Bruin Bites: Howland's Toast and Chianti Dan Must Go Edition
by Bellerophon on Jan 22, 2012 8:30 PM PST
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It's Sunday evening, which sadly means a return to work tomorrow, which be exacerbated by the Niners' heart-breaking loss to Eli Manning's Giants in OT (BTW, thanks for blowing it Kyle Williams). Fortunately, the return to work also means we're as far away from Ben Howland's dumpster fire brand of basketball as possible (at least for the time being), which, much like Rick Neuheisel's vespa clown show, is in its final death spiral.
Yes, Ben Howland is finished, but we'll have more on that later. For two years, major questions have been surrounding Howland since the wheels came off the program. We've discussed the various problems surrounding Howland, but while it's clear Howland is our Jeff Tedford for hoops (good, but not great coach, who can build excitement, but never get to the top), the real problem is our idiotic athletic director, Chianti Dan Guerrero, and the sleazy bureaucrats he's surrounding himself with at Morgan Center.
Howland needs to go at the end of this season. He's a good coach, but this is UCLA: we don't hang banners or pat ourselves on the back for Final Four appearances. That weak stuff is for joke programs like U$C. This is Wooden's program. This is where kids like Jordan Farmar walk into Pauley Pavilion and know that only titles get hung in the rafters. Howland simply isn't going to get us there.
But here's the problem: after watching Chianti Dan bungle not one, not two, but three football head coaching searches, there is zero evidence that Chianti Dan won't completely f**k up a coaching search for Ben Howland's replacement. Fortunately, there is a simple (and long overdue) solution:
Fire Dan Guerrero. Replace him with someone who can competently hire an elite basketball coach to take UCLA back to its rightful place at the top of the college basketball world.
Yes, that's right. Chianti Dan doesn't get kudos for lucking into Jim Mora, who so far has been knocking it out of the park on the recruiting trail, hitting all the right notes (although we should temper the enthusiasm until he actually wins games on the field). The body of Chianti Dan's work leaves all of us with zero confidence that he can competently hire a new basketball coach.
It's time for Howland to get the axe. And it's time for Chianti Dan to go with him.
With that, let's turn to bits and pieces of news from around the UCLA-iverse at the end of the weekend:
- Let's start with football, because I think Jon Gold is worth mentioning at the top of this weekend's edition of Bruin Bites. Gold has an absolutely pitch-perfect, on-the-money, [insert other catch-phrase here] article on the correlation between the decline of our offensive line and the decline of our program in general (HT 4everBruin). It's a really good read and really highlights what sets Gold apart from the other guys covering Los Angeles sports. It has the kind of depth and critical thinking you would never get from the morons at the Los Angeles Times sports section.
- Sticking with football, the big recruiting news (besides flipping Castro from Oregon) was Coach Mora landing the commitment of Sheldon High (Elk Grove) TE/DE Nate Iese, a very big get in Mora's first recruiting season. Iese's local newspaper, the Sacramento Bee profiled the promising young man this weekend, who talks about his desire to play either TE or DE for Mora, but ideally both.
- Speaking of recruiting, Mora is getting way ahead of the game, making a scholarship offer to 2014 running back Budda Baker, a 5'10", 165 pound sophomore from Belleveue, Washington. The offer to Baker, who fits Mazzone's system, is the first 2014 offer extended by UCLA.
- In case you've missed it, you can keep track of UCLA's recruiting class at the College Football Matrix's 2012 recruiting rankings. Per the guys at CFM, UCLA has been on the move since September 1, gaining 25 spots, to check in tied at #17 overall with Cal (and tied at #2 in the Pac-12, behind only Oregon).
- Speaking of Cal, the Golden Bears hired former Dorrell and Neuheisel era DL coach Todd Howard, in a solid downgrade from former DL coach Tosh Lupoi. Howard, a decent coach, who had some solid players, but often couldn't develop talent is also reportedly a decidedly average recruiter. I'm sure David Carter sends his regards. Like his new boss, Jeff Tedford, Howard is an okay coach who will never be great.
- Turning to basketball, former Bruin stud Kevin Love, fresh off his game-winning three-pointer to drop Blake Griffin's Clippers, is about to get paid in a major way, with reports floating of Minnesota offering anywhere between a four-year $60 million or the five-year $80 million max deal for the big man. The max deal would be similar to the five-year, $80 million max deal that Kevin's UCLA teammate, Russell "Flaming Mohawk Will Dunk on You" Westbrook just signed with Oklahoma City. Great to see these Bruins making a huge impact in the NBA. When you look back, with KL and RW on the roster, how did Howland not win a national title?! Pretty inexcusable.
- Turning away from sports, UCLA's tone-deaf administration is in the process of selling the Hannah Carter Japanese Garden in Bel-Air. Of course, despite public outcry against the move, and apparently not even bothering to consult with the Carter family. Gee, tone-deaf bureaucrats at Murphy Hall doing something incredibly stupid, where have we heard that before?
- Finally, University of California President Mark Yudof is seriously looking at a proposed alternative to tuition, floated by students at UC Riverside, that will basically required students to pay the university 5% of their wages for twenty years following their graduation in exchange for zero tuition while on campus. It's an interesting proposal, and something the system will have to consider in an era of increasing student costs due to declining state support. Obviously, it's be nice if the Legislature could get their act together, cut a lot of the BS that both parties like to pork-up, and get funding to UC, since it's been well-documented that UC actually generates more revenue than it costs in state support. But then again, smart people don't get elected to public office.
Alright folks, those are your Bruin Bites for the end of the weekend. Hopefully, it'll give you something to read as you try to find distraction after the Niners' season-ending loss. Fire away with your thoughts in the comment thread.
GO BRUINS
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If I could absolutely be 100% assured
that Chanti Dan will be fired and NOT allowed to even sniff the searching process for a new head coach, I am ok with relieving Howland of his duties. It’s tragic that it hasn’t worked out.
Unfortunately, I have about as much faith in Chancellor Block firing Chanti as I do in the clown AD himself. If it means Chanti would get one more chance, like he has failed in already, I would advocate keeping Howland one more year.
Bruin Football !
Now that we have a new program developing and a number of talented recuits; it is time to start improving the football practice facilities. UCLA has the worst facilities in the PAC-12 and poorer than many JC’s. If we want to continue to get talented players we need to have decent facilities.
That should be done regardless
but it gets easier with some winning…
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
Guerrero cannot fire Howland.
I’m not sold that Howland needs to be fired at all but I would certainly not trust Dan to fire him. I would rather stick with a coach that brought us to 3 Final Fours with than trust in our AD to hire someone to take us to the top.
If a new AD is hired and he chooses to fire Howland, I can stand by it.
But as it stands now, I will trust in Howland over Guerrero every day of the week and twice on Sundays.
Long live the Blue and Gold.
by 1991Bruin on Jan 22, 2012 9:31 PM PST via mobile reply actions
Please don't say that "Howland is toast"
You know how Dan is with doughnuts. If he thought there might be some cinnamon toast on premises, well, it wouldn’t be pretty.
We can't leave the state of our basketball program in the hands of Block
By saying that DG needs to go, or else BH should get to stay, we are putting our basketball program in the hands of somebody who, from all public action to date, doesn’t give a shit.
If DG doesn’t get the ax this year, and BH gets another year, and has a repeat of this year, or slight improvement where we might be a 9 seed in the NCAA’s, or even a better improvement where we win a weak conference, and get bounced in the round of 32 or 16, where are we? Just another year older, and no more hope for the future than this year.
And if DG doesn’t get the ax the year after that, and we go through this again with BH, then what?
We have a cancer- DG. We need a Dan-ectomy (removal of unwanted appendage from Morgan Center) STAT (to put this in terms Block can understand).
But until Block gives a shit or leaves, then we are probably stuck with DG. And at this point, how much worse could things get? Lose to Loyola Marymount? check. Lose to Middle Tennessee St? check. Lose every game to a D-1 opponent outside Southern California? check.
As distasteful as it is to endure another DG hiring, it is better than suffering through more years like the last few with BH, just because Block is sitting on his hands.
just got back from the niners game
Kyle Wiliams made Taylor Embree look like a sure-handed returner. Sad day.
by maccabita4life on Jan 22, 2012 10:23 PM PST reply actions
I really like that tuition proposal idea
It’s a creative approach to this growing problem. Perhaps it’d give students and faculty each the incentive to teach students what they need to find a job post-graduation. Very interesting…
by UCLA11 on Jan 22, 2012 10:50 PM PST via mobile reply actions
Japanese Gardens Similarities to Athletics
The LA Times is not the most reliable source. But if the article is correct, this shows exactly the problem we have been talking about.
Brad Erickson, executive director of campus service enterprises, supposedly said that UCLA will be selling all “surplus” properties which serve “no academic or research purpose.”
This is exactly the mindset that leads to the conclusion that athletics don’t matter. Erickson presumably reports to Block, and presumably has his blessing to dismantle the university, surplus property by surplus property.
I assume that Rieber, Dykstra, and Sproul are next on the chopping block, followed by the renovated Pauley Pavilion, Ackerman Student Union, and Drake Stadium.
Block and his minions don’t get that education is way more than what goes on within the confines of a classroom. It is also athletics, the arts, and yes, the Japanese Garden.
Block
As I have said, I doubt the guy even really cares about the UCLA community and understands the mindset of Bruin alums. He is turning out to be just as big of a disappointment as Al Carnesale.
I honestly think
It has to be someone who is not necessarily a former star athlete. I’d love to see someone in charge who can bring a background that reflects a good mix of academia (or with hefty academic credentials with a UCLA undergraduate background), business and political savvy. We need someone who will think outside the box but at the same time will be loyal to his or her blue and gold core. Someone like Charles Young (but with better understanding of the business of college athletics and what it takes to compete at the highest level).
I was being facetious LOL
It’s not enough for the guy to be a cultural ambassador for UCLA, he’s gotta go and do it for the whole country. Sheesh.
I am not well-versed at all when it comes to a Chancellor. It would be nice if we could get some input from some die-hard Bruin faculty.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
I'm glad someone hit on this
I think the loss of the Japanese Gardens would be a terrible waste. In the grand scheme of things, the Gardens cost very little. Also in the grand scheme, the symbolism of the Gardens and their history is very important to the community and to U.C.L.A.’s role in preserving part of that community.
Instead of selling them, the school needs to employ a bit of effort and find a way to make the Gardens more accessible and productive. I tried on several occasions as a student to visit the Gardens, but the very few appointments were always full. That seemed to show me there is a market for people to visit them. Of course, the term “market” and U.C.L.A. don’t fit together very well, do they?
This would be a terrible loss by a short sighted administration that has no understanding of the culture at U.C.L.A. Just like athletics.
And while we are getting rid of surpluses with no academic or research purposes, we can add to island’s list: Janss Steps, the Inverted Fountain, the Wooden Center, and the Bruin statue. Get rid of them all.
greg in denver, U.C.L.A. guy for life - BruinsNation.com
#1 and #2 surplus properties
Dan Guerrero’s office. Nothing productive related to academics, research, or anything else useful for mankind happens there.
Chancellor’s residence.
I would love to have the contract to administer the 5% a year plan
I read that there are 159,000 undergrads in the UC system, which I rounded to 160,000. If 25% a year graduate, then that means my new company would have to track and collect salaries from 40,000 people in year one, then an additional 40K a year. After 20 years, I would have 400,000 people whose salaries I had to track. If only 1 percent defaulted, that would be 40,000 problems a year, and 40,000 lawsuits.
What about the kids who figure to go for 3 years then transfer. Presumably no one in his or her senior year would have the money to reimburse me immediately, so I would have to figure a way to enforce collections against that group.
I would be more than happy to have my company take on athlete salaries. I doubt that such a program would help recruiting, if Westbrook knows that 5% of his $80M goes into my pocket.
I would name my company Fox Legal Enforcement of Earnings Coming from Education at the University of California, or FLEECE UC for short. Or we could just depend on students to voluntarily pony up 5% of their earnings.
Or to put it another way, I don’t think this is a plan I would support unless I was a student. Sorry, UC. This plan is absurd. To be polite.
I'm sure you can set some limits
such as “the lower of 5% or $X”. It’s not so much the percentage that should be looked at but the idea. 5% does come out to a high sum, higher than repaying loans plus donations. But the idea is interesting. Also, it should be optional.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
I think students would figure paying is optional, tasser
That’s why FLEECE UC is a vital cog in the machine. Just a low flat fee to pay for my thousand or so employees (and their benefits), and maybe a minuscule 33% of what I collected once debt collection activity starts, going to 50% if we have to go to trial. Oh, yeah. An attorney’s fees clause (they’re almost always reciprocal, under Civil Code section 1717), that would allow me to keep the fees coming to FLEECE UC, but which would require the university to pay the fees if my crack legal staff lost.
And before anyone asks, no one who attended just$c* needs to apply. They know cheating, and I don’t need that to make a fortune from this goofy educational payment system. FLEECE UC will make me a fortune because students tend to put loan repayments way down on the priority list. Somewhere around laying in a big supply of fruitcake for gift-giving purposes. Can you see one of the big payoff majors coughing up really big bucks instead of buying a car that actually starts every time you want it to? The only students who might actually pay are the art history majors. 5% of minimum wage isn’t that much. (Sorry, art history majors – I was thinking of the old joke: What do art history majors say the first day on the job after they graduate? “Do you want fries with that?”)
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