More Coaching News & Notes

by Nestor on Dec 12, 2007 4:26 PM PST in Football Comment 3 comments

LA Times' Chris Foster now has some more concrete news on UCLA/Chow interview:

Norm Chow, offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans and a former USC assistant, has been contacted by the search firm working on behalf of UCLA and is expected to be interviewed for the Bruins' vacant head football coach's position by the end of the week, sources familiar with the situation said today.

DeWayne Walker, the Bruins' defensive coordinator the last two seasons, was interviewed on Tuesday. Walker is serving as the team's interim head coach as UCLA prepares to play Brigham Young in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 22. He is considered the linchpin of the Bruins' recruiting efforts -- UCLA has a highly rated 2008 class of verbal commitments -- and school officials are believed to want to retain him even if he isn't the choice for the top job.

Chow, 61, has long been considered a top-flight coach on offense. Though he has not been a head coach, Chow was offensive coordinator at Brigham Young, North Carolina State and USC before joining the Titans. With Tennessee, he was credited with the quick transition quarterback Vince Young made last year as a rookie.

So at least in the public domain we now know of an interview with Walker and now Chow.

Speaking of coaches with BYU connections, I thought this pickup of the Mendenhall tidbit was very interesting:

The only update I have is that Chris Peterson is 100% out of consideration. Norm Chow got an interview this morning. Bronco Mendenhall might be gaining favor.

That was from Coaching Carousel blog that has posted some interesting updates over last couple of weeks. I have no idea whether we can put any kind of weight to Mendenhall/UCLA talk, but that's the first time I have seen it mentioned anywhere in last few days. Kind of intriguing but I don't see any need to get our hopes up.

Elsewhere, Perlemen dropped Pat Hill's name on What's Bruin:

There are lots of rumors and no facts regarding Fresno State head coach Pat Hill as a possible replacement for Karl Dorrell. However, Hill’s resume shows a good fit for UCLA. He’s from Los Angeles, obviously has head-coaching experience at the collegiate level, has been a consistent winner at a school with no obvious recruiting advantages, has a fine Academic Progress Report score for his team of 950 (UCLA’s was 925) and has a background in offense, primarily with the offensive line. In 11 years at Fresno, he has had only two losing seasons and seven seasons with eight or more wins.

I just don't see that happening. I won't get all that excited about Pat Hill when coaches like June Jones are angling for UCLA.

We have also received emails from readers saying how there is a growing sentiment in Morgan Center indicating that if UCLA beats up on a BYU squad (which it should beat up on any way given the talent advantage in our program) it would boost the momentum of Walker candidacy within the establishment.

We appreciate the argument that Dan Guerrero deserves some breathing room given that he did fire Karl Dorrell. However, we sure hope at this point that from there is lot more than what we are hearing in the public arena. We sure hope DG is playing it close to vest and excluding losers like Field and other Morgan Center hacks, who have been responsible for sucking the joy out of following UCLA football program for last three decades, in his decision making process. Otherwise, DG will look like an incompetent clown if we end up with either Walker as HC or a combination of Chow/Walker.

Either way DG is going to look like either a clown or genius when the smoke clears. We are crossing our fingers and hoping and rooting for DG to come out as a "genius" and establish himself as the heir apparent of J.D. Morgan. However, that doesn't exclude from continuing to speak up and keep the pressure on, and send relentless signals on what we do not want to see in the UCLA football program. We have been relentless ever since we got started on BN. We are not planning to stop now.

GO BRUINS.

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Ugh, Part 394

Pat Hill as UCLA's coach? That will tell me that UCLA really only aspires to 7 wins per year. Talk about a horrible, uninspired pick. By the way, I'm convinced that the Morgan Center brain trust is getting their coaching picks/info from UCLA sports sites.

by ytumamatambien on Dec 12, 2007 5:11 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Entitled to Breathing Room for Firing KD?

Yes, if he had fired him after the Nut Bowl.

Sorry, I'm not feeling real warm and fuzzy because he fired him after subjecting us to this year.

As I have said before, this is DG's "signature" hire. I for one believe he's not stupid and won't fuck it up.

But, he doesn't get a lot of deference from me for doing at the end of this season what he should have done at the end of last.

sjh

by Class of 66 on Dec 12, 2007 5:31 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Agree with sjh

His breathing room started after the Nut Bowl and lasted a year. He should recognize that his oxygen level is way down, and the CO2 is building up. He needs to make a real statement here, or the statements he will hear will be demanding his resignation.

by Fox 71 on Dec 12, 2007 5:58 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs