CRN fired Bullough on December 18, 2010.  It is now February 9, 2011.  We have seen two coaches were supposedly hired (Shannon and Seto), one of which faded away (Shannon) while the other was turned away in dramatic fashion (Seto).  Signing day has come and gone, and spring practices are around the corner.  Where do we go from here.

RANDY SHANNON

Shannon is not out of the picture.  He has interviewed at Maryland, but there aren't many other options available at this time.  Of course, he also received a buyout from Miami, so he doesn't necessarily need to work.

The pros of this hire are simple; he has name recognition, high character, good recruiting skills, and DC experience.  The cons are also simple; he doesn't run the attacking defense CRN is presumably looking for and is cost prohibitive.  Shannon probably would not be leery of CRN's "hot seat" because he could easily find another job next year as well as potentially be a HC candidate should CRN's seat boil over.

MARK CARRIER

Unlike Shannon, Carrier has no DC experience but does presumably run a 3-4.  He has NFL pedigree, but I am somewhat tentative about handing over the defense to an inexperienced coordinator who would be changing the scheme.  Another problem I see with Carrier is that he would probably be a little more cautious about coming leaving a good NFL job for a job that might only last a year.

WILLIE MARTINEZ

Ok, I have not heard anybody mention him as a candidate.  He is my contribution to the mix.  He is currently DB coach at Oklahoma.  You can read his bio here.  He has DC experience, and ran a 4-3 at UGA.  His defenses were very good at first, but had fallen off some before he was let go.  Seeing how that has been the overall trend at UGA football with the rise of Alabama/Auburn, I don't hold it against him.  He has experience, doesn't make too much money at Oklahoma, and is a good recruiter.  On the other hand, he has a good job and might not be willing to come to UCLA at this point.

CHUCK CECIL

Why the hell not?  He was just let go as DC by the Tennessee Titans, hails from California, and has Pac ties having played at Arizona.  Here is his bio.  He doesn't have any coaching experience outside of Tennesee, but he is likely looking for a job and being a Pac DC is good for the resume.

Other than that, I'm not sure who else is available.  Jerry Gray would be a great candidate, but it looks like the Titans are targeting him as replacement for Cecil.  If anyone has candidates or further information, feel free to chime in.