Is Dan Guerrero attempting to do what no AD has done before?

by KellyBruin on Jan 21, 2008 6:27 AM PST

UPDATE -N: Bumped. Kelly Bruin posted this on December 19, 2007 at 9:50 am EDT. Some folks dismissed it as crazy talk. But now KB looks like a prophet. Coach Neuheisel deserves massive credit. But don't forget Athletic Dan Guerrero. In some ways CRN is carrying out his vision as well. GO BRUINS.

Is it possible that DG and Neuheisel have shared the same vision for some time, and rather than hire Neu for the HC position and then begin a slow process of building the assistant pool, Guerrero has the freedom and is assembling the dream team to be hired all in one shot?

Think of this:

Chow not the personality for HC nor the long term guy UCLA needs yet an interview happened, and rumors of offers already made exist and yet he's not meeting with Chancellor for 2nd interview
John Harbaugh (NFL assistants coach) Who is this guy? Why would we be interviewing? Certainly not someone a candidate for HC, but perhaps a good assistant that Neu recommended?
Walker not interviewed a second time, but remaining a loyal and invested DC?
Recently, UCLA has taken real good care, and had a focus on assistant coaches, a philosophy DG created. UCLA assistants as a group are 1st or 2nd best paid in Pac 10 (1 team doesn't report).
UCLA has a top 5 recruiting class it doesn't want to lose, and wants to give recruits a vision that the future is now. A vision that doesn't depend on whether one coach stays or goes.

Could a Neuheisel/Chow/Walker dream team be assembling this week? Now that would scare the living daylights out of $C and shut the TrOJan reporters like Simers up for good.

John Kelly (MBA 98)

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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You know

Normally I would dismiss this as crazy talk. But you are not the first person who have brought this up.

If this happens it would be a blockbuster story, and something I would totally get behind. But I still don't see it happening.

by bluestreet on Dec 19, 2007 6:57 AM PST reply actions

If you won't then . . .

I will, this is crazy talk. Don't get me wrong, I would definitely support this, and I think it would work. I don't think that would scare SC though. They're to cocky to be afraid of us. Chow is to close to his pension as an NFL assistant, he wouldn't abandon ship unless he would be making quite the change in salary.

by TheStick on Dec 19, 2007 7:20 AM PST up reply actions

It would be humiliating for Chow,

candidate for UCLA HC, to settle for an OC job under someone beating him out for the HC job. Plus, he would take a cut in pay. There is no reason for him to come to UCLA merely as OC.

DW, that's another story. The question has been asked again and again before: Just who is this guy? And why are so many Bruin zombies held spellbound by this average-at-best DC?

He is holding the recruits as ransom and making demands of UCLA: If I go, all these recruits are going to go -- so, what's it going to be?

by bluegold on Dec 19, 2007 7:29 AM PST reply actions

We definitely should not

give Walker the HC position but give the new HC all the authority to keep him or fire him if he doesn't keep the defense good in 2008. We hang on to all the recruits but the team is run by the new HC with all personnel decisions given to him. If Walker doesn't perform up to the new HC's standards, then he walks. This way, we keep the recruits but aren't necessarily held hostage by Walker because he has to perform in 2008 or he's gone.

"Call it, Friend-O"

by bruin95 on Dec 19, 2007 10:18 AM PST up reply actions

DeWayne Walker as precondition for new HC

There are a couple of points on which I respectfully disagree. Saying that Walker needs to "keep the defense good in 2008" implies that it was good in 2007- not based on the results from Utah, WSU, Arizona, USC.
Second, I would not personally accept a management position at a company if one precondition was that I need to retain a #2 who is average at best, and has already had cronies lobbying for him to get the #1 position. The fact that I could fire #2 after a year for non-performance would simply ensure a year of misery. I would want my own top lieutenants. Look at ASU- Erickson brought in his own choice at DC who he had worked with for years, and ASU's defense improved from 5th in the conference to 3rd in the conference (while Walker's with 10 returning starters dropped from 2nd in 2006 to 4th in 2007).
If we are going to go to the trouble (hopefully) of getting a qualified HC, let's not tie his hands behind his back at the beginning of his time at UCLA by forcing him to keep Walker.

by islandbruin on Dec 19, 2007 10:40 AM PST up reply actions

totally agree

the new HC could come in with even better ideas for Defensive Coordinator. People forget Walker has brought a tough approach that we needed. He has improved Bruin defense from where it was. I'd like to see him get another chance with a better offensive mind at the helm like a Neuheisel. Someone who can keep the offense on the field long enough for the defense to sit down and/or get a drink of water.

"Call it, Friend-O"

by bruin95 on Dec 19, 2007 10:48 AM PST up reply actions

What's With This Focus On Scaring sc?

No offense intended, but I just don't get the many, many posts that seem to set the goal at scaring sc.

Not even beating sc, but scaring sc.

Why use sc as the point of focus, the touchstone? sc is a grain of sand on the beach of sports.

Our focus should be on beating everyone -- on land, in the water, where ever we do sports battle.

By elevating sc, you make them too important. sc is not worthy of the focus.

Don't believe me -- in what other sport, you know the ones that contributed to the 100, do you hear the fans feeling good about scaring sc?

Is your goal for the year in bb "scaring sc" or hanging another banner?

Scaring sc is one of the manifestations of our lowered expectations.

Can we say, all together, once -- Fuck sc, and be on with our work?

sjh

by Class of 66 on Dec 19, 2007 7:32 AM PST reply actions

Scaring SC = moral victory mentality again

Years of KD will do that -- the continued lowering of expectations. Never mind about beating SC, just scare them a bit to make our season a success.

by bluegold on Dec 19, 2007 7:44 AM PST up reply actions

Fuck SC

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

by MexiBruin on Dec 19, 2007 9:44 AM PST up reply actions

That is interesting

It is thinking WAY outside the box. I could get used to that idea, if it comes to pass.

As far as scaring SC; I don't think we are trying to scare them, but we should definitely compete with them for the Conference championship. One way to do it will be to compete with them for recruits. There is no way around it. A genius hire like this could make the national news impact that could guarantee more top 5 recruiting classes.

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

by MexiBruin on Dec 19, 2007 9:43 AM PST reply actions

Scaring SC wasnt meant to be the emphasis

I agree, we should be our own entity and not worried about our cross town rivals. Perhaps I was overly influenced by the Simers article today that clearly was meant to put UCLA below his beloved TrOJans. Also drove the thinking that Guerrero is thinking way above the CW, rather than in over his head as Simers suggests.

by KellyBruin on Dec 19, 2007 9:55 AM PST reply actions

Simers makes his living off of being a prick

I don't take him seriously. He is just there to sell papers and build up talk for the fishwrap.

by bruinbabe2000 on Dec 19, 2007 10:13 AM PST up reply actions

think about $

DG has said he will spend to get a coach...but Neuheisel and Chow will probably both want/expect/demand HC money. I don't see that coming from the administration, so unless some major boosters really like the idea, I don't see it happening.

by AZBruin on Dec 19, 2007 10:24 AM PST reply actions

The only things sadder than Bruins football

is the state of journalism at the Times. They simply don't have any credible writers there- either beat reporters or columnists. The only good information is coming from this blog and other non-local sources.

by waters96 on Dec 19, 2007 10:26 AM PST reply actions

Journalism

You can't call what goes on at the LA Times "journalism" any more than you can call what Dorrell did "coaching." Simers, Streeter - how many rocks did they turn over to find these guys, anyhow?

by Tommy Bruin on Dec 19, 2007 9:12 PM PST up reply actions

Chow wont be OC for us

He is getting paid over a million bucks a year to be OC for the Titans. He just got a raise, and if he stays one more year in the pros he gets a big pension package. The only way Chow splits for UCLA is if he gets offered the head coaching job, and accepts it.

by joeb @ Bruins Nation on Dec 20, 2007 12:58 AM PST reply actions

The impossible

As much as that souunds cool having Norm Chow as our OC I really don't see him leaving the NFL to come back to college to be an offensive coordinator, I think he would only consider leaving the pros and and coming back to the college level if we were to be offered a head coaching position somewhere.

by Bruin10 on Dec 20, 2007 11:31 AM PST reply actions

100 million miracles are happening every day

... and we got ours. A minor one compared to a kid being cured of cancer or a house being saved from a flood, but we'll take it.

I'm now re-thinking my Kirk-Spock-McCoy references, as in:

Which one should be the logic-driven, first officer Spock? NC, the offensive genius; or DW, the take-no-BS defensive guru?

Which one should be the common-sense driven, country doctor McCoy? NC, the oldest, most experienced assistant who last worked in Tennessee; or DW, the tough-talking, but common-sense teaching coordinator?

Silly, I know, but I can't help it. :)

"In this program your passion bucket must be full to play SC." -- CRN, to Dan Patrick, 1/2008

by Meriones on Jan 21, 2008 6:52 AM PST reply actions

Rethinking your references

and adding in a Flower Drum Song one, I see.

by melliott2 on Jan 21, 2008 10:27 AM PST up reply actions

Coudln't help it...

... it adds perspective, but freaking hope, too. Shoot, if Fox can reference opera.

Say, did you live on 4 North in Sproul in 90-91, by any chance?

"In this program your passion bucket must be full to play SC." -- CRN, to Dan Patrick, 1/2008

by Meriones on Jan 21, 2008 10:33 AM PST up reply actions

Hah

If I had, it would have been terribly negligent of my parents. You see, I was only four years old then. I'm a current fourth year who's staying a fifth pretty much to have season tickets for another year.

And I was just glad I could catch the reference. I find that Rodgers and Hammerstein rarely have much, if anything, to do with sports, except perhaps having rehearsals cutting into football practice.

by melliott2 on Jan 21, 2008 10:46 AM PST up reply actions

I did, however

spend alot of time north of there that year, in the Childcare Center.

by melliott2 on Jan 21, 2008 10:49 AM PST up reply actions

Dream Team Assembled

Hey, thanks for noticing, guys! Just glad RN could pull it off. Check this out. Last night as Im listening to the NFC Chamionship, and my other team is pulling off a heroic upset, my blackberry chimes in with a new message from Rick Neuheisel in response to one I sent him last week. The man never stops! Somehow he finds time in a day to ice the Chow deal, probably fighting tooth and nail with UCLA administration buffoonery, and at the same time respnd personally to lowly fans like me just trying to make a connection with him.

By the way, in case youre wondering what he said, it was abrief message, just saying hes real busy with recruiting right now, but looks forward to connecting when things settle down. I had no previous contact btw, so this was purely a gut call based on a vision for UCLA football greatness. Can you say Football School?

GO BRUINS!

by KellyBruin on Jan 21, 2008 8:18 AM PST reply actions