Dorrell's Has A New Scape Goat Offensive Coordinator

by Nestor on Jan 26, 2007 4:01 PM PST in Football Comment 12 comments

Here is the early report from Dohn (emphasis mine):

Jay Norvell, who spent the last three seasons as Nebraska's offensive coordinator, has agreed to become UCLA's new offensive coordinator, sources said Friday.

Norvell replaces Jim Svoboda, who was fired last week. Norvell, 43, did not call the plays at Nebraska, instead serving more as coach Bill Callahan's eyes and ears in sky, but is expected to do so with the Bruins.

The Cornhuskers struggled offensively in Norvell's first two seasons as the West Coast Offense was implemented, finishing 58 th in scoring (25 ppg) in 2004 and 67 th (24.7 ppg) in 2005.

However, last season the Cornhuskers were 17 th in scoring (30.6 ppg) and 14 th in total offense (414.6 ypg).

Norvell, who spent two season as the Oakland Raiders tight ends coach in 2006, interviewed for UCLA's offensive coordinator spot before taking the job with Nebraska.

It will be interesting to find out who will be calling plays? Who will take responsibility should something go wrong in the first few games? The way Norvell's arrangement was set up in Lincoln doesn't sound any different than the arrangement Dorrell had with Svoboda.

Also, another note, it took Norvell three years to come up with a productive (which is arguable given how we saw the Huskers perform against Southern Cal and their bowl opponent) season in Nebraska. He will have one season to win the Pac-10 under Dorrell. There is no margin of error. Hopefully it works out. But there is nothing in his resume that has a wow factor giving us a lot of confidence going into next season. His credentials sound just as average as his new head coach's, when he came to Westwood four mediocre years ago.

In any event, we wish Norvell luck and hopefully he will not turn out to be another scape-goat of Westwood.

GO BRUINS.

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Training Jay

Great, we get another inexperienced coach to lead our team. We are becoming the great training ground of college football. 'Training Jay' Norvell is probably a good guy and this soft sell that will come out in the papers about his wife having cystic fibrosis will certainly endear him to some fans. But as Nebraska fans point out, he is not here for his wife's health. Training Jay interviewed with a number of schools including Iowa State two months ago before taking the UCLA job.

I hope that Training Jay did not come out here thinking that this is a long term gig. Once we lose our first game you can bet Dorrell will start making his insinuations. And no doubt Dorrell will think very hard about coming back for '08 with nearly every starter gone if he doesn't win the Pac 10 championship next season. What a disappointment.

by DumpDorrell on Jan 26, 2007 4:56 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

I'm willing to be cautiously optimistic...

IIRC, Norvell has coached QBs, TEs and receivers at the pro level. He's been with the Raiders and the Colts, and also did position coaching at Wisconsin. At a minimum, he's been on the staffs of several very good teams.

Plus, we get him on a relative upswing -- 2 straight years of improving the Husker offensive production.

That being said, is this another case of a Dorrellian coaching candidate?

Think about it. We get a:

(a) former above-average college player
(b) with limited pro playing experience
(c) who was a position coach for many years
(d) with a lot of time coaching receivers
(e) but with limited coordinator experience
(f) and who was NOT known for play-calling while a coordinator.

Don't get me wrong -- I sincerely hope that Norvell does a great job, and that the Nation gives him time to iron out some kinks the first couple of games.

If he takes control of the offense and KD gives him the freedom to call plays that he's looking for, and we start averaging 28-32 points a game again, I will congratulate KD on a very good hire and praise Norvell as an up-and-coming coaching name.

But if we end up fumbling and stumbling on offense like KD's first year AND this past season, hoooo boy.

MIM

by Meriones on Jan 26, 2007 5:08 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

In Norvell's defense

He came into Lincoln when they had option personnel. He has no such excuse with our firepower theoretically built around this WCO scheme that so far has shown sporadic potency at best.

Here's to the best!

F-CK $c

by royobruin on Jan 26, 2007 5:46 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

I'm sitting here shaking my head.

Remember the feeling when Ben was hired? Do you have that same feeling now? When Swoboda got thrown overboard, did anyone think, "Hey, now we can get Jay Norvill! What a break for us!" Somehow I don't think a non-play calling OC for a poorly performing offensive machine was high on anyone's list of candidates.

Read the numbers of what Nebraska did over the past few years. Frankly, I think this is an absolute disaster. It is another layer of mediocrity.

I wonder what DG is thinking about this? Does he now feel that the team has "turned the corner" and "made progress."

It will be more of the same next year. More losses, and more cliches, then more scapegoating.

by Fox 71 on Jan 26, 2007 5:54 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

you crack me up Fox

you are so right ... I sure didnt think "Norvell! Norvell!"

Id like to be optimistic about this, only reality gets in the way.

Heck, maybe luck will be on our side next year again and we go 11-1.

by DumpDorrell on Jan 26, 2007 6:04 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Luck would be nice

I remember getting lucky (in a football sense) only once - when Freeman McNeil caught the tipped pass and went in for a td against justsc. Maybe it's time that the football gods started working some good mojo in our direction. Maybe the Norvill-Dorrell combination will be just what the doctor ordered.

Or maybe not. (sigh)

by Fox 71 on Jan 26, 2007 6:57 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

This hurts in the special place...

I've watched plenty of Nebraska football... their offense was about as effective as UCLA's... not at all. And neither the Cornhuskers or Bruins run a west coast offense, btw (the Cornhuskers are closer) but neither run quick plays, nor distribute the ball quickly, nor vary the pace of play, nor vary the QB's drop, nor use the pass to set up the run, etc, etc, etc, I could go on.

It doesn't matter if Mike Ditka and Knute Rockne got drunk one night in vegas and had a 3-way with Bo Schembechler that spawned a mutant super-coach. If he coached under Dorrell, running that awful offense, it will suck.

Without knowing Norvell, I feel sorry for this guy. I'm sure that will change, however, when I just get (even more) angry. But the fact is it's not who's calling the plays, IT'S THE PLAYS! And unless Norvell gets to actually create and run the offense, (which he won't)... It will be more of the same.

And is this supposed to fire up potential recruits? I'm sure most of them are asking "when's the next flight to Boise?"

Guerrero!!!!! What are you doing to UCLA FOOTBALL!!!! WHYYYYYYYYYYYYY!

by greatgymnasticsschool on Jan 26, 2007 8:52 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

DG

DG doesn't care remember finsihing with a winning record and winning our bowl game was not the right direction for the football program to be heading in, Finishing at or below 500 and losing to lower tier schools in our bowl game is the right direction

by Bruin10 on Jan 26, 2007 11:04 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

be fair to DG...

He is in the crossfire of a major battle of opinions. He has to move such that he doesn't ruffle too many feathers in the "Loyal to a fault" crowd, AKA Dorrell's camp. So even though he may share some of our opinions (I don't know if he does, but given his track record with firing the head coaches of the 2 money sports in his first few months, he should have a reasonable standard of excellence) he cannot act too quickly. The SC win made it harder to fight the apologists.

What we have to do now as loyal fans is draw a line in the sand. Dorrell has had plenty of time to mold his recruits in his image of excellence. He has had the opportunity to bring in assistants that meet his standard as well. He has an easier schedule than many this coming year, and a veteran team returning 20 starters. If he cannot put together a good season that meets certain standards, then we must call for his resignation/firing. We need to do this well before the season starts, that way we do not sound like reactionary fans that can be dismissed. I suggest we have a new petition that we send to DG somewhere near the time of the Fall scrimmage, laying out our position in a unified manner. We must publicly set the standard so that DG can make an informed and proper decision.

OK I know I'm rambling now. It's 1:30 in the morning and I writing about UCLA football, what do you expect?

by isodore on Jan 27, 2007 1:27 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Who are these apologists?

As much as we talk about them, I haven't seen many. I see LOTS of people who say things like "they won't get rid of him, THEY SHOULD, but not after beating SC. Did anyone see the Emerald Bowl? (ugh, I won't continue on down this tired path of it was an anomaly...)

If you can find an apologist, please let me know, because I'm starting to think all these 'apologists' are simply in the imagination of the prevailing attitude at UCLA. That Football will be bad. That bad decisions and/or inaction will continue to field a poor coaching and a football team.

by greatgymnasticsschool on Jan 27, 2007 9:49 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Jay who?

Another head-scratcher move by KD. The guy obviously has a problem bringing in an established, experienced coach who can wind up taking his job. Sign of a poor leader.

by chaphill1 on Jan 27, 2007 8:43 AM PST reply actions 0 recs