This just in:  R-Rod (Rich Rodriguez), West Virginia's coach just abandoned his alma mater to take the Michigan job.  This breaks all previous notions we might have had about college coaching.  And, Michigan had the guts to do it before the Bowl games!  Michigan also did not ask W. Virginia's AD for permission to interview R-Rod. And this comes on the heels of Arkansas stealing Bobby P from the Falcons. This is huge for Michigan and what had originally appeared to be a laughable coaching search by Michigan is the best hire of the year.  Compared to UCLA's search, Michigan looked to be very professional and efficient.  They sought only the best, ie. Lyin'Les Miles, Greg Schiano and now R-Rod.  UCLA is settling for the worst.  John Harbaugh (who he?), Chow, Walker, Neuheisel.

I'll concede it's is late in the ballgame for a hire, but right now we are settling for crumbs.  Danny G needs to step back and rethink about his target coaches.  Clearly, anyone is fair game.  You don't need to wait until after the bowl games to ask, or to get permission from the coache's AD to interview anymore.  Why not talk to the Ol' ball coach, Spurrier.  He's very unhappy at South Carolina and needs a platform to get back into the Nat'l Championship hunt.  Chris Peterson has a few days before his bowl game in Hawaii with E. Carolina, Mike Leach wants outta Texas Tech, and we have a few days to talk to Bronco Mendenhall before the kick off of the LV Bowl.  Danny G needs to step up big time and start acting like Michigan's AD.

 

Nestor, I sense your desperation -- an anxiety I and many of us share with you. If a pedestrian selection is made, then there is a futility to all of this. Either Guerrero is a master of the clandestine job search or being mastered and straight-jacketed by the bureaucrats in power. We all, of course, pray for the former and dread of the latter.

Clearly, Michigan is known for football and have demonstrated that they are -- essentially -- pirates, brigands, and cut-throats when it comes to looking out after their gridiron interests.

..Oh that our alma mater could have just a small inkling of that blood lust and derring-do!

At the risk of sounding like a petulant child, should a mediocre and uninspired choice eventuate,  I am prepared to erupt in a fit of torrid criticism of Guerrero (just as you plan to) and then dismiss UCLA football always and forever as the travesty and mediocre joke that those buffoons have made it. I wonder how many others feel the same way and would be prepared to pay to watch the product this would produce?

As Marlon Brando once said, "I coulda been a contender!"

 

All this talk about Chow, Walker, Harbaugh (Who?), and Slick Rick makes me sick.  We should follow Michigan's blue print for hiring.  They went after the best until they got the best in R-Rod.  The culture of losing which started with Scary Terry Donahue making us all believe that 6-7 wins a year were acceptable has gone on for decades too long.  Until we make that big-time hire ie. Chris Peterson, Mike Leach, or the Ol' Ball Coach, Spurrier--UCLA will become the Duke University of the Pac-10.  

I just don't understand why the UCLA administration is not showing a stronger commitment to a revenue-producing sport. This decision does not just affect the football program, but many other sport programs at UCLA that rely on the revenue generated by football to continue on their excellence.

This better be one heck of a smokescreen, but right now I am extremely disappointed by the search. What kind of search firm did they hire? Dan, do whatever it takes to bring in a top-notch quality football coach! Despite great hires in Ben Howland and John Savage, if he screws the pooch on this hire then he's on the clock.

about Leach or Mendenhall or Mooch or Mora Jr.?  This is turning into a joke.

FWIW the hiring of a search firm in the first place reeks of bureaucracy in the regents and upper management, not necessarily a choice DG has. If you weren't hamstrung by them, they wouldn't even be necessary

My God, all the joy felt after Dorrell's long overdue firing has evaporated.  This has got to be a joke.  

Did they actually pay somebody to come up with Walker, Chow, Neuheisel, and Harbaugh (not the real one)?  All they had to do was read the posts on BN and they could have gotten a MUCH better list that this.  Who did they hire as a search firm?  It's either a bunch of trOJans, or they outsourced the job to India maybe?  How much did they pay the "search firm"?  If this is really the list, there should be an investigation and everyone involved should be fired.

While they twiddled their thumbs, Paul Johnson was hired by Georgia Tech.  Other schools made moves to get good coaches.  And what did we do?  Come up with this "list"?  

Here's a list off the top of my head that would be better than Chow, Walker, Neuheisel, Harbaugh (not the real one):

Mike Leach
Chris Petersen
Bronco Mendenhall
June Jones
Steve Mariucci
Brian Kelly
Ed Kezirian
my dog

I think anyone would agree that my list is better than the "search firm's" list, so please send me the money you were going to pay them.  

As far as public universities go, Michigan may be one of the closest analogs to US.

If UM's ballsy move doesn't kick DG and the rest of the admins in the butt and get them to take this SERIOUSLY, what will?

M

between UCLA and Michigan concerning football. Michigan is a big time program that will do what is necessary to pull in a great coach. They will pay big bucks for a proven and experienced leader. Many great coaches are usually interested in the football HC position there. UCLA has been mired in perpetual mediocrity that suits the administration and powers that be. I'm as frustrated with what looks like another ridiculous hiring process. I will not be surprised if we get Chow, Neuheisal or some other lower tier candidate. This is what UCLA football is all about. This mindset has been entrenched for years. Guerrero will definitley deserve some of the blame if we end up with one of these coaches, but I also believe the administration is probably making this search incredibly difficult for him. Guerrero has done a pretty good job so far in his current position and wants to bring UCLA football to the next level where basketball is. We hear bits of information about who the candidates are and what is happening. Much of it does make me scratch my head. I still want to believe DG is doing everything he can to get the right coach in here. I just don't know what is happening behind the scenes and what the admin is doing. I'm trying to give DG the benefit of the doubt at this point. It's truly a cultural issue. It's astounding more coaches haven't expressed an interest, at least that we know of. Things will never change until UCLA decides to be fully committed to the success of the football program. I sure wouldn't want Guerrero's job right now. I'm concerned the DG bashing will start heating up, and it certainly will if we get a lousy coach. I will be just as angry and disgusted as everyone else. If this happens, I hope we can find out more about what happened with the process and the constraints imposed by the admin before going after DG. Nestor's reference to targeting Morgan Center and admin should probably be the focus. I'm trying to remain hopeful, but have experienced too much BS concerning the overall attitude towards the football program. I keep hoping DG can somehow land a stong willed, experienced coach who will take full control and be willing to stand up to the admin. Things will never change until the right people come in and agressively try to force changes with respect to the program.  I just keep wondering if this will ever be possible.

East Coast Bruin made a good point in the comments of Ajax's post. After missing out on Miles, Schiano,  and whoever else they were courting, many Michigan fans were resigned to the same position we're in now. Low and behold, Michigan pulled it out with a hire no one saw coming. I'm confident (blind confidence, perhaps) there are many other viable candidates that have been interviewed that we would consider "first-tier" candidates.

Here's to hoping that Leach, Mendenhall, Kelly and a few other first tier candidates have been contacted that we haven't heard about.

I think we are driving ourselves nuts when it was made pretty clear in the beginning of this process that we probably would not have a new coach named before the LV Bowl or maybe after.

That time line is still valid.

I once interviewed with the President of a Company by phone. At the time it was the best way to do it (also got the job). I think DG has been working the phones also and just because we don't publically hear those names doesn't mean there aren't other candidates for the job that might want to remain low key until it is time to come forward. Not everyone is as shameless as DW when it comes to blowing their own horn. Others like to let their "body of work" speak for them.

I have written it several times, I will trust DG until given a reason not to. All this other stuff flying around really isn't worth reacting to.

Put your seat backs in the full upright position, fasten your seat belts and let this bumpy ride play out.