Why Go Round & Round & Round?

by Nestor on Dec 18, 2007 4:51 AM PST in Football Comment 45 comments

It is heartening to see fairly overwhelming majority of this community is expecting Dan Guerrero to hire a football coach with head coaching experience.

On this point DumpDorrell.com has a great post on Morgan Center's track record from last 40 years:

The culture of mediocrity that dominates our football program is deeply ingrained and institutionalized (Bob Fields, Don Morrison, Peter Blackman, Terry Donahue). If you look back at all our head coaching hires over the last almost 40 years (!) you can see it plain as day. Let's take a look

Karl Dorrell (2003-2007): No previous HC experience, was a WR coach in NFL at time of hire, had OC experience in name only.
Bob Toledo (1996-2002): Minor HC experience (3 years at tiny Pacific years earlier (76-78) and signficant OC experience at UCLA, Texas A&M and Oregon.
Terry Donanue (1976-1995): Insignificant asst HC experience under Pepper Rodgers for a few years at Kansas, then a few years at UCLA.
Dick Vermeil (1974-1975): A few years assistant at UCLA under Pepper Rodgers.
Pepper Rodgers (1971-1974): 3 years HC experience at Kansas (15-16).
Tommy Prothro (1965-1970): 9 years HC experience include at Iowa St. and Oregon St. Led OSU to 2 Rose Bowls and a Heisman QB. Assistant under the great Red Sanders for many years incl. NC year 1954.

Looking at that list it is clear to anyone that UCLA has not hired PROVEN HEAD COACHING EXPERIENCE in 40 years! 40 years of doing the same thing = culture of mediocrity = commitment to mediocrity. Morgan Center and Murphy Hall think they can get by on the cheap so they hire inexperience. It has been over 20 years since we won a Rose Bowl. Wonder why?

Great question.

And here we are as we are waiting for the UCLA athletic director to hire our next football coach, once again we are hearing and reading about a concerted campaign that is pushing for yet another experiment of bringing in someone who has never been head coach at any level. And if you think there is not a huge movement for CHOKER then you are simply being naïve. If you don't believe just how many idiots are clamoring for CHOKER just follow the link in this diary and just take a look at this crazy screenshot of BRO's premium board:

Yeap, for some absurd reason a sizeable segment of UCLA fanbase want to dive into yet another experiment simply because of the desperate short sighted hope of holding on to a recruiting class and to an overhyped self promoting defensive coorindator, who arguably is not even the best defensive coordinators in last twenty years of UCLA football.

Yet again we have some UCLA fans waxing poetic about the dreaded "P" word. They are talking about these guys' potential as a recruiting magnet, their ability to lead, and their expertise in the technical aspects of the game. It's the same load of BS they sold us when they were hyping up Karl Dorrell.

Now I get that DG is conducting this search in `golden silence':

None of the football coaching candidates have made any public statement, not even to beat writers in the cities covering those teams.
Why?
UCLA AD Dan Guerrero is telling the guys not to talk to the media about the search, who is interviewed, or how the interviews are going, according to sources.

I get that this is really his search as he has reportedly not delegated it to losers like Bob Field (although his name keeps popping up everywhere). But to be honest with you based on the public information we have at our disposal this search is feeling a lot like the last one, when we kept hearing uninspiring names like Robinson, Riley, and Dorrell for days, while we all kept hoping against hope that DG had someone else up his sleeve.

All I know is at the end of the day if we get served up with either Walker or CHOKER, DG will be responsible for poisoning the atmosphere of UCLA football to such a extent, it may take decade or more to undo the damage.

So let's hope there is really someone else besides names like Walker, CHOKER or some no name loser with "impressive bloodlines" on DG's tap. Because if the final choice if any of those three, it will be Guerrero who will be in our cross hairs. Not to mention picking any of those guys with zero head coaching experience will leave them in charge of a football program with zero breathing room from thousands of alums and students who read Bruins Nation.

We are sick of going round and round and round routine of mediocrity of last forty years. And if you are sick of this BS routine PLEASE make sure to email Dan Guerrero at dguerrero@athletics.ucla.edu and Chancellor Gene Block at chancellor@conet.ucla.edu, and let them know respectfully and politely that neither CHOKER (Chow + Walker) nor Walker will be acceptable at UCLA. If you are an alum or student please indicate your graduating class in your emails. As always feel free to post your email in the comment thread to share with rest of BN.

GO BRUINS.

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We all know that the Chow lovefest is actually

a DW lovefest in disguise. Proponents know that DW would hang around and "work for" Chow, knowing that at 61 Chow has only a few years left. Then DW takes over as HC.

And to sell Chow, the DW faction claim that Chow somehow would own SC because he knows the inner workings of the SC system, that Chow is SC's worst fear. All hogwash, of course. CHOKER as UCLA's final outcome of the great extensive coaching search would be the laughingstock for both Trojans and the rest of college football.

DW -- first, he was supposed to be a hot HC commodity. Now he's been downgraded to a hot DC commodity. Everyone is breaking down the door to get him. But he's so loyal to UCLA that he's sticking around. GIVE ME A BREAK!

No sooner than we got rid of the Dorrell disease, and then the Walker disease takes right over. This fascination with Walker, if left unchecked, will remove UCLA football's relevance on the national scene.

How on earth is Walker capable of fulfilling DG's vision for UCLA football?

by bluegold on Dec 18, 2007 9:13 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

UDub being "intense" on Walker

Is like Duhrell being serious about Norvell last year. Willingham is getting fired next season. That is one of the least attractive places to work in CFB in terms of job security. And yet Dohn is flinging around that story as if its a big deal. This fucker is shameless.

by bluestreet on Dec 18, 2007 9:32 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Loyalty, my ass

If you're to believe the DyNoMite shills on BRO, D-Walk was lining up an OC during the regular season (i.e. before Dorrell was fired) to take a shot at the head coaching gig.

If that's how he treats his purported friends, I'd hate to see what he does to his enemies. Some loyalty.

by ytumamatambien on Dec 18, 2007 10:58 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

That rumored OC

Apparently per some Walker shill that OC was supposed to be Al Borges, the loser OC from Auburn who got canned this year.

But then the question becomes who arranged this rumored contact between Walker and Borges (someone with UCLA ties)?

Someone has been trying to stack the deck in favor of Walker for a while. Who is it?

by bluestreet on Dec 18, 2007 11:03 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I think we're talking about the same shill

And said person also said something along the lines of Chow being the person who DW wanted, too.

So he's been spending time trying to line up potential OCs if he gets a sniff at the head coaching position. I suppose that explains the Utah game.

by ytumamatambien on Dec 18, 2007 3:42 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

there is an attorney working that board

and all he wants is the business from Walker's players. He has NO interest in UCLA. While he shills for Walker he is amassing bargaining chips with Walker. It's repulsive to watch the pied piper snaring all the little mice that are so-called Bruin fans. This is such a critical juncture for DG to reverse 40 years of hiring cheap for potential. You see it on BRO ... Bruin fans need a rude slap in the face. If DG doesn't give it to us now ambulance chasers like the one on BRO will forever keep our football program flatlined.

editor, DumpDorrell.com ... formerly posted as DumpDorrell

by BruinCore on Dec 18, 2007 6:46 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Come on, DD

Are you saying some guy is trolling for potential clients in a role as agent? And that Walker will steer his players to this guy? Is there any way you can give any facts to support these statements?

by Fox 71 on Dec 18, 2007 7:08 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

actually I cannot

... emails with a name has been sent to us. I should have qualified my post ... in fact I meant to and in reading my post I realized I did not. Thank you for pointing that out. Having said that, there is a poster, lawman on BRO, who has admitted on BRO that he is a lawyer that is looking to represent future NFL players "but that has no bearing on why I am supporting Walker" and he "is does not have any relationship with Walker." I cannot say that these two people are the same. But it does make one wonder.

editor, DumpDorrell.com ... formerly posted as DumpDorrell

by BruinCore on Dec 18, 2007 9:52 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Lawman has to be brand new

Baby lawyers troll for clients wherever they can (the billboards or ads on the back of the bus, etc.), and the clients they catch that way occupy their time without producing clients with significant cases that generate the income that let them out of that vicious circle.

The great lawyers get their cases without that sort of trolling by word of mouth.

But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Scott Boras is lawman, and figures that spending a ton of time on BRO is what he has to do.

But everyone has to start somewhere, I suppose. Who is going to sign up with lawman based on a BRO post? I suppose Tim Tebow reads BRO every day and thinks that lawman will get him that eight figure signing bonus.

But I have to go now. I have to put on my clown suit, get my big arrow and my sign about my "Holiday Sale-ebration" on legal services and stand at a busy intersection.

by Fox 71 on Dec 19, 2007 5:10 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Neuheisel

I'm hoping Dohn is talking nonsense again, because I don't think Slick Rick is a good idea. I grew up in Colorado watching Cu football, and one of the things that worried me when Dorrell was hired was that he was a WR coach/offensive coordinator under Neuheisel at CU and Washington. Those offenses (WCO) were predictable, a lot of the same stuff Dorrell ran.

by CMBurns on Dec 18, 2007 9:16 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

I will take Neuhisel

over CHOKER or Walker any day.

But it is pathetic that I am resorting to wishing for Neuhisel. That just shows how screwed up this whole process has been (at least the way it has played out in public arena).

by bluestreet on Dec 18, 2007 9:30 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I feel the same way

Unless DG has someone else in his pocket unknown to the MSM and we are forced to choose among the known candidates, then Neuheisel is the obvious choice. By a long shot.

by bluegold on Dec 18, 2007 9:36 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Neuheisel

As little as I think of Neuheisel's coaching abilities, you're probably right. And that's just sad.

by CMBurns on Dec 18, 2007 10:52 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Pathetic Choices...

Honestly DG...pathetic.

As a 25 year season ticket holder here's what I know FOR SURE about the current coaching search;

Hire Leach, Mendenhall, Jones etal and I am prepared to make a bigger investment in UCLA Football by up-ing my booster level participation and buying two more season tickets - for a total of six.

Hire Skippy, Walker, Chow, Choker, Harbaugh or any other lacky, retread, third tier "experiment" and I will not give another dime to the program and will non-renew two of my season tickets. The two I keep will be given or sold every week to a fan of the opposing team.

Why keep the two you ask? When they fire you DG I want to be in-line to get back my two I non-renewed when the new AD hires a real coach...Quite simply I am sick of the 25 years of crap.

by GemCityBruin on Dec 18, 2007 9:51 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Great letter..

..stuffa like this -- unedited -- needs to go to Guerrero and Block directly. No e-mail; no snail-mail; special delivery, certified, return receipt requested.

He gets enough of these (and he will) then he will realize that the revenue stream will dwindle and perhaps he will make the correct choice.

by whp68 on Dec 18, 2007 10:14 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

The BRO nutbags

Just by taking a quick look on their premium board. Lot of these are the same imbeciles who supported Dorrell till the last day.

by bluestreet on Dec 18, 2007 9:59 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

At least for one day

the Neuheisel rumor has put a damper on the ongoing Chow Lovefest. Prior to today, it was All-Chow/All-The-Time over there.

I would not mind Chow if he were not being used as a Walker puppet.

by bluegold on Dec 18, 2007 10:04 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah

It is too freaking funny to see those losers lose their lunch over it. The more I think about it I wouldn't mind Neu, because it would piss off those idiots and not to mention ruffle the feathers of all those gasbags in Morgan Center.

by bluestreet on Dec 18, 2007 10:08 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

CM Burns...

I don't think Neuheisel runs the WCO, at least not to my knowledge. If he does, he certainly runs much more effective WCO considering that he managed to win at both CU and UW.

by OutOThsWrld on Dec 18, 2007 10:36 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

WCO

Neuheisel ran the WCO at CU and Washington (with Dorrell as his OC for several years). He was recently quoted in an LA Times article as saying he didn't think you could run a true WCO in college, so his thinking may have changed on what does or does not work in college football. So his thinking on how much WCO or what "version" you can use in college may not be the same as his early coaching years.

by CMBurns on Dec 18, 2007 10:58 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Neuheisel

His offenses were certainly more prolific than UCLA's have been under Dorrell. Although at CU they got less so as time passed (many there attributed this to the loss of McCartney's players after the first couple of years).

by CMBurns on Dec 18, 2007 11:00 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Neuheisel

I guess when it comes down to it, even though I'm not a big fan of his, at least he has some experience as HC at big programs. That alone should put him ahead of several of the other candidates.

by CMBurns on Dec 18, 2007 11:09 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Last Night on AM 570

Last night on my way home from work, at the end of the PMS show, someone mentioned that one of the candidates that has been previously been eliminated from the head coaching discussion was getting heavy discussion in the athletic department. I caught the discussion mid-flip, so I didn't get specifics, did anyone else hear this or have any other details?

by RandBruin on Dec 18, 2007 10:42 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Nope, but that's good news!

Could it be Leach?

by OutOThsWrld on Dec 18, 2007 11:00 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Chow + Walker

I'm seriously shocked you guys are down on that possibility. I've read all the reasons why, but I've not heard a better alternative. Mike Leach's best bowl is the Holiday Bowl.

Most of us would kill to have Norm Chow on our staff.

by HornsFan on Dec 18, 2007 11:07 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

I'd love Norm Chow ... as my offensive coordinator

As for a head coach, I want someone who's been a head coach before and been good at it.

Mike Leach's best bowl might be the Holiday Bowl ... but remember, he plays in a division with Texas, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. The only way for them to play in a better bowl would be to win the division, and that's hard for anyone to do when:

Recruiting at the 4th-most significant school in the region, and
Texas and Oklahoma have both been dominant in recent years.

Leach has been good, not spectacular at Texas Tech, but he's appealing to me and others because:

UCLA is in a similar, but better situation than Texas Tech. We're the second-most prestigious football program in So Cal, Tech is the 3rd/4th most prestigious program in the Texas/Southwest area.
Leach wins, not championship level, but good consistent success.
Look at that offense. After what we've seen here in the last five years, do you blame us for wanting a team that can score 40+ points per game? Sure, some of us are concerned about his defense, but it's probably easier to recruit more talented players here.

by gilbert on Dec 18, 2007 11:18 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Chow

Having Chow on your staff is a whole lot different than in charge of your staff.

There is no reason to think Chow will make a good head coach other than hope. However there are quite a few reason to think otherwise. It's the risk factor that people have a problem with.

by nikeu on Dec 18, 2007 11:22 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

nonsense

Chow and Walker have no HC experience.

Leach has been a successful coach in a conference where his team is fourth banana (at best) and a campus location that's less than glamorous.

RN is not my first choice but he's won the Pac 10.

Both have proven that they can be successful head coaches.

Chow and Walker are gambles. It's fine if you support them. I think you're wrong for numerous reasons, but at least acknowledge that it's a huge gamble. One that UCLA can't afford.

by Odysseus on Dec 18, 2007 11:28 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

And what turns me off about Chow is

that, like yourself, you cannot mention Chow without mentioning Walker.

So, hire Chow/Walker and hope Chow retires after a month and...voila! You have your dream come true...Walker HC.

It is all too sinister for my taste.

by bluegold on Dec 18, 2007 11:29 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I will trade you

Choiw and Walker for Mack Brown -- and I don't like Mack Brown that much.

sjh

by Class of 66 on Dec 18, 2007 3:08 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Forget speculation - let's go to a real source

ACCORDING TO NOSTRADAMUS:

He obviously did foresee the present coaching situation: Century XII, Quatrain 55: "Sad counsels, disloyal, cunning, Wicked advice,the law will be betrayed: the people stirred, wild, quarrelsome, in borough as in town, the entire peace is hated."

More specific: Century VII, Quatrain 90: "The stinking, abominable disgrace, after the deed he will be congratulated: The great excuse for not being favorable, That Neptune will not be persuaded to peace." [of course Neptune is the god of the C].

Clearly the coach will be _____

by Offside on Dec 18, 2007 12:49 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

or Shakespeare

when he created Iago.

sjh

by Class of 66 on Dec 18, 2007 3:07 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Bruingold

Get the woman and children inside. that place is scary.

It's the first time I actually read some of the comments on their message board. The hair on the back of my neck is still up.

Makes me appreciate BN that much more.

by artybruin on Dec 18, 2007 1:29 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Has it come to this--

that we'll be lucky to end up with Rick Neuheisel?Wow.

by Oldguy on Dec 18, 2007 1:37 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Out of the blue: Mariucci had 2nd interview

So, let's cut out the Choker nonsense once and for all.

by bluegold on Dec 18, 2007 3:51 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

I just heard that too

I wasn't listening too closely, but just heard that on 570.

Mariucci's not my first pick, but I'd take him over Neuheisel, Chow or Walker.

by gilbert on Dec 18, 2007 3:57 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Neuhisel is also getting a second interview,

this time with Chancellor Block, according to the fishwrap <http://www.latimes.com/sports/college/ucla/la-sp-ucla19dec19,1,495748.story?coll=la-headlines-sports-coll-ucla>

by uclachem87 on Dec 18, 2007 4:15 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Head Coaching Experience Important? The Pac 10 th

If we want to compete in the conference, we simply need to be able to match up head to head with the coaching in the conference. And that means matching up with their experience.

Don't think experience is important? Just take a quick look around the Pac:

USC-Carroll-NFL Head Coaching Experience
Stanford-Harbaugh-NCAA Head Coaching exp. (USD two time NCAA Division I-AA national champions).
Cal-Tedford-No previous head coaching Exp.
Arizona State-Erickson-Head Coaching Exp in NCAA & NFL.
Arizona-Stoops-No head coaching Exp.
Oregon State-Riley-NFL & NCAA head Coaching Exp.
Oregon-Belotti-Previous Head Coaching Exp at Cal State Chico.
Washington-Willingham-Previous NCAA Head Coaching Exp.
Washington State-Wulff-NCAA Head Coaching Exp at Eastern Washington.

So, of the nine other schools, only two did not have previous head coaching experience, and those two came from programs that had stellar years before becoming a head coach themselves. Tedford was a big part of Oregon's offense success as was Stoops a big part of Oklahoma's defensive success.

The two most recent coaches fired? Dorrell and Doba, with no NCAA or NFL Head Coaching experience.

40 years is enough time to go with unproven coaches.

by Free the 16 on Dec 18, 2007 4:50 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Headline should be...

Head Coaching Experience Important? The Pac 10 thinks so.

Tried to post this as a diary, but for some reason the site thought it was a one line entry.

by Free the 16 on Dec 18, 2007 4:51 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Great post!

"This is not a place for just any coach" Dan Guerrero

by godblesstyus95 on Dec 18, 2007 6:30 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Correction

I just wanted to make a correction to the part of this post that is attributed to our site. We corrected it on our site and in our diary here, but it must have been after Nestor already wrote this post and set it to publish at a later time. Here is the corrected text:

Karl Dorrell (2003-2007): No previous HC experience, was a WR coach in NFL at time of hire, had OC experience in name only.
Bob Toledo (1996-2002): Minor HC experience - 4 years at tiny Pacific 2 decades earlier (79-82, going 14-30) and significant OC experience at UCLA, Texas A&M and Oregon.
Terry Donanue (1976-1995): No HC experience. Insignificant asst HC experience under Pepper Rodgers for a few years at Kansas, then a few years at UCLA.
Dick Vermeil (1974-1975): No HC experience. A few years assistant at UCLA under Pepper Rodgers.
Pepper Rodgers (1971-1974): Minor HC experience - 3 years at Kansas (15-16) going 5-5, 9-2, and 1-9. THEN we hire him.
Tommy Prothro (1965-1970): Major HC experience - 9 years HC experience include at Iowa St. and Oregon St. Led OSU to 2 Rose Bowls and a Heisman QB. Assistant under the great Red Sanders for many years incl. NC year 1954.

editor, DumpDorrell.com ... formerly posted as DumpDorrell

by BruinCore on Dec 18, 2007 6:51 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Rick Neuheisel IS Ben Howland

LOVES UCLA
His DREAM job
He's been PREPARING for this... like FOREVER
This man will GET IT DONE!

As I've said in previous posts, there's not another person who aspires to be UCLA's Head Football Coach as much as Rick Neuheisel. He is a WINNER.

His "controveries"... much ado about NOTHING!
Really. I'd like to refer you to this article
another poster gave us about a week ago. Soon
as I get to THAT computer, I'll come back and
edit this post with that link. It CLEARS UP
his so called "controversies", which, really,
are nothing to worry about. THIS IS NOT a
chronic NCAA Rule Violater.

The support and love Rick receives from the BULK of the Bruin Faithful will TOTALLY EXCITE and
REJUVENATE our program! Many of us WANNA SEE RICK TAKE US TO THE PROMISE LAND! What is the PROMISE LAND?

UNDEFEATED or 1 Loss 'til we reach the $C Game.
ALWAYS lurking about in the TOP 5 in the AP and BCS Polls.
TALK about us being in the NATIONAL TITLE GAME, and using the ROSE BOWL game as our fall back position.
Establishing a NEW WINNING STREAK against $C.
Always CLOBBERING the teams we should, and gutting out tough road games!

Rick Neuheisel is our NATURAL hire at this point
in our history. Personally, I'm glad he's
STILL as enthusiastic about UCLA during my son's generation, as he was clear back in the 80's and early 90's.

We are FORTUNATE to have Rick Neuheisel. You'll see.

by class1984 on Dec 18, 2007 6:57 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

You lost me

at Ben Howland.

"This is not a place for just any coach" Dan Guerrero

by godblesstyus95 on Dec 18, 2007 7:10 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm surprised

You have me just a little fired up for Rick. I didn't think that was possible. I still want Leach number one, but apparently DG thinks the name is spelled with two "e's" and the concept makes him nervous.

by Fox 71 on Dec 18, 2007 7:11 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Just read Ty's note

I skipped over the subject line. It is a bit of a stretch to compare Coach Howland to Neuheisel. They both are the same species, but that's about where the similarities end in my opinion.

But even though he's no Howland, I found myself saying, "Yeah, he might just do it." That's what I kind of surprised me. Maybe if you leave out the Howland in the subject (and don't use Coach's name instead, either) you might get some more converts.

by Fox 71 on Dec 18, 2007 7:14 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs