Mora's Scorching Start to UCLA Staff Buildup Continues: Reels in Mazzone, Keeps Tuiasosopo
by Nestor on Dec 14, 2011 1:45 PM PST
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You guys are already on top of this in the fanshots but it is frontpage worthy news. Jim Mora continues to build a very impressive staff at UCLA at a lightning pace. The latest addition is offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone from Arizona State, who reportedly accepted the job today (@DevilsDigest). There is also news breaking out of Seattle that Mora is going to retain current QB coach Marques Tuiasosopo as our TE coach. Good.
Bruce Feldman of CBS didn't waste any time in praising the Mazzone move:
Jim Mora made another good hire at UCLA w ASU OC Noel Mazzone. Offense wasn't the issue for SunDevils. He's worked hard to stay sharp.
Mazzone has been with ASU since 2010. He jump started an offense that scored 33.9 points per game, which ranked 25th in the nation, and was 11th in the country in passing yards last season. We have been high on him for a while as noted by AHMB in his assistant list couple of days ago. Mazzone was on top of that list.
The Mazzone to UCLA move has been rumored for a while and it's a good bet that Mazzone was holding on to see if he had a chance to get the ASU head coaching position. He immediately jumped after news came out of Todd Graham taking over at ASU (sidenote check out how Graham notified his players at Pitt, yikes).
The SBN bloggers at House of Sparky have been big fans of Mazzone as well as they recently pleaded their school administration "give him a substantive raise that reflects the significant offensive improvement" he brought to ASU. Now that's a pretty glowing endorsement.
There are also other interesting angles to this Mazzone hire.
Guys like Adrian Klemm, Steve Broussard and Demetrice Martin are great recruiters. Mazzone is going to fit in this staff with a track record of one of the best schemer in the game. There is also another interesting nugget from Mazzone's experience that stands out. He coached for one year at Ole Miss under current Southern Cal assistant Ed Ogreron in 2005. IIRC Ogreron fired him after year. So there could be interesting dynamic between Mazzone and Ogreron. It sure was fun to watch ASU offense tear apart the SC defense this past year in Tempe.
Of course being Bruin fans and the experience we have had in recent years through hiring of offensive "genius" we have to contain our excitement a bit. Still on paper the move is a huge plus for Mora and will complement his defensive mindset.
Going back to the Tui news, I think it is a solid move on the part of Mora. From all reports Tui has emerged as a great mentor for Brett Hundley and our other QBs. He will continue to grow into his role as a full time assistant and I am kind of intrigued to see if we see any difference in our QB's performances during the bowl game.
So here is how our new coaching shapes up so far on offense:
- OC: Noel Mazzone
- OL Coach: Adrian Klem
- RB Coach: Steve Broussard
- TE Coach: Marques Tuiasosopo
- WR Coach: ?
On the defensive side:
- DC: ?
- LB: ?
- DL: ?
- DB: Demetrice Martin
Mora will also have to think about addressing positions for S&C and special teams. Those two areas have been ... uh ... well ... "special" causes for concern in recent years at UCLA. Should be very interesting to see how Mora fills rest of the staff out. No question he is off to a solid start.
GO BRUINS.
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maybe we put S&C and Special Teams coach on that list as well? Or are we at our limit in terms of number of coaches with your list there?
The DC could aslo be a position coach
So that would leave a spot for Special Teams. And S&C doesnt count towards the 9 coaches.
More likley QB for him
Or do you mean both?
Aah -- never mind
You guys are right. He will probably double as OC/QB coach. I was thinking of Broussard who was the receivers coach at ASU. Perhaps Broussard can be both RB/WR coach. Not sure how this will shake out.
RBs and WRs have such a related role in Mazzone's system
That it wouldn’t surprise me to combine both.
Mora has made comments
about a HC’s job being that of game manager which gave me the impression that he wouldn’t be prone to dual HC/coodinator duties.
I tend to agree, need a full time DC at this level.
Mora just needs to keep all the BS in check, like DG.
Mike Linn does not impress me as S&C coach
When we were nationally prominent in ‘98, our S&C coach was Auburn’s current S&C coach, Kevin Yoxall. LSU’s S&C coach deserves recognition too – their D is absolutely ludicrous. Special Teams…there’s no way Angus McClure, a guy who was sitting in an office just before the past season, deserves another shot.
Dump Dan!
by bruinclassof10 on Dec 15, 2011 12:09 AM PST up reply actions
So Graham fired his team by text?
Wow. Not cool.
Mazzone looks like a great call. Give Mora credit for surrounding himself with some talented coaches so far.
With his defensive background, it will be interesting to see what he does at DC.
greg in denver, U.C.L.A. guy for life - BruinsNation.com
Meh
I’m just glad ASU didn’t get a better coach. Graham might do well, but now he has to re-hire a whole new offensive staff (and who wants to work for a mercenary), and he isn’t familiar with the west, so he won’t exactly strike fear into the division.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
Please, Pop, please. I'm begging you. Don't say 'Hate on." It's a meaningless phrase.
I will grant you that it might mean something in elementary schools, but not here. Not in a blog that has more than a couple of college grads participating.
I don’t think it’s just geezerness talking here. It really sounds like profanity to me.
How do you feel about the "swag" and "ball so hard"?
Legitimate concerns
Dump Dan!
by bruinclassof10 on Dec 15, 2011 12:15 AM PST up reply actions
I don't mind "swag" - it's a nice acronym.
“Ball so hard” sounds like a telegram or George of Jungle. The concept of speaking “hip” or “cool” comes off, at least to me, simply as banal.
Agree about banal slang but Terrell Suggs is apparently an alumni of Ball So Hard U
We better watch out for this BSHU. That sh— cray!
Dump Dan!
by bruinclassof10 on Dec 15, 2011 9:23 AM PST up reply actions
I am curious too
What I would really like, is for one of these coaches, whoever it is, to be a hard ass. It could be Mora, where you’d have the Ben Howland / Kerry Keating dynamic. But I think you need to have that, especially at UCLA…where distractions abound.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
Mazzone and the Spread
I’m glad to hear that Mazzone has extensive years of experience running the Spread, and is bringing that to UCLA. I hope CJM trusts him enough to let him run his own system, and not implement a system that is completely foreign to both of them (RIP Pistol).
When you write it like that
it sounds so completely crazy…yet that’s exactly what happened…
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
Yep
It sounds like the new guy is trying an approach we haven’t seen in a long time. He’s hiring good assistants, and it looks like he’s not going to impose a system that won’t work because it works perfectly in theory.
I’ll bet Chianti Dan feels like he’s being socked right in the stomach on every one of these hires. I can see it now. "Memo to the football coach: Hey – do you think we’re made out of money around here? What the heck do you think you’re doing? Let’s remember that no football coach should make more than a teaching assistant in the Esoteric Languages Department. I certainly don’t want to hear anything about hiring even more coaches, either. Ben Howland doesn’t have all that many assistants, so quit clowning around. PS: Don’t forget the Chianti Hour starting around 3:00. (It’s BYOC – we’re not made out of money.)
Sounds like DG has faded from site today.....
….everyone is so excited about these hires that they have lifted the pressure to oust DG. Way fewer calls to the Chancellors office today.
Maybe DG is right….given time…Bruins forget and he will stay in place. Funny how that doesn’t happen at Alabama, LSU, etc.
That's when Chianti Dan is the most dangerous
like a dormant parasite.
Dump Dan!
by bruinclassof10 on Dec 15, 2011 12:16 AM PST up reply actions
Just heard Jim Mora Jr. interviewed on Dan Patrick stream.
To me, he sounds like that guy you meet at the party who is trying way too hard to get you to like him. Obviously, I have no idea whether he will succeed in his role, but nothing I heard gives me any sense of confidence. I hear glib, I don’t hear seriousness or attention to detail.
That's all radio appearances are when you won't coach your first game for 10 months
the details that matter are the 5 assistant coaching hires so far.
So he's the kind of guy who would (arguably, maybe, probably not really but still)
Take out a whole front-page ad in the LA Times declaring that his football team is better than SUC’s?
surprise, surprise
I’m guessing that Mora’s comment of ‘not making any outlandish promises’ was less of a slight against Neuheisel than a warning to the idiotic Moron Center and their “marketing” efforts.
LOL
A decade of crappy football will make anyone cynical.
I think it’s good to go into the season with some skepticism, but it shouldn’t be based on radio interviews like this, they’re useless.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
True, it just feels like he's a retread...
I’m glad that those who know more than me feel good about the moves he’s been making. I’m still hung up by his lack of college experience and his poor track record, and just a subjective sense that he doesn’t feel like the right guy to me.
Given that he's already here
the best thing he can do is surround himself with people who know the game.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
Another interesting angle: Mazzone also "markets" his offense to HS teams via his website.
The homepage provides congratulations to HS playoff teams that use his “NZone” offensive system, including Wilson (Long Beach) and Dorsey.
I’m assuming what he gives to the high school is a watered-down version of his college-level playbook and not something that opposing scouts can use against him. In any event, sounds like Mazzone is a guy who (a) flat-out loves to and knows how to coach offense, (b) knows how to coach offense to young players in ways that they will understand, and © has his scheme-drawing fingers in high schools everywhere from Long Beach to Texas to Michigan to Arizona to Montana to Georgia. That’s bound to help us in recruiting both here in the LA area and out-of-state.
If hot-shots already have a familiarity with his style and philosophies and terminology, that could help build a strong foundation of talent year-in and year-out. At worst, we may finally have someone with a proven, confident offensive scheme that will help us focus in on exactly the kind of recruits we need and want to have over the course of several years.
M
"It's not who you are underneath. It's what you DO that defines you."
Looks like Mora's doing good
I like that he’s building HIS staff, not going with the Neuheisel approach of semi-reluctantly sticking with the guys that the higher-ups wanted (see: DeWayne and Norm in ‘08). So far so good…we’ve just got to see if he can produce solid recruiting results ala Rick, and be a much better in-game coach.
IIRC...
…Walker was forced on Rick by guerrero and there is some speculation that the same can be said for Chow…
Can't blame Rick for getting Chow
Nobody thought that was a bad hire at the time. The only aspect that caused some questions was that he also interviewed for the HC job. But the Chow for OC hire was thought to be a homerun hire. Little did we know the guy had lost it.
Go Bruins!
Well, not everyone - I thought Chow was the wrong hire at the time
I hated to see a former Trojan on the staff.
I saw the four letters C H O W and forgot to look at the small print
Worked with Cheatie Petie, and thus culpable in the cheating.
I was surely asleep at the switch on that, and it doesn’t make me feel better that there were a lot of others in the same condition. We should have conducted a “NotNowChow” as we did for “VetoSeto.”
According to many Mora hire wasn't so good... BUT...
There was quite a few analyst out there that actually said that Mora hire didn’t look so good but to wait and see who he hired to help him with recruiting and scheming on offense and defense… I think we are getting good news fast… Now if they can develop the players we currently have anything less than AT LEAST 7 wins would be underachieving!
Aaah ... 7 wins is a pretty low bar with easy schedule we have next year
You can count on the baseline expectation to be at least around 9 wins and win against Southern Cal.
It will be very interesting to be sure...
With the coaching changes at UofA,ASU,WSU…loss of important assistants at Washington…and of course at UCLA will be at square one; the landscape is shifting as we speak. Barkley will most likely be going pro. Luck will be gone…
The south should or could be wide open. UCLA just may have the most experience at the QB position next year??? Too many variables to figure out how many wins for me!
by GogetemBruins on Dec 14, 2011 2:51 PM PST up reply actions
I'm not as certain as so many others that Barkley is automatically going pro.
There are too many reasons for Cheatey’s boy toy to stay at $UC. He might be one of the top 10 overall prospects for this year, but he is obviously behind Luck in the draft projections, and very well might be behind Griffin III. There aren’t that many teams picking in the top 10 that desperately need a QB. His family is already wealthy, so money isn’t the biggest issue for him. Those Ronald McDonalds across town believe they could win a title next year with him under center. And finally, for better or worse, he does love his community college university.
He might still go, but I don’t think it’s such a foregone conclusion yet.
I am not so concerned about Barkley but Robert Wood and Marquise Lee have the ability to make any QB look like a stud.
When you have all day to throw
that tends to happen. Those guys are good, but the QB has to throw them the ball too.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
Barkley is stupid if he doesn't go pro
Staying didn’t help Leinart, Luck or Locker (strange writing out such alliterative names for Pac-10 QBs) and probably cost Locker somewhere around $30 million.
Barkley is stupid...
He’s next in the long line of talented qb’s who lacked the intelligence to succeed in the complicated, ultra-quick, political NFL (not a coincidence there are several sucsters on that list)…
Luck can be the next Manning
Barkley can be the…guy taken after Manning
Dump Dan!
by bruinclassof10 on Dec 15, 2011 12:11 AM PST up reply actions
How about Todd Blackedge - the QB the Chiefs drafted (I rooted for the Chiefs at the time)
The next team after the Chiefs was Miami, which drafted Dan Marino.
I really dislike Barkley as a person and I have since high school and I'd prefer him to fail in the league.
But he is far from “stupid”. That’s just false.
"I have one word for you...Be careful."
-Jose Guillen
No, not stupid
he’s just a jerk with extremely poor sportsmanship who’s probably never had to fight for anything in his life. I’d love for Akeem to nail him (legally) once he’s in the league. I don’t forget much.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
or he wants to play in the Rose Bowl before he goes pro
Don’t forget that he hasn’t had a chance to play in a bowl game the last 2 years. That’s a big deal to some people and as said, his family is already wealthy. To be perfectly honest, if I was in his position I would stay
by bucknellbruin on Dec 14, 2011 6:31 PM PST up reply actions
Lame has gone the anti-Cheatie Petie route
He has already said the Barkley has nothing left to do or learn or prove in college, and he should go into the draft.
The way I read that statement is that someone told Lame that he was right at the salary cap, and they needed to free up some bucks for incoming freshmen.
AT LEAST 7... anything less would not be exceptible...
But I will gladly take 8+ wins! With the QBs that are staying and the talent that we have already Rick or any coach would need 7+ wins to not be fired!
You need to look at the schedule
Even Rick would get to 8 wins next year.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
Now come on, Tasser.
Let’s not go overboard. Remember that Coach Neuheisel would have retained Tresey, which means that we would have to score about 45 a game, and that ain’t all that easy.
He won 6 games this year
with Tresey and a tougher schedule…
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
I completely understand the magnitude of the SC game every year
And want to beat them more then anything. But if we were to win 9 games but lose to Southern Cal (especially if Barkley, Kalil, McDonald come back) would that be considered an unsuccessful year? Obviously too early to get really into the whole schedule and really dive into it. But I think under a new staff and winning 9 games it would appear to be a successful year on the surface.
by themichael21 on Dec 14, 2011 2:54 PM PST up reply actions
We will have lot more on this
But our hardcore expectation will be to beat Southern Cal. This is not negotiable and given the talent we will have returning in this team, we will expect 9 wins.
Fair Enough
With next year’s game at the Rose Bowl it should give us an extra advantage against SC. And thankfully we get 2 of our 3 OOC games at home with the away game being at Rice. I think Nebraska in week 2 could have serious implications for the team’s direction for the year
by themichael21 on Dec 14, 2011 2:59 PM PST up reply actions
We have the easiest schedule in recent memory
We have one OOC road game against Rice. Houston comes to the Rose Bowl without Keenum.
We get Southern Cal and Luckless Stanford at home. No Oregon and no Washington on the regular season schedule.
This is all set up for Mora to make a big run. Anything less will be a massive disappointment. A 7 win season will be seen as a huge fail.
Definitely Agree With You
Rice should be a 3 score win. (Normally would be more but first game with new staff I’ll give it a little room for error)
Houston with no Keenum and new coaching staff should be atleast 2 TDs
Nebraska will be a tough game as it will really test our physicality and who we are as a team.
SC without Barkley NEEDS to be a win. If he returns then we SHOULD still win but get ready for a dog fight.
Stanford could be a trap game depending on schedule because they are real physical and if we get them on a short week (possible Thursday ESPN game) it would be trouble but I expect a win regardless.
7 wins would be a total disappointment, 8 wins is below expectations but not bad, 9 wins would be a good job, 9 with SC win or 10+ is let’s throw a Mora parade
by themichael21 on Dec 14, 2011 3:22 PM PST up reply actions
Yep
I should add we will most likely do eye tests through next season as well. I said 9 wins above. But if we win 8 games including beating SC during reg season playing our assess off in every game I won’t be too upset. We will know improvement when we see it and will do everything to be fair. For now though general baseline expectation is 9 wins and beating SC.
by Nestor on Dec 14, 2011 3:30 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
People have to consider: not winning the south with 10 wins next year
Means likely never doing so. We’ll have more talent than every team we play next year, except possibly USC, which is a must-win in any case.
That being the case…how can we expect anything less than 10 wins?
Correct
I thought I was being generous with 9 wins.
by Nestor on Dec 14, 2011 3:36 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
If we don't win 10 games, it will doom the new guy
because we all know (and Chianti Dan knows, too) that there were dozens of other coaches available who could have taken our guys and our schedule and come out with 10 wins.
I expected zero wins in 2011, and was shocked when we won as many as we did. I expect ten wins next year.
Those dozens of other guys would not have picked Tressey as DC
Curious to see who Mora brings along. After a decade of Bullough/Tressey (yes, those 3 years felt like a decade), I’m sure the new DC will look great in comparison. Knocking on wood
Dump Dan!
by bruinclassof10 on Dec 15, 2011 12:18 AM PST up reply actions
I would not call it a failure to lose to SC respectively...
hard fought games is what I want so to clarify 7+ wins and NO BLOW OUT LOSSES no matter who we beat or lose too…
Sorry
We are not in moral victories against Trojans here on BN. Losing to SC on our home turf will be a fail.
No doubt beating them consistanly is the goal...
we would be on a National Stage every year then… we have to close the gap being at home doesn’t do that… we need to beat them in the Recruiting trail… but there is no doubt in my mind that we can beat them next year!
Agree
At home we’ve got to hold serve against those SCumbags.
Los Angeles Rams and the UCLA Bruins!!!!!
by Minnesota Bruinfan on Dec 15, 2011 4:36 AM PST up reply actions
Do you mean respectably?
Yeah, sorry, no moral victories for us, thank you very much.
Geez, already giving up. Unbelievable.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
There is no excuse for ever losing to the Trojans
I remember in the 80s, 90s, beating USC was the top priority. That seemed to fade in the past decade. If I had a choice between two outcomes next year (for imagination sake let’s say it’s a mediocre year): a 0.5 season with a blowout win over USC, or a season ranked in the top 10 but losing to USC.. I’d rather take the season where will destroy the Trojans. The rivalry is very important and losing sight of that importance is what causes the team to lose that fire.
It never faded as a priority
However, I think a lot of us disagree with the Donahue philosophy that you can have a “successful” season if you go 6-5/6-6 beating SC.
Other than Dorrel’s fluke year of 2005 we haven’t had a 9 win season since 1998. I’m all for aiming high but based off everything we know about this team right now, isn’t that a bit high of a “baseline” expectation? 9 wins seems more like an optimistic scenario to me
Nope
We haven’t had the kind of talent in our team thanks to Neuheisel’s recruiting in years. 9 wins is actually a very reasonable baseline. As mentioned we will lay out our argument in detail throughout the offseason on why they are reasonable goals and why Mora will need to hit that mark.
by Nestor on Dec 14, 2011 3:19 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Go. Look. At. The. Schedule.
Like I said, even Rick got to 6 wins this year.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
Here, I'll make it easy for you
Home games: Nebraska, Houston, Arizona, Oregon State, Stanford, USC, Utah
Away games: Rice, Arizona State, California, Colorado, Washington State
That’s right, 7 home games. Even Rick only lost to Texas at home.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
Realistically
we shouldn’t lose to anybody in the Pac-12 South. That alone is 5 wins…add in wins against a UH without Keenum and Sumlin & Rice and you have 7 wins. Then take into account WSU & OSU and we can see 9 wins. If you’d like, it’s possible to see a couple of wins and losses switching such as maybe a loss to utah and a win against Cal.
But honestly, consider the fact that Furd is losing Luck and $C hopefully loses Barkley and this thing is really wide open. The talent is there and expectations need to be high and reasonable which I believe a 9 win season would be.
Go Bruins!
Wazzu is now our toughest road game
by Nestor on Dec 14, 2011 3:31 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Yup
Although our string of sh!tty outings at Cal need to be broken as well. Still, it’s a very winnable game.
Go Bruins!
Looking at that schedule, I think we ought to be undefeated when we play the Ducks in the Championship Game.
That’s not really an American League East schedule.
Should have been an easy 7 too
Given the whole Arizona debacle. Instead, it turned into ours. And that 7 is the same number people want to use to baseline Mora? Give me a break.
Not popular, but...
I’d be content with a 5-7 season, if it is the by-product of Mora benching any and all:
-returners who continually f— up with false starts, stupid late hits or celebrations, or other acts of football inanity
—returners who want a return to the “over the wall” days
—selfish malcontents or half-hearted workers we’ve heard rumors of
If Mora puts on the field a team who is young, hungry, and plays like their hair’s on fire to get guys to play his way, I’d be OK with a less-than-stellar record.
Give me bad-ass, or GTFO. I hope that’s Mora’s mantra. Sometimes you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but you can teach the young pups who know no other way.
+1 but ...
… if they play like that, nine wins is very doable.
I'll preface this by saying I don't pretend to understand all the implications of what is involved with current coaching hires.
I do understand that we’re all pretty happy about who is coming in. Two of them are from Arizona State, and I understand the new OC had great numbers in his offense. I guess what I don’t understand is, ASU dropped off a cliff at the end of the year with a very tall quarterback, so what was the issue over there that will not be transferable to UCLA. This isn’t a challenge. I really don’t know. Any help would be appreciated. thanks
ASUs Offense - Lost becuase of their Defense - Averaged 34 points a Game
In 11 games only one game they scored less than 27 points.
The defense killed their team.
Death to the Pistol ! Welcome aboard Mazzone
Tressel?
Is the Tressel rumor dead?
I was worried Mora was a beard for him.
Fortunately, looks like no room for him now.
sjh
IF he was ever on campus
Isn’t he helping Akron hire a new coach? Maybe he was there to talk to Mike Johnson. Although he probably never was nor did he meet with DG.
Credit to BN
After going through some of the darkest weeks in UCLA history, BN shows its integrity in separating those issues with which it has beefs from being supportive Bruins.
Few of us wanted Mora, and the proof will be in the performance pudding, but BN’s integrity shines brightly in citing the positives that we’ve seen thus far. I don’t think there’s a person here who wouldn’t love to see Mora succeed wildly.
Now, as for Dan…
It goes for everyone
Anyone who would ever claim that people here wish for the team to fail is full of manure.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
+1
Been traveling for business and out of the news for a few days. So nice to see GOOD news around UCLA sports. And so good to see BN highlighting that good news.
Clearly we need change at the top but hopefully to hire that on paper did not look good will work out for the team.
by Bruin Dad and Grad on Dec 14, 2011 7:34 PM PST up reply actions
So far, so good
The biggest question about JLM was his ability to recruit. Second biggest question is what type of offensive staff would a D oriented coach would put together.
Mora has answered both of those questions within 48 hours of being on campus
He’s brought in three great recruiter (1 recruiter of the year non-AQ). He’s also gotten his OC which will run a spread offense and which most west coast kids are familiar with since he’s coming from ASU.
Now he can have his staff out recruiting kids we previously didn’t have a shot with. It also allows the new guys to have answers for these recruits. Now they can let guys know what style of offense we’ll run. Mora can answer questions about his defensive philosophy which allows him to take a some time to put together his D staff if he needs to.
I like the moves he’s made so far. Now we just need to keep up the pressure on Chianti Dan. We still need to make sure CJM has all the tools necessary such as new/upgraded facilities, money for assistants and complete controll over entire staff. There better be no hint of Dan pushing any old staff members on CJM.
Go Bruins!
If Coach Mora could squeeze $2.5M@ out of Guerrero, he should also have gotten a commitment to pick his own staff.
Maybe Guerrero realizes now that selecting a head coach’s staff for him is the kiss of death. Especially for someone who doesn’t know anything about football. On second thought, it’s Donut Dan . . .
by BrendonBruin on Dec 14, 2011 3:36 PM PST up reply actions
What do you all thing about Brett Huntdley's chances
of starting under Mazzone? I would think they just got better.
I think the starting qb battle is going to be bw
Brehaut and Hundley. I have a feeling about Bre in Mazzone’s offense. Could be fun.
by Nestor on Dec 14, 2011 3:52 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Yep.
I also think that Mazzone isn’t the type of coach that doesn’t adjust to personnel. I expect to see a lot of Fauria (who?) next year.
Barr
I wonder how he will be used. I think an H-Back type role is good but I don’t know if that’s in his offense. Randall Carroll needs to move back to O.
Carroll is a playmaker.
The kid just needs the ball in his hands.
That’s who I have earmarked as the player making the Fauria-type jump next season. No matter what side of the ball he is on.
You can’t coach speed. He has been the most poorly handled player on this roster, IMO. Outside of MAYBE Brehaut or Malcom Jones.
"I have one word for you...Be careful."
-Jose Guillen
I just think
speed is overrated. Everyone thinks that anyone that has speed can become a playmaker. Yeah he can outrun angles and etc if you put him position to do so. But he’s a one trick pony. He doesn’t make people miss and he doesn’t break tackles and he isn’t playmaker with the ball in the air, and he’s a small target.
How can you make that assessment?
I guarantee that he’s been targeted under 50 times in his CAREER at UCLA.
All I can recall this season is Prince (and RB once) under-throwing him a couple of times on fades where he had the corner burnt. No swing passes, no screens, no quick slants. How is the kid supposed to make people miss without the ball?
I’m not saying the kid is Robert Woods or Justin Blackmon. But he’s been monstrously underutilized at UCLA. And I personally see him thriving in an ASU style offense.
The WR (and former F-back) core next year (pending recruits):
Anthony Barr
Jordon James
Damian Thigpen
Shaq Evans
Devin Lucien
Randall Carroll
Ricky Marvray
Jerry Johnson
Jerry Rice Jr.
and Joe Fauria back at TE
That’s a ton of talent but Carroll is the burner there. Only obvious deep threat, maybe Lucien. He’ll get his chances.
"I have one word for you...Be careful."
-Jose Guillen
Jordon James
will thrive in the Mazzone offense. Callin it now
Dump Dan!
by bruinclassof10 on Dec 15, 2011 12:13 AM PST up reply actions
The Exectation of 9 Wins
Is reasonable in the context of the schedule and returning talent.
I truly hope Mora can meet those expectations. And, I appreciate the fast start he is trying to make. If he lands a solid DC with lots of college experience, one who does not have to learn how to D Oregon or WSU, we should be very strong.
our expectations should not be lowered just because dg did not make a Tier 1 hire.
I would have exected no lesss from Leach, Meyer, Rodrieguez or Petersen.
sjh
I will say,
the ONLY thing Mora has done since being hired that I don’t like is when he stated that he’s looking forward to learning how to defend those offenses. And even then, that was a poor reflection on what went into the interview process – I do at least appreciate his enthusiasm (poor wording aside).
I think Mora reads BN
I could’ve sworn this dude was going to go after coaches in the pros, which would’ve been disastrous. No college experience in 27 years and he’s gone after guys like Klem and Mazzone? Good shizz.
I have the Sons of Westwood on my iPod in my "favorites" playlist ...
http://sonsofwestwood.wordpress.com
That's absolutely true, Ty.
The new guy may never have done anything in college in 27 years, but neither has Chianti Dan.
I wonder where Mora is getting his advice from...
in hiring these stellar coaches. He’s obviously not using the same person/thinking that Chianti Dan used to hire him. Polar opposites in fact.
I was wondering the same thing.
It sounds like he had been thinking about it for some time prior to the official announcement. To be able to jump on things so quickly…..
Been a Bruin since birth
The most Important hire is yet go come.
DC. He has to be the toughest S.O.B. to turn our soft image into nails.
agreed
A good defense leads to a much better offense.
Go Bruins
by nkbruin on Dec 14, 2011 4:36 PM PST via iPhone app up reply actions
JMJr is a Defensive guy...
…no worries there…i am more interested in how the O will be next year………M is a passer OC…
I agree with bruindog.
I’m a defense lawyer, and I hung out with defense lawyers when I was in LA. I went to conventions and hung out with defense lawyers. I got stuff published in defense magazines. My roladex was all defense lawyers (and experts.) My guess is that the new guy has a ton of defense-oriented guys on his speed-dial. I’m not worried about that.
In fact, I have to say that I’m impressed by what I see so far. I might just start calling him by name rather than “the new guy.”
couldnt agree more Fox 71...
…every coach has a niche….he has his and he need sto build around it…if you heard JMJr today on PMS, he is excited about playing against the offenses in the PAC………i know where his focus is…..
That is what I am waiting for to pass real judgement on Mora.
If he gets a DC that passes my eye test, I’m moving to cautious optimism about the direction Mora is heading.
2nd most important one is a LB coach who knows what he’s doing. That was the absolute worst group of players on the team last season. Needs to be addressed.
"I have one word for you...Be careful."
-Jose Guillen
Mora Interview Replay
There is an interview with Mike Leach on the same page.
by VenturaHwy73 on Dec 14, 2011 6:40 PM PST up reply actions
It Was A Good Interview
I still don’t like the hire, to say nothing of the AD that made the hire, but I liked what Mora had to say on PMS. My favorite part (paraphrasing) was when he talked about putting our talent in positions to be successful and taking advantage of match-ups. These are not really novel concepts, but they have been sadly lacking under the past 2 coaching staffs.
My take on this interview, based on things he actually said.
He knows absolutely nothing about recruiting, or coaching college football. He has a lot of cliches at his disposal, and he makes no promises. That’s good, because I gravely question whether he is going to be able to deliver.
Mora definitely did his homework...
What I wonder is did he really just start calling these guys this week?
How floored would you be if by Friday Mora announced M. Diaz? (or someone of that stature)
I would cry and send Mora a box of his favorite chocolates.
Ok, I actually wouldn’t do that. But I would be ecstatic.
Practice Field
10 months until football gets underway. Drake Stadium should be resodded and made the football practice field.
Uh, no.
I suspect this is tongue in cheek, but still…. Just in case, I will smack your ass down. Politely, I hope.
Here goes the polite version:
Uh, no. The track teams and soccer teams? — Champions Made There. NCAA Champions. Take a walk through the Hall Of Fame sometime. No lie! You’ll see that I’m not making it up. Most of all though, do not disrespect Ducky Drake in this way. Rafer’s and CK’s coach. Longtime trainer. Etc. Legendary stuff. Home of Jim Bush’s teams. Larsen’s two NCAA titles in ’87 and ’88 (I was on one of those teams). World records have been set there. You want to put sod on OUR sacred ground?
Uh, no.
Find your own space. ’K?
Gotta say, that’s as polite as I can make it.
vn
He could reply.....
……track and soccer are non-revenue sports funded by football and ball.
If they wanted to build an on campus stadium over drake – be tough to argue against.
Yeah that's the usual reply
Unfortunately for those that think like that, to be in the FBS a school must field a minimum number of sports. So those that think like that need to get over it already. How did UCLA get those 100 championships were all so proud of? Non-revenue sports and basketball.
The IM field is plenty large enough for a full-sized practice field.
And as for a football stadium on campus, why? It would really suck. Kiss tailgating goodbye. My friend is a Texas grad. Their stadium is on campus. No tailgating — no room! He was awestruck by what we enjoy at the Rose Bowl.
Sorry vn
but that kind of argument didn’t save my rowing team, or the gymnastics team, or the swimming team.
At least, all they would lose is a track, to be moved somewhere else…instead of their status as a UCLA sport.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
Those teams were lost....
…. to Title 9. No?
Heard JMJr on PMS today...
Love the down to earth, outside view, unbiased opinion…..and kickin arse on the hiring…..not putting the cart in front of the horse, but i hope this pans out to be a successful offseason. I am pulling for you JMJr!!
It really appears that Mora was focused on getting a college job while he was working.
You can’t make such a wide variety of hires this quick without a very distinct gameplan in place and in-roads built with these coaches.
I need to see the defensive side of the ball be as impressive as the offense is at this point. Especially, the LB coach. That position was the greatest weakness of the team this season, outside of the coaching.
I’m moving from hopelessness to cautious optimism with every good coaching hire.
The procedure and process to get Mora was atrocious; and DG needs to be held accountable for all of his mistakes.
But I’m rooting for Mora to change his reputation.
"I have one word for you...Be careful."
-Jose Guillen
by IE Angel on Dec 14, 2011 8:17 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
Dayne Crist
Anyone know about what the deal is with Crist? I know he is transferring from Notre Dame and is looking at options. He never really lit it up in South Bend but he was a QB plagued by injuries, which in and of itself should make him an ideal QB candidate at UCLA, and I got the vibe that he and Brian Kelly just didn’t click for whatever reason. But the guy was a five star recruit coming out of high school and he has shown flashes of ability in his time as a starter. But the biggest benefit would be to give Hundley another year to develop which I think would be really beneficial for him.
Don't see it
With Crist having to sit out the 2012 season if he goes to another FBS school, that would put him in competition with Hundley in 2013, during H’s redshirt Sophomore year. I don’t know that a 3rd season on the bench would really be that beneficial for him compared to putting him under center and letting him play.
formerly bruinhoo
There's no point to chasing him.
There are already 2 senior QBs (Crissman and RB) on this roster who have yet to meet their full potential out of high school and Prince too. What good does it do to add another QB in that mold to the mix?
"I have one word for you...Be careful."
-Jose Guillen
He's probably looking at Kansas
He’d get to play for Weis…he’s the guy who recruited him to Notre Dame
Go Bruins!
I'm a Mazzone fan
Excited to see how our QBs play…the thing that stood out with ASU was how decisive the QBs looked in getting the ball out quickly. Osweiler came off the bench vs us in 2010 on the road at ASU and looked like a vet, their QBs looked coached well and knew where to go with the ball. I don’t think Brehaut or Prince have a distinct advantage over Hundley, w/coaching changes everyone basically goes back to being a freshman in terms of experience. They’ve basically had 3 different OCs the past 3 years (norm chow, bizzaro pistol norm chow, and mike johnson), so maybe it’s a good thing Hundley does not have that experience clouding his mind.
Mazzone’s got his packaged offense for sale online to HS coaches and lower levels, he’s also involved with the 1-back clinic, so you know hes put some thought into streamlining his offense into several base concepts to manipulate a defense, rather than just drawing up and running pistol plays from youtube clips of Nevada’s offense. He sells this stuff for money, so I’m assuming that he has experience installing it with many different teams, with different kinds of players and different strengths, with clients expecting immediate results with a system that is simple to install and teach kids.
Gene Chizk’s best move as HC was hiring Malzahn at Auburn, not predicting a national title but it’s an encouraging sign to see what appear to be good assistant coaching hires…these are the most important recruits. Still waiting on a DC, Mora may be a defensive guy but Neuheisel was a QB guy and we all know how that story ended
The way I see it
being a defensive guy, you can’t really mind-f&ck the defense, but being a QB guy, you can definitely do that to the one guy who needs to have mental clarity on the team…
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
Have you guys ever heard of "realistic expectations"?
I’m talking to all of you who expect to win 9-10 games and win the division in Mora’s first year. Let me clarify that I am a USC fan, so ban me now if you want, but I would like to see UCLA become good again because the rivalry is a lot more entertaining when it’s competitive. Let’s take a realistic look at what to expect from UCLA next season.
The first year under a new head coach usually isn’t that great. Carroll’s first season at USC: 6-6. Stoops’ first season at OU: 7-5. Gundy’s first season at Okie State: 4-7. Saban’s first seasons at LSU and Alabama: 8-4 and 7-6. Those programs were all mired in mediocrity in the first year of their respective coaches’ tenure. It’s very hard to reverse that in only one season. Building a program and reversing the years of fuckups from previous coaching staffs requires patience. First year head coaches that do really well are usually promoted from within and inherit a very good team (Chip Kelly, David Shaw). Mora isn’t an internal promotion and he isn’t inheriting Peyton Manning Andrew Luck.
As for the players, UCLA has the talent to win more than six games but it all depends on coaching. Talent hasn’t been a problem for the Bruins over the last decade – poor player development is the culprit, and that falls squarely on the coaching staff for not properly using players to their full potential and not motivating them. This is something that’s hard to predict, so we’ll see.
Some of you are really shortchanging the schedule. Sure, it’s nice to miss Oregon but you’re not exactly playing a Boise State schedule. Nebraska is no pushover, Leach and Rich Rod will both give any DC fits and you still have to play against teams that dismantled UCLA this season (Arizona, USC, Utah).
Sorry, but expecting a win against USC is a little delusional. If Barkley comes back, a UCLA win would be on par with the 2006 upset. If he doesn’t come back, it’s not like USC will be replacing him with a scarecrow. Can you remember the last USC QB who was bad? Even with Barkley gone, USC still returns Woods, Lee, McNeal and Telfer. Those guys combined for 505 rushing + receiving yards and six TDs against UCLA this year. Most of the defense that shut you out also returns. Don’t pencil in a UCLA win if Barkley leaves, it would still be a big upset. I understand high expectations and demanding a win in every game, but expecting a win over a team you have beat once in the last thirteen attempts is delusional, especially when said team returns most of its starters. Also, you don’t have much of a homefield advantage at the Rose Bowl against USC. 40% of the fans there are cheering for the Trojans.
Seven or eight regular season wins and no embarrassing losses would be a pretty good first season for Mora. UCLA has had ONE season this millennium with more than eight wins, and most of you acknowledge that as a fluke. I don’t see why any UCLA fan would expect nine or ten wins in Mora’s first year. That is crazy and it’s only setting you up to call for his head when he inevitably falls short of that mark. You can’t turn around a program in one year. Save the 9-10 win and division champion expectations for Mora’s second or third season.
Fight on!
EMAW!
You know, Shack, I think you're running scared.
There were none of these posts under our last two coaches. You guys didn’t come over here to gloat or to mock us. There was no need. Our football program mocked itself. Now, though, you show up, when we’re trying to get used to the fact that we made another substandard employment decision. We’re trying to get used to that, and to find something positive. In the past, you would just have let us alone, but here you are, explaining how great your team is and how we shouldn’t get our expectations out of whack.
How’s this for an expectation? I expect $c to cheat next year, just as you have cheated every year of my life, and just as you will cheat long after I’m gone. That’s my expectation. My expectation, and it’s realistic, is that if you didn’t cheat, and didn’t pay your players, you would have a mediocre team. But, as I said, my expectation is that you will continue to cheat. It’s like asking a dog not to bark. It’s what you do, and you do it well. It’s the face of your school. It’s what you’re known for. You do it well. You make the great liars of history look like amateurs.
Cheating by just$c*. That’s my realistic expectation. Would you like to debate that one?
Scared of a team that my team just beat 50-0?
Scared of a team that is 1-12 against my team over the last 13 meetings? Scared of a team that has hovered around .500 for the better part of a decade? Scared of a team that begged the NCAA for a bowl waiver…while they were still 6-6? Stop kidding yourself.
I came here to give you guys some perspective about the hire, because it is ridiculous for any fan of any team to expect a first year HC to start dominating right off the bat (unless he is promoted from within and inherits some talent). I sure as hell didn’t expect Kiffin to do all that well in his first season, and he didn’t. Carroll didn’t do it, Stoops didn’t do it, Gundy didn’t do it and Saban didn’t do it, yet a lot of you are expecting Mora to win 9-10 games in his first year. Did you expect the same of Dorrell or Neuheisel in their first season? Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither are college football programs. I don’t think I’m being unreasonable or biased to suggest that maybe you should hold off the high expectations until Mora’s second or third season. I really don’t think that’s gloating or mocking. Like I said in the subject line, it’s called realistic expectations.
There are times I genuinely want UCLA to hire a coach to resurrect your program, then I get the typical “Durr durr durr $C cheaters durr” mouthbreather response and it makes me hope you hire another Dorrell and sign Guerrero to an extension. That kind of trash talking just makes your team look worse – you’re reminding everyone that even with crippling sanctions at USC, your program is still 50 points inferior.
If you want to rationally, subjectively discuss the hiring of Mora we can do that. It’s a pretty big deal when another school in the conference hires a new coach, and I enjoy talking with their fans about it. If you want to talk about cheating and get into a pointless flame war, we can discuss all the players and tainted championships Papa Sam Gilbert bought for UCLA basketball.
Fight on!
EMAW!
The crippling sanctions havent kicked in yet......
….missing a bowl is one thing – losing scholarships over the next 3 years is another.
I honestly don’t care is $UC cheats or not. In the 90’s, they were a doormat for the Bruins and I will always have those fond memories. I hope that new generations of Bruins will be able to have similar experiences.
As for Mora – he will get a fair shake at UCLA. He has alumni support. That said – 6 or 7 wins will not cut it – even if one of them is beating $UC. The schedule next year is lighter than usual. People who bring up Leach and Rodriguez – who are great coaches – have to remind themselves that those coaches will not be tackling, throwing or running….
The more important task is ridding ourselves of Guerrero. You want him?
Fair enough about the sanctions not kicking in yet
The bowl ban has scared off some big recruits though, and the NCAA allowed free agency for upperclassmen, which contributed to the depth problems over the last couple years. You’re right that the worst has yet to come, but it’s not like USC has been unscathed.
I’ll be straight, Leach at UCLA would have scared me. I think he is going to challenge for North titles within three years, and I would like to eventually see what he can do at a program capable of consistently pulling in top 15 recruiting classes. Rich Rod at Arizona is a great hire. Michigan and the Big Ten was a terrible fit for him, but he should have more success in Tucson and in the Pac 12. I don’t think either of those teams will be dominant next season, but they won’t be in the cellar like they were this year.
I really think UCLA’s schedule is tougher than it seems. It’s not a meatgrinder, but it’s not a walk in the park either. Nebraska and USC will both be good teams. Stanford will have a dropoff, but they should still win nine games. I believe Utah is going to see vast improvement their first few years in the Pac 12 because they are now being dealt a BCS hand instead of a midmajor hand. The Pac 12 resources they have access to are much greater than what they got in the MWC, and that will pay off with improvements in their facilities and recruiting. Washington State is no longer a gimme. Colorado has to get better, they can’t get any worse. Same with Oregon State. I could see ASU and Cal going either way. Wouldn’t be surprised if one or both finally had a breakthrough year, wouldn’t be surprised if they crashed and burned. Oregon and USC look to be the clear cut favorites next season, and after that the Pac 12 looks like a clusterfuck.
You can keep Dan, we’re very satisfied with Haden.
Fight on!
EMAW!
Here's the thing, Shack
1. you say that we will have an adjustment period, but you don’t apply that logic to the Leach and RichRod teams. I do fear them, and wouldn’t take a win over them for granted. RichRod, for one, won’t have Nick Foles, or any QB that really matches his system. So, he’ll have a tough go in the first year. Leach I think could tear it up, he has his pick of QBs up there.
2. Utah will indeed be tough, but I like our chances at home.
3. ASU just lost almost all its coaching staff and got a guy who doesn’t exactly inspire loyalty. Their strength was their offense and they just lost all those coaches.
4. We have 7 home games. How’d that work out for you guys? Pretty nice, wasn’t it.
So, Coach Mora is set up to do pretty well his first season. And you should remember, our team last year had a whole new coaching staff, a staff pretty much inferior to the new one, and they still won 6 games with a tougher schedule…so I don’t think our expectations are too high.
Thanks for dropping by with some well thought out comments, it’s always refreshing to have fans of rival schools do that instead of the usual mindless trolling.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
I should've elaborated a bit more
I don’t expect Rich Rod or Leach to win 8+ games in their first season. However, Washington State or Arizona winning six games would be a big improvement for both schools, and I don’t think that is out of the question. I agree that WSU is much more likely than UA to have a good first year under the new head coach. The Cougars return all the parts needed to run Leach’s offense. Six wins would be good for those two schools but bad for UCLA. UA and WSU are in worse places than UCLA and it’s easier to go from awful to mediocre than mediocre to top 25, so they have higher first year ceilings.
I completely forgot that Arizona State hired a new coach. I do think that ASU is in for a tough year, but they’ve had a lot of the same problems as UCLA (underachieving talented players, poor coaching). If they find the right coach those problems can be fixed – in my opinion ASU is a sleeping giant. They’re most likely a five or six win team next year.
It’s nice to have seven home games, but you aren’t going to have much of a homefield advantage against Nebraska or USC. I’ve been to several of Nebraska’s away games, they really do take over the stadium. Nonetheless, that should help a team that struggled mightily on the road this season.
I do think UCLA’s new coaches are improvements over the old ones, but it all depends on who is hired as DC. I’m not really sure what to make of Mora. He has never been a college HC before and it doesn’t sound like he knows much about the teams and schemes he will be going up against in the Pac 12. I’ve heard a lot of comparisons to Carroll, and I see the reasoning behind them, but Carroll spent more than a decade as an assistant coach in the college ranks at places like Arkansas and Ohio State before he even went to the NFL. Mora has one year of grad assistant experience at Washington, so it will be interesting to see how he transitions to the college game.
Fight on!
EMAW!
The comparisons to Carroll are ludicrous
I don’t know why anyone brings it up. But at least, it looks like Mora has prepared himself for the college game for a while.
With just a decent defense, the team could have easily won 7 games, and perhaps 8 or 9, this year. I’m just hoping for “decent” next year, which will be way better than “absolutely horrible”.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
I will not argue that this hire wasn't insane...
….but Mora’s building a pretty good staff. And most importantly with him being an NFL guy, he isn’t injecting NFLAIDS into your offense by hiring a bunch of failed NFL coordinators like John Shoop, but is embracing guys who have had success at the college level. Cautious optimism.
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