What Do We Want In A Coach?

by ryebreadraz on Oct 12, 2007 5:13 AM PDT Comment 49 comments

Bumped from the diaries. GO BRUINS. -N

I was going to update my list of candidates when BruinBlue's great post and the lively discussion that followed sparked an idea. Before I update the list I want to know what YOU want in the next UCLA head football coach.

Chris Peterson (who has my vote), Rick Neuheisel, Steve Mariucci, Terry Bowden, Norm Chow, Mike Singletary, Russ Grim, Paul Johnson and Dennis Green are all names that have come up on the board recently. You can add additional names if you'd like and they will be thrown into consideration (I'm not putting Pelini, Leavitt, Davis or any other coach who we have a verrrrrrry small chance at getting on the list).

I'm going to list 10 qualities a potential head coach could have you you rank them 1-10 in terms of what you think is most important for our future head coach with 1 being most important and 10 being least important. I will then rank the coaches from the list according to how they grade out based on the qualities the people of BN find most important. I will update the list weekly or biweekly as both our situation and the coaches situations change.

*Please remember we are not arguing for or against a coach. Just add a coach to consideration if you see fit (no need to defend why) and rank the characteristics you find most important in a coach with *

List of Candidates:
Chris Peterson
Rick Neuheisel
Steve Mariucci
Terry Bowden
Norm Chow
Mike Singletary
Russ Grim
Paul Johnson
John Tenuta
Bronco Mendenhall
Gary Patterson
Mike Leach
Brian Kelly
Dennis Green

List of Qualities
Prior Head Coaching Experience
X's and O's Oriented
West Coast Ties
Recruiting Success
NFL Experience (Assistant, Head Coach or Player)
Enthusiastic/Personable
History of Building Programs From Scratch/Little
History of Dealing With Difficult Academic Requirements
W-L Record (Head Coaches)/Defense/Offensive Success (Coordinators)
How Last Job Ended

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of BruinsNation's (BN) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of BN's editors.

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ABD

Anybody but Dorrell!

by Bruin77 on Oct 11, 2007 4:59 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I would add a category

How did his most recent tenure as head coach end. For Neuheisal and Bowden it seems particularly relevant.

Also, where is the link to the Russ Grim discussion? I thought I read these boards fairly carefully and I don't remember a mention of him.

by Free the 16 on Oct 11, 2007 5:08 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Someone

commented about Grim on Bruin Blue's. I like the end of last tenure and it's on there now.

by ryebreadraz on Oct 11, 2007 5:10 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I would add at least one more criterion

Advocates dropping "W," "C" and "O" from the alphabet.

by Fox 71 on Oct 11, 2007 5:42 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

So then, is Jim Leavitt just

..totally out of the question? I mean, in 10-years the man has only:

INAUGURATED the startup USF football program (yes, Bulls Football did not exist in 1996)
GUIDED the team from 1-AA (BSD) to 1A (CSD)(from zero to 15,000 avg attendance + the requisite scholarships and intramural programs)
TOOK USF to a first ever bowl game
CRACKED the top 25 for the first time ever
5-0 in 2007

...but he'd be way to hard to get, wouldn't he?

GO BRUIN BLUE.

by theREAL_LOGAN5 on Oct 11, 2007 5:56 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I'd love to have him

but he's married to South Florida.

Anyone want to weigh in and rank what they think is most important? It'll be tough to figure out what we want in a HC if no one responds.

by ryebreadraz on Oct 11, 2007 5:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Leavitt

I would be stunned if he left a situation where he started a program, built a winning tradition, is (I assume) admired in town, and, get this, has all those FLA high school football players available to recruit, to a school with (I assume) mediocre admission requirements. And, if he gets in trouble with the NCAA, I am sure the local folks would forgive him all day long.
Bill

BillSouthBay

by BillSouthBay on Oct 12, 2007 9:16 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Let's go for the REAL basics.

Ya know, the stuff we currently DON'T have in a HC:

(1) Pulse.

(2) Backbone.

(3) Killer instinct.

(4) Functioning eyes.

WHY NOT US? WHY NOT NOW?

by Meriones on Oct 11, 2007 6:16 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

That comes with any real coach

but the candidates above all have that so how do we choose from those candidates? Anyone but KD won't fly unless we're content with improving from the now consistant 7-6 seasons to 8-5 every year. We want Pac 10 titles and to compete for national titles and that road will begin with the next head coaching search. So what is is that we want in a head coach?

by ryebreadraz on Oct 11, 2007 6:27 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Need to add criteria for coordinators

with no HC experience.

Something like "Success in their positions".

They would have to be things like total offense/defense rankings.

by hspigskinfan on Oct 11, 2007 6:32 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Done

Now we need people to weigh in

by ryebreadraz on Oct 11, 2007 6:38 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

put it on Monster

The UCLA Bruins Football Department is currently seeking an experienced and passionate "Players" coach (no "X/O" bullshit) for its 2008-09 season.

Candidate must possess the ability to understand and master the game from "theory" to "execution", while serving a demanding but loyal base of alumni, fans and supporters. Your mission will be to guide UCLA Football to new levels of success, notoriety and respect, maintain a top-25 ranking at all times, culminating in a Conference Championship and/or BCS Bowl berth within 2-seasons.

Working directly with the Athletic Director, you must have the following experience to be considered:

Minimum 2Y HC experience (in either College or Pro ranks)
70% lifetime winning pct (conference factors considered)
Well developed "Soft Skills", such as Recruiting Charisma and believability

The successful applicant must also possess the ability to relate to and harness the potential young, overly-ambitious star-athletes who will be in your charge. Press-time English fluency a MUST.

Applicant will accept a pay package commiserate with market rates + hefty performance bonuses.

* About UCLA *
Located in the fertile recruiting grounds of Los Angeles, CA, UCLA is one of the premier college campuses in the United States. Local to famous beaches, boulevards and business centers, UCLA home to more American notables that we have room to list.

GO BRUIN BLUE.

by theREAL_LOGAN5 on Oct 11, 2007 6:46 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

add this guy

Mike Leach of Texas Tech. Has HC experience, no NFL experience (I consider this a plus as it appears he would not be eager to leave for an NFL job), recognized innovator and ability as an offensive mind, 7 straight winning seasons at Texas Tech, a school without much history of success on the football field. Negatives: didn't have much experience with tough academic requirements, hasn't recruited well (for IMHO good reasons, but it is a fact), West coast ties are limited althugh he did attend Pepperdine law school, and not very personable, although he is very quotable and interesting.

by ucladj89 on Oct 11, 2007 8:25 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

The knock on him

is that he features a point-a-minute defense to go along with his point-a-minute offense. But we've got Coach Walker to handle that aspect, so I would welcome Coach Leach.

by Fox 71 on Oct 11, 2007 8:34 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I like it

I saw the Holiday Bowl a couple years ago where TT absolutely whipped Cal and it was very, very impressive.

My brother-in-law who went to Cal, who had tickets, and who invited me as his guest, was incredibly embarrassed at Cal's performance.

Funniest comment overheard during that game: "Not only is Tech killing us on the field, but their band is better than ours, too!"

by Barnes2JJ on Oct 11, 2007 9:47 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Singletary or Mooch

At this point, I'll take a coach who actually knows the game of football.

Seriously, these are both great candidates. Mooch has plenty of HC experience both at the college level, and the NFL. He is known for being an intense and fiery coach.

Singletary was a great player and recognized as such by the Hall of Fame. While he doesn't have the HC experience he is currently Asst HC for the 49ers and in charge of the linebackers. This is Samurai Mike! The heart of the "Monsters of the Midway." He is an ordained minister, and a member of possibly the greatest defense the NFL has ever seen.

I think I just convinced myself Mike is our man.

A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment. John Wooden

by MexiBruin on Oct 11, 2007 8:43 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Brian Kelly

should be on the list.

by tasser10 on Oct 11, 2007 9:19 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Not so fast on Brian Kelly

He was the star of Flipper, sure. But it hasn't been shown that he can coach football.

(OT - my first ever big case as a law clerk was working on Kelly v. American Honda. Kelly took a serious head injury while riding a big Honda bike. Interesting case.)

by Fox 71 on Oct 11, 2007 10:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I loved Flipper

and Gentle Ben, too. They were on back to back before I had to leave for Kindergarten every morning.

by UCngLA on Oct 12, 2007 10:04 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Couple of other names not yet mentioned

Jim Grobe - Wake Forest

68-66-1 career record but has built Wake into a respectable program. Just beat #21 Florida State tonight.

Last year led Wake to a school record 11 wins season, won the ACC, and played in the Orange Bowl against Louisville.

Frank Solich - Ohio

Nebraska won at least nine games in five of those six seasons, and finished among the top 10 teams in the nation three times. Coach Solich compiled a 58 - 19 record at Nebraska.

In 2006 Solich led the Bobcats to a 9-5 record including a MAC East Division Title and a GMAC Bowl bid.

Both of these guys are kind of old though so yeah.

by MightyBruin84 on Oct 11, 2007 9:31 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Solich..

Totally forgot about him. At this point, Nebraska would declare war on Ohio to get him back. Interesting call.

GO BRUINS!

by chavez1271 on Oct 12, 2007 11:15 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

marty schottenheimer

has great coaching exp. and his last job was in Southern Cal.

by uclaov1 on Oct 11, 2007 11:09 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Finally some rankings from 1-10

You said 11 in your post, but I only counted 10. This proved to be a lot tougher than I thought, but here's my take on it.

Prior HC experience
History of building programs from scratch
W/L record/Defensive/Offensive Success
Recruiting Success
Enthusiastic Personable
How last job ended
History of dealing with difficult Academic Requirements
West Coast ties
X's and O's oriented
NFL experience

by OutOThsWrld on Oct 11, 2007 11:10 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I'll do it too.

W/L record/Defensive/Offensive Success
Prior HC experience
X's and O's oriented
Recruiting Success
History of dealing with difficult Academic Requirements
West Coast ties
Enthusiastic Personable
History of building programs from scratch
How last job ended
NFL experience

A little bit of my reasoning: I tried to base this on general qualites first. Top priority is a good, solid coach - those top 3 in my opinion. Then comes the next part of college success - recruiting, which would be the next 4 (really, #s 5-7 are factors in #4). And then on #8 - I don't think this program needs to be built from scratch, like Howland needed to. #10 is of no importance, and #9 just slightly more than that.

On actual coaches, I think there are a few more that have been discussed. Only Hauck comes to mind immediately, but it seems like there have been more. Also, I maintain that it might be difficult to get Kelly, and would place him in the verrrrry small chance category. Kelly's a good coach, but coaches just don't leave voluntarily after one year on the job. If I'm wrong, give me some examples that have moved on for a better job after that year.

by jaffa on Oct 12, 2007 12:38 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Butch Davis Is Not on the List.

He SHOULD be number 1!

by uclaprof on Oct 12, 2007 5:35 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

DAVIS

handed UCLA the single most devastating loss in Bruin Fooball history. That's one point I'm sure will not be lost on Bruin die-hards. That said, he is

.69% lifetime with
11Y HC experience (6Y D1, 5 NFL)
a DEFINITE winner in terms of name recognition, charisma and recruiting

His graduation rates were some of the highest in the land -- an unbelievable achievement considering. He's on the Jimmy Johnson/Barry Switzer branch of the national football family tree.
---->
I went in to this post against Butch -- what is it about research that sells you on the topic?

Butch is a Top-3 prospect, no doubt.

GO BRUIN BLUE.

by theREAL_LOGAN5 on Oct 12, 2007 3:41 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I was hoping we'd dump KD

last year and go after him, but he's got a fat contract, good support and good recruiting class at UNC. I think it's unrealistic to expect him to leave UNC for UCLA unless we're ready to offer something in the neighborhood of $2M-$2.5M, something that UCLA won't do.

by ryebreadraz on Oct 12, 2007 5:05 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Passion

Logan5 made reference to "passion" as a quality for a head coach, and this is a vital component of any great coach (or any professional in any field for that matter). There is already an "enthusiasm" category, but passion transcends enthusiasm.

Passion serves as the glue that holds the team together, and gives them a mission and a sense of purpose. Enthusiasm is easy to find, anybody can have enthusiasm, and enthusiasm can help your team to win a few games. But passion is what separates champions from winners. Look at Bellicheck, he LIVES for game film and drawing up schemes, that is what he did as a hobby growing up... it is his passion (come on Bellicheck, you've already proven yourself in the NFL... why don't you give the Bruins a chance and see what you can do on the college level).

But for a passionate coach closer to home, just look at some of Howland's comments of late (from ESPN) http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3048288):

"There is no place I would rather be coaching than UCLA," the 50-year-old Howland said in a statement. "This has always been my dream job. I grew up a Bruin basketball fan and it still is hard for me to believe that I am the caretaker of the program that Coach [John] Wooden built.

"Back-to-back Final Fours are great, but our team is looking forward to the challenge of taking the next step," he said.

Howland is passionate about both the game of basketball AND of UCLA, just like Wooden. While these two great coaches are not the norm, the least we can do is to find a football coach who is passionate about football, and who, to some degree, has an interest in UCLA (beyond simply a nice paycheck).

by 01 Bruin on Oct 12, 2007 6:56 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Here's my list

W/L record/Defensive/Offensive Success
X's and O's oriented
Recruiting Success
Prior HC experience
History of dealing with difficult Academic Requirements
History of building programs from scratch
Enthusiastic Personable
West Coast ties
How last job ended

10.NFL experience

by hspigskinfan on Oct 12, 2007 9:39 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Names

I can't see why you would want these guys; I'd think UCLA could do much better.

Rick Neuheisel
Steve Mariucci
Terry Bowden

Well, Mooch can coach, but he's clearly interested in the NFL. He bolted Cal after a year, and if he wasn't going to take the Michigan State job, I doubt he's going to take any other college job.

Also, as a Cal fan, it's refreshing to see a coaching candidate list that doesn't include Jeff Tedford. He's ours, and you can't have him!

by ragnarok on Oct 12, 2007 10:10 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I disagree with the list

It would be great to get all of these qualities in a coach, but good luck. I don't need any of these, but of course they would be great. What I would want more than anything is a coach who knows how to put a staff together to complement his own shortcomings. A coach who has a capacity for flexibility, to adapt his coaching style to a situation and to his players. And a close second to that would be a coach who relishes being a leader of young men, who can motivate effortlessly, and who commands respect from his players. With that in mind, my only requirement (and not a strict one at that) would be prior HC experience.

KD is right in one way: a coach is a kind of CEO. However he doesn't just come up with the vision and expect it to just come to fruition by itself, he has to be fully involved in the implementation and the details. It is a tough job, which is why it pays millions.

by tasser10 on Oct 12, 2007 10:17 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Another Quality I would like is

good media skills. I'm tired of coming to BN and reading another dumb quote from KD.

by king James on Oct 12, 2007 10:29 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

media skills addressed

addressed above in "Press-time English fluency a MUST."

GO BRUIN BLUE.

by theREAL_LOGAN5 on Oct 12, 2007 11:05 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

My List

Coach

Paul Johnson
Norm Chow
Chris Peterson
Grim
Dennis Green

Qulities

History of rebuilding a program
Win/Loss record
X's&O's
Recruiting success
How last Job ended
West Coast ties
Prior HC experience
History with dealing with academic requrements
Enthusiastic/personable
NFL Experience

GO BRUINS!

by chavez1271 on Oct 12, 2007 11:36 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Some great names there...

I'd almost vote for Dennis Green just so we might hear another, "Then crown their a$$" meltdown :)

I'm starting to like Peterson more and more.

I may work with the Waves, but I'm still a Bruin!

by HoozierDaddy on Oct 12, 2007 12:35 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Bruincore

If you actually do go through with it, I think you're idea about paypal is excellent. That aside. You might want to post as a heading something like "Donate just $10 for a new coach." I remember you mentioned that DD.com had as many as 3000 hits after the Notre Dame loss. With that much traffic, and with all the emotion flowing through Bruins after another loss, I think you could raise the $11,000 in no time. $10 isn't very much money so I think people would be more inclined to donate if you mentioned it.

by OutOThsWrld on Oct 12, 2007 12:47 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Sorry, wrong post

by OutOThsWrld on Oct 12, 2007 12:48 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

1-Category Mi$$ing

"Spending Money"

KD invoices Murphy Hall for $1.75M the day we kick his wonder-bread eatin' ass to the curb. His contract puts that on a NET_30.

Given the past, we must assume We are going coach shopping with a historically shallow set of pockets.

That said, we may just have listed every category but the one that counts -- Pay Grade. We start off DOWN $1,750,000.00 (more if we dump KD before 12/07), so even an unlikely $1M hire sets DG back $2.7M.

So are we going to tabulate? Nestor is famous for his Tables and Charts... here's one:

(1) enter the coaching names in one column
(2) enter the 11 hiring criteria in a second
(3) assign values to each criteria based on importance (ex: HC_exp = 10; Win/Loss_% = 9, etc.)

Then we just do the BCS thang and let the computer vote... no?

GO BRUIN BLUE.

by theREAL_LOGAN5 on Oct 12, 2007 3:59 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

That was exactly my plan

but I wanted to find out what everyone on BN valued most instead o just doing it based on what I value most.

by ryebreadraz on Oct 12, 2007 5:02 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

WIP

Nice. here's work in progress. All you.

GO BRUIN BLUE.

by theREAL_LOGAN5 on Oct 12, 2007 5:46 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Dennis Green??

I'd almost rather keep CTS. After seeing his tenure here in AZ with the Cardinals...no. No way. There are lots of good names being considered. I'm liking Chris Peterson more and more, though there are other worthy candidates. Dennis Green is not one of them.

by AZBruin on Oct 12, 2007 9:02 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

AZ

should know... Dennis is no short-lister. He's out. Plus, what's he gonna go by on BN... DG2?

GO BRUIN BLUE.

by theREAL_LOGAN5 on Oct 13, 2007 12:28 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

My ordering

Haven't posted for awhile, but like what I'm seeing in terms of results of the message this blog is sending the UCLA and LA communities. Keep it up!

I also have gotten through the last 4 weeks since the Utah embarassment by thinking that there's no way we don't have a better coach next year! Here's my ordering of the qualities DG should look for in the first football coach at UCLA in 5 or 32 years (depending on how you define "football coach")

1. W/L record/Defensive/Offensive Success
2. X's and O's oriented
3. Recruiting Success
4. West Coast ties
5. History of building programs from scratch
6. Prior HC experience
7. NFL experience
8. Enthusiastic Personable
9. How last job ended
10. History of dealing with difficult Academic Requirements

Here's my reasoning:
Past success is important (past failures are unacceptable), and if you've had it, you may be able to overcome shortcomings in other areas. X and O oriented is important in part given our not having any of those for 5 years and in part because X and O strategy shows some sort of core competence. Recruiting success with X and Os means that you will have better athletes and better schemes than your opponents, and that usually means Ws. Once you have the 1st 3 items, you are going to be successful, and after success comes other opportunities, so that's when west coast ties keep you here instead of Tennessee. Point is that west coast ties are only important after success is achieved. I put 5, 6 and 7 together--prior experience and whether that was in the NFL is relevant only in that success at higher positions and higher levels (NFL or BCS conference head coach etc.) should be more relevant than having, say, coached the wide receivers of a pro football organization.

Enthusiasm and personable qualities go toward sustaining success. People want to keep coming back to those qualities. But in the beginning, success is paramount. Build it, then sustain it.

How last job ended is only relevant if it ended poorly, and the end is based more on success, which are higher in this structure.

Finally, history of dealing with academic requirements. not enough would have this experience, and it should be easy enough to learn.

by BruinsRule on Oct 12, 2007 10:39 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Must Avoid

The "X/O" trap. It's like putting "and some really cool rims!" on your dream-car list. X's and O's are what shitty coaches hide behind once the wheels fall off. They're what your I/T doof throws up when he can't get you on the network. X's and O's should come with the package. "Just make it happen, coach."

GO BRUIN BLUE.

by theREAL_LOGAN5 on Oct 13, 2007 1:15 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Mariucci

I love Mariucci. Growing up as a Niner fan, I loved his work with the team, and sadly, he ran into Detroit. No one wins there.

Remember that Pete didn't have that much success in the NFL either, but it worked out just fine with him.

I think worrying about Mariucci leaving for the NFL is down the road, and shouldn't really be a concern right now. Let's just get him here now, and worry about the details later.

by Crispyoc on Oct 12, 2007 10:57 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Mooch

I love him too, but Steve is all NFL. He is a serial 2-N-outer who is long on style (great style) and short on substance. His brief run-ins with Fullerton, USC and Cal bear all the fleeting returns of a Saturday night score at the Roxbury. College is a tool for him. If he had more game, the Niners' once pristine organization would have survived post-Debartolo era. It didn't, in part because SF needed more than good looks to survive Davis and Jones vulturing. Mooch can come do halftime interviews at the RB if he wants.

GO BRUIN BLUE.

by theREAL_LOGAN5 on Oct 13, 2007 12:50 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

My coach

Sure, it would be nice to have a young guy with all the right stuff, on his way up, smart, resourceful, and personable. My list of qualifications would be simple, and not so dependent on traditional resumé items:

Is passionate about the program. Wants to be there. Wants success at UCLA.
Is a good teacher. Of football players, of students, of men. This is college, after all.
Individuals and teams show improvement, week after week, year after year.

If 1., 2., and 3. are present, then I'm happy, and I believe wins will follow. Other important attributes, such as character and integrity, tend to be present, I think, in passionate, good teachers.

This is why I like Chris Peterson so much. Now, I'm no expert. All I know of Chris Peterson and Boise State comes from watching a single game, that Fiesta Bowl.

Here is a group of players most of the big schools didn't want. They play a solid game from start to finish, against a real powerhouse. And, here, at the height of the biggest contest of all, with the pressure absolutely intense, they execute so-called "trick" plays with poise and precision. Perfectly held, like trump cards, until the one, right moment. Perfectly called, and, perfectly executed.

Peterson not only had them fired up, he had them clear-headed as well. That's a good teacher. That's a good coach.

by TDBruins on Oct 13, 2007 1:51 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs