thanks to the leaders of BN- this is a fantastic resource for those who care deeply about UCLA athletics. Unfortunately, that does not seem to include DG or Chancellor.
UCLA aggressively pursuing an elite FB coach
is something totally foreign to me. Until such a coach is actually sitting in his UCLA office I am not going to believe anything I read or hear.
If I didn't know better
I’d venture to use the ugly term “racist” here. DG fired Dorrell before his last bowl game and KD had a far better record overall than RN. Both were winning Bruins as players. Why can’t DG pull the trigger today? WTF?
There is no need to play the race card here
KD also was fired after 5 years, versus RN’s 4, so there goes your argument.
Daggy, it's a pain to have to go back and read the archives, but you should.
I liked both guys when they were hired. Both were staunch Bruin players. Both were handsome and articulate. Neither could coach his way out of a wet paper bag. The main difference, as I see it, is recruiting. Our current coach really out-performed his predecessor in the recruiting department. Plus, our current coach really knows how to preach to the choir in terms of what it means to be a Bruin, etc.
I don’t quite know what you mean by “racist.” I think CTS was kept a year too long. I think our current coach was kept a year too long. Both are terrible, terrible coaches, and that fact has nothing to do with anyone’s race.
One thing occurred to me, although it has nothing to do with race. We all say that Neuheisel was left with an empty cupboard because of the horrible recruiting by his predecessor. Granted that CTS was such a terrible recruiter, he still had a much better record than the current guy. Even taking out the 10-2 season, CTS had a record of 25-25, which is better than the current 21-28. What that shows to me is that CTS is a better coach than Neuheisel, and I would have bet the mortgage that was not the case when Neuheisel was hired. Ahh, the clarity of hindsight.
"Wet Paper Bag"...
… hahaha (I don’t know if I exactly understand the joke, but it just sounds funny)
You are correct
of course- shouldn’t have ventured near that term.
However, even with 5 years vs. 4, it still seems like lop-sided favoritism to me. As bad as it was under KD, it never seemed as bad as it’s been recently.
by daggy on Nov 27, 2011 12:09 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
As far as I was concerned, it was no different
I don’t think any of the criticism directed at either guy has been unfair. I don’t think that it’s any greater now than it was for CTS, but even it the current guy is taking more criticism, I think there are two reasons. First, he promised us so much, both explicitly and implicitly. Second, his record is much worse. I did a little more research. In 1930, in the opening game of the year, we got beat by just$c* 52-0. In the 81 years since then, we have not been beaten by more than 50 points. Except for Coach Neuheisel’s loss at BYU 59-0 and last night at the Crapaseum 50-0.
Think about that – it’s staggering. We have had some bad coaches and some bad teams in the last 81 years, but not one team has been beaten by more than 50 points. Until this guy comes along, and he has done it twice.
CTSS had done more than enough to deserve ever bit of criticism directed at him. I can’t get that notion out of my head – we have had two losses by more than 50 points in the past 81 years, and both were under Neuheisel.
Who takes over as interim?
If they do relieve Neuheisal tomorrow, who takes over as the interim against Oregon?
And do they play a bowl game? Or even try to get one?
by Arturo del Mundo on Nov 27, 2011 11:12 AM PST reply actions
Maybe Palcic or if....
If-
Neuheisal would have played Hundley from the start I think it would have saved his job. His downfall has been running the (gimmick) pistol offense with a west coast personnel team.
Also, if Neuheisal beats Oregon, he has to stay the coach. If he loses, he’s definitely gone.
Dan Guerrero should be fired for the uniform change.
by Stephen Tom on Nov 27, 2011 11:23 AM PST up reply actions
Palcic or Johnson
And knowing Chianti Dan’s lack of shame he will push hard for a bowl game.
formerly bruinhoo
Pick some kid on a Pop Warner team somewhere.
They might not know the intricate details of the game as well as anyone on our coaching staff, but they’ll be at least as likely to get the players to pay attention, and perhaps might even be better at motivating.
Roses are red, violets are blue...f*** $C.
I have no idea what substance, if any, there is to the James stuff at Tech...
…but I sure love the kind of football Mike Leach coaches, and it feels right for UCLA. Enough of this pistol nonsense -what the hell is that? – it’s a BS gimmick offense. I want to see the spread – it’s 2011, let’s air it out. And – we’re a southern california team, our recruiting base is made up of track stars and gunslingers, fast DBs and playmaking LBs. Play fast, play hard, air it out on offense, play a speed/linebacker schemed turnover inducing defense, and let’s get serious. I love Petersen, would be thrilled to have him, but I also love the idea of Leach. Does anybody here know if that’s a non-starter because of the issues he had previously (I hope not…)?
There's no substance to the James stuff at Tech.
I would rather that you go read it all yourself, mwright, but that would be a pain. I watched this very closely. I engaged in the debates in the Texas Tech blog. Both Class of 66 and I have concluded that the James event was blown way out of proportion by a daddy’s doting on an under-performing, rebellious malcontent son, and using his bully pulpit to preach his agenda. This was to add legitimacy to the effort by the Tech regents to stiff Leach out of the raise that they had given him.
I had understood that Texas law always favored plaintiffs, but that was during my days as an aviation defense lawyer. That is not the case when suing the state, and Texas Tech gets the benefit of a much more expansive governmental immunity scheme than in California. In California, I would have taken Leach’s case against the Regents of the UC, or if a real plaintiff’s lawyer had taken the case I would have predicted that Mike had a 75% chance of prevailing. (For purposes of context, when a defense lawyer says to the insurance company that we have a 75% chance of prevailing, that means it’s a sure thing, and if we don’t win, the next thing I say will be “Welcome to Wal Mart.”)
So take that for what it’s worth. I think there was no substance to the “James stuff.” Frankly, if my son’s coach (or my new grandson’s coach) applied the “James stuff,” I would shake his hand and say thanks.
reply much appreciated. thanks.
OC Register claiming Leach not serious candidate. Ridiculous.
by mwright84 on Nov 27, 2011 1:20 PM PST via iPhone app up reply actions
Chianti Dan is going to cost us coaches
by dragging this thing out. This guy really has no clue on how to run an athletic dept.
No kidding. But what concerns me is that there is even a slight possibiliity he would retain Neu
I mean, why bother waiting until the Eugene trip if he didn’t think UCLA had a chance to win? And then what, retain this sorry excuse for a coach? Completely illogical.
The fact that DG even waited till the SC game ...
… tells us what we need to know about him as a “leader.”
respectfully
may i make a suggestion? can we stop referring to Guererro as “DG?”
I feel pretty safe in saying he hasn’t “earned his initials”
by DoubleTroubleBruin on Nov 27, 2011 11:40 AM PST up reply actions
Chianti Dan or CD give him too much credit.
He is a Homer Simpson clone, so to me he will always be Doughnut Dan, and he has earned those initials over and over.
neu's gone
the 2 questions now are (1) when? and (2) how do we get Guerrero to help him carry his things out and not come back?
by DoubleTroubleBruin on Nov 27, 2011 11:38 AM PST up reply actions
I found out last night
that SUC fans love Dan Guerrero, They point and laugh from across the town, he dont realize how much of a laughing stock hes become! His next HEAD COACH better be JESUS himself if he wants to keep his seat!
To all of those that are claiming RN is 100% gone...
… what happens if (I know it’s not going to happen but just follow me here for the sake of the argument) we beat Oregon? Do we fire CRN after, as DG says, “we stop strapping on the uniform”? (which by itself is ridiculous, since he fired the two previous coaches before we played our bowl games).
Everything DG does reminds me of that episode of Seinfeld where George Costanza just starts doing the opposite of what he thinks he should do, to amazing success. Maybe we need Dan Guerrero to start acting like Gan Duerrero and we might be onto something? You know, our REAL uniforms against SC, firing a lame-duck coach after he gets blown out on Thursday night, having high expectations, not trying to get alumni to fork over big bucks to go crusin’ with him and the Mrs in the Italian rivera, and on and on….
So....
…. that’s why I can’t buy into anything I’m reading and hearing (and I normally trust TP at BRO 100%).
But I am totally puzzled, not firing CRN now makes absolutely no sense. This isn’t the right move for the sake of “optics”, it can’t help with game preparation for the players to deal with a lame duck coach, if you read Casey Wasserman’s tweet it can’t be because influential boosters want to give CRN his escape valve, and we JUST got blown out 50-0 in a game even USC fans couldn’t find a way to talk trash to us about (I was at the game, they just felt bad for Bruin fans roaming the stadium like zombies).
What is DG thinking? This is a serious question…. I can’t seem to find an answer.
More disrespect from Morgan Ctr
headline on official site: “Bruins slip to Trojans”. Uh, 50-0 is a slip? I’d say debacle. It just gets worse.
I was at the game last night
Stayed for all 50 points. That was beyond the worse experience ever $C fans love Rick just like we all loved Hackett. It’s disturbing that Rick has not been fired yet. Just saw on ESPN that Zook has been let go and we are still sitting hear tied to the Rick and Dan horror show. To make matters worse is the feeling that when Dan does eventually fire Rick that he will screw up the hire of the next coach.
Sat there for all 50 points as well
That was painful man.
by King J77 on Nov 27, 2011 12:37 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Both of you are great Bruins
and you deserve better from your athletic department.
greg in denver, U.C.L.A. guy for life - BruinsNation.com
Just curious, how did Dan G get his salary to almost
$700,000. Seriously, having worked in public educaiton (community college), I know of no one over the past 9 years getting raises that even approach what Dan G. makes…It would make for an interesting article, given the context of the increase in tuition, the slashing of state funding, etc.
He is a swindler...
a tripling of his salary… a 300% increase in 9 years.
what is that raise for? other than showing up to the office?
there clearly needs to be an investigation… other UC employees are dealing with salary freezes and furlows… while Doughnut Dan is riding the gravy train?
by beanandcheeseburrito on Nov 27, 2011 12:19 PM PST up reply actions
Seriously, somebody please tell me wtf he did that is a tiny bit redeeming.
Because I’m lost. Even Lame Kitten deserved his pay more than Guerror does… by a long, long shot
and....
Guerrero gets a retention bonus of $750,000 if he completes the fifth year of his current contract (to March 31, 2013).
He sound like a Bell city official to me.
by King J77 on Nov 27, 2011 12:38 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
HE'S LOSING LIFETIME UCLA FANS BY DROVES!
Ever since the debacle in the desert (for me, San Jose St.) thousands and thousands of us have been turning into ghost fans, not giving a shit about UCLA football for the first time in our lives OVER A SPAN OF FIVE GAMES. That is what happens when you let something like this go on. Now the whole f**king world knows what we’ve known all along. (The whole world but some Neubs, who are no doubt very excited about Friday.)
I did not attend our last three home games. I have never not attended a UCLA game when I’ve been in town in my life. Most fans are less passionate than I am — once you lose them they are gone for years, maybe ever. Once you lose the passion it is very difficult to get it back. Even if you do hire an elite coach.
Every day this goes on the UCLA fanbase dwindles and dwindles…it is absolutely appalling how this man is being allowed to murder school spirit.
54K at the Texas game...
… on a Chamber of Commerce day in Pasadena. If that’s not a referendum on having lost your constituency, then I don’t know what is.
At least 10K
the sad thing was I invited a grad school buddy and UT alum to the game with his wife; and had another friend and his girlfriend fly out from NYC come out to the game. They were amazed at how many empty seats there were. It was pretty embarassing. Although at this point I’m used to it.
+1
This fan will adopt some other team to root for in college sports until GrrError is Fired!
by iLOATHEscFOREVER on Nov 27, 2011 12:15 PM PST up reply actions
Whats scary is
What happened at Maryland last week could very well happen here. With little money coming in after having poor poor seasons in football and basketball Maryland cut 8 sports from it’s athletic program. The UCLA that most of us here grew up with was always the leader in a variety of sports. Unlike the kids across town that dropped their gear off at the dry cleaners in January. UCLA colors could be worn year round as UCLA was always competing in something. It’s more then troubling that there is no smoke on the firing of Dan G. I know that with the new Pac-12 money coming in that UCLA is in a different world then Maryland but at the end of the day UCLA is still a state school in a state that has a shoddy economy at best. The truth is that a properly run athletic program would be bale to self sustain itself at a University like UCLA.
Could Someone Photoshop that Picture of Chianti Boy with.......
If one of our loyal fans could photoshop this picture of GrrError with a Hannibal Lector mask and post it, it would be appreciated. Then our loser of an AD could now enjoy his nice Chianti with some fava beans as he cannibalizes our athletic programs.
by iLOATHEscFOREVER on Nov 27, 2011 12:20 PM PST reply actions
why wait?
This just proves that Donut Dan is incompetent. Waiting to fire the current coach until after the Pac 12 championship charade and inviting a miracle to happen to muddy a pretty clear picture is stupid. Fire Coach Neuheisel today, replace him with a coach that could only be an "interim "coach. That way if a miracle happens then we all get what we want, new leadership and a trip to the Rose Bowl. That would be a nice Christmas present!
Go Bruins
TRM
Is it possible Guerrero is talking to HC candidates now, even before firing Neuheisel?
Or is he simply so inept he won’t start looking until after (if?) he fires Neuheisel, and goes through a 2-3 week cooling off period so that all the competent coaches are already gone? (That way, when he hires one for a salary less than his, he can claim the pickings were slim.)
After reading Swing Your Sword I’m sold on Mike Leach. But he’s not going to wait forever.
It is possible
It happens all the time in college football
My concern about an interim coach is . . .
being Lavinized again by the cheap buzzards at Morgan Center.
Won't happen.
We’re talking about 1-2 games here.
by Kenneth Powers on Nov 27, 2011 12:51 PM PST up reply actions
New coach has alot to rebuild...
From the fan base all the way up to the Morgan center and how it currently runs its athletic department. Whoever the new coach is will have to change the whole culture which will alienate alot of the mediocre staff. We need a different type of coach who will not be afraid to step on any toes.
I think I have it worked out
Chianti Dan was waiting for the Zooker to become available – now we can get an SEC/Big10 coach on the cheap!!!!1
it's telling
That Illinois (also a good public school) has no problem firing their coach after a late season collapse, but we’ll just continue treading water
Howard Hughes said that every man has his price. Petersen is no different. and...
1. Chance to play in the BCS title game. 2. Play all games in the most storied arena in college FB and now getting an upgrade. 3. UCLA is a legendary school with 100+ champ. 4. LA is 2nd biggest media market. 5. Gratifying to turn a program around.
He wants to be respectful to Neuheisel
and let him coach out the year as promised. He also knows (as ridiculous as it is) the team is one win away from going to the Rose Bowl, and figures the team’s best shot is with the coach they’ve had for 4 years rather than 4 days. Probably not what anyone wants to hear, but that’s the answer to the question.
The moment we hire a new head coach
Recruiting will get a boost.
Perception of our program will go from pity to promise.
We will begin to talk about the talent in our coffers as it could be.
…Makes me all warm inside
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