The Courage to Fail

by Class of 66 on Dec 21, 2007 1:53 PM PST

Bumped. -Menelaus

To Truly Succeed, You Must Have the Courage to Fail -- and DG Does.

When my 15 yr old daughter Jen the smart (her favorite t-shirt is "Genius by Birth -- Slacker by Choice") was in the second grade, at a parent teacher conference the parents were asked what they wanted their kid to learn. Most said, "reading", "math" or "to color within the lines". I wrote down that I wanted for her to learn how to fail. The teacher was stunned and called me up and asked what I meant. My answer -- "Jen needs to know that to truly be great she has to be able to learn to leave her comfort zone. Doing that means she might reach too far, and fail. I want her to know that there are no great successes without the risk of failure."

All my life, I've watched people not achieve their full potential because they have feared taking risks.

What does that have to do with our football coach search? Plenty. In this, his signature hire -- and his most scrutinized act -- DG has shown us that he has the courage to reach out, take a risk, and if necessary stumble, publicly. DG is showing us that he has the courage to fail -- the courage that is needed to do something great.

I will not wail and moan over the loss of Bellotti (my first choice was Leach, anyway).

For those of you who thought he was not running a proper search, and were swayed by the daily msm rumor mongers and their spin -- you've now learned that DG is doing it right.

Although all we have are rumors of the Bellotti story -- because, DG has properly conducted the search, quietly so as to allow access to those with bowl games yet to play -- there are some lessons to be learned.

We are going after big name, experienced head coaches.

We have the money to go after big name experienced head coaches.

There are plenty of big name experienced head coaches left in the pool.

No matter how some of the rumor mongers tried to lower our expectations, they never lowered DG's. Yes, we may still end up with a 2nd tier coach, someone like RN. But, if we do, I will not fault DG. Yesterday's events made clear that he has set his sights high and is doing his best. He has the courage to fail and I applaud him for that.

sjh

PS. Isn't it interesting that no one wailed about our losing the "recruit class of all time" if Bellotti were hired? I didn't see that topic mentioned by Dohn or the other negativists/DW pushers.

Like most of us believe and have been saying -- build it with the right coach, and they will come.

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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Comments

Great POST..

Let's remember Cheaty Petey was a leap of faith by Southern Cal. I just want a solid coach who can adapt at the half.

by bruinelder on Dec 21, 2007 2:00 PM PST reply actions

Nice post, Prof.

Nice post, indeed.

"Because I'm tired of it. Year after year after year after year having to choose between the lesser of 'Who cares?'"

by Meriones on Dec 21, 2007 2:00 PM PST reply actions

Nicely done

And I'm happy both that this proved my fears re DG wrong, and also that it dispelled the oft-repeated refrain from critics that UCLA would never offer big names because of some loosely defined "fear of being turned down."

Not to mention that I know have a good thing to put down on the form for my daughter's first parent/teacher conference.

by Menelaus on Dec 21, 2007 2:07 PM PST reply actions

Good Comments

I agree with your sentiments. The fickle love of the fan base has a tendency to create a panic around whatever the rumor of the moment happens to be. I got a little beat up last week from some here on BN for committing, sight unseen, to who ever comes out of this coaching search. One of the points I tried to make in my argument was that Guerrero has earned a lot of credibility by bringing in top flight coaches such as Howland, Savage and other non-revenue sport coaches. Also, he did not tip his hand too much during the season, but was quick to pull the plug on Dorrell as soon as he felt the time was right. While I personally would like to have seen a change right after the Utah game, that is a fan talking. Waiting until the end of the season was probably more professional and ethical.

The Bellotti story and the fact that he was interviewed without it leaking for a couple of days speaks volumes about how much may be going on that no one is really aware. At the risk of raising the ire of the denizens of BN, I still believe Guerrero has earned the benefit of the doubt. Beside, he has more to lose with this decision than almost anyone else. This is a key measure of his job performance. While a second bad hire in the number 1 revenue producing sport, would not sit well with the fan base, I doubt it will play well with Guerrero's bosses either.

by Bruin77 on Dec 21, 2007 2:14 PM PST reply actions

As long as DG doesn't..

interview Bobby Petrino we will be alright.

by bruinelder on Dec 21, 2007 2:17 PM PST up reply actions

Petrino talk would be a great smoke-screen.

by bornagainbruin on Dec 21, 2007 2:22 PM PST up reply actions

And the defense rests.

Great post, SJH, as always.

I've been agreeing all along with your calls for patience and giving DG time and space to do his job. The effort to get Bellotti shows that that patience is deserved.

As much as I don't like to admit it, there are several road blocks to getting a great coach at UCLA - salary, facilities, cost of living in LA, parking (well, maybe they can handle that one), etc. But our fears that DG is not swinging for the fences have to be allayed, and can now be reason for hope - something which has been missing for much too long in Westwood.

I tell my 5 year old - though you never want to lose, but you have to learn how to deal with losing all the same. Maybe a similar sentiment?

greg in denver

by gbruin on Dec 21, 2007 2:32 PM PST reply actions

SJH

Your daughter going to go to UCLA? :P

This is what's pop'n

by PopnFried on Dec 21, 2007 3:51 PM PST reply actions

We Hope So

She's working hard and doing well. She's been raised to be a Bruin since little. Bruin bib, song girl costume, BB and FB games, pictures with Jo and Josephine. It's in her blood.

She plays the flute and marches with her HS Band (and this year Color Guard). At the Nut Bowl, she kept watching the Bruin band section, rocked to their cadences and said she knew many of them.

Jen took some pre -ACT test and scored 99th percentile in everything except science where she had a perfect score.

Yet, we know that as an out of stater she might get in; and we know it is very difficult to get into the Bruin Band.

My brother has also mucked up the process by taking her to Stanford Camp at Tahoe. She now has an interest in Stanford. And, this summer we walked the UCSB campus and she fell in love with it, too.

Jen has been raised to understand that she need not go to college, that she can go to Beauty School, that the world is her oyster BUT SHE CANNOT GO TO sc. She's still a soph in high school so we have more time to set her on the right path.

Thanks for asking this proud Dad about his kid.

sjh

by Class of 66 on Dec 21, 2007 4:12 PM PST up reply actions

"Might" should be "might not"

sjh

by Class of 66 on Dec 21, 2007 4:17 PM PST up reply actions

if she's into band...

take that into consideration wrt Stanford. I did.

by AZBruin on Dec 21, 2007 4:53 PM PST up reply actions

That's a good point, Steve

Stanford does not have what can actually be called a "band." I'm not sure any name has been assigned to it. It is to college bands what CTS was to college coaches.

by Fox 71 on Dec 21, 2007 7:32 PM PST up reply actions

And it was recently suspended for misconduct

by SuperBruinMan on Dec 21, 2007 7:41 PM PST up reply actions

Stanford band

In the early 70's our family lived in Menlo Park and we had season tickets to the Stanford games. Since we were near campus, I remember many times seeing the band practice, and believe me, they had discipline effecting a "crazy" atmosphere.

Year later, they changed for the worse, in the 80-90's, not sure exactly when. IIRC, they became what that are now due to being disciplined by the school so many times. But in the 70's they were very creative and within "tolerances" for acceptability.
Bill

BillSouthBay

by Mensgym on Dec 21, 2007 8:39 PM PST up reply actions

I don't understand what is so great...

about going after top coaches when you don't get them? That seems like another "gutty like Bruin" thing. I am just not terribly proud that UCLA took a deep breath, fought back all of its fears and stepped outside of its comfort zone to allow a coach like Bellotti the honor of letting UCLA talk to him (like we are some geeky freshman trying to ask the head cheerleader to the dance).

At this point, I wouldn't want to deal with anybody who has to be talked into coming to UCLA. Guerrero should have called everyone he really wanted to talk to, left word that he was interested and waited for them to call back. Anyone who doesn't call back is on their own. If coaches aren't interested in coming to UCLA then the athletic department needs to hire a firm not to coerce coaches into taking meetings with Guerrero but to figure out why coaches aren't excited at the possibility of being considered as the coach of UCLA.

by UCngLA on Dec 21, 2007 4:20 PM PST reply actions

The Search Isn't Over

I still believe that the bulk of important interviews are either yet to come or cannot be made public because the prime candidates are coaching in bowl games.

And, remember, it was not UCLA that announced that it had talked with Bellotti. We don't know how that got out. It could have been a planted leak from Bellotti -- he may have used us to better his position at Oregon. If so, that's ok.

What we learn from this is that we are in the hunt for top names, apparently have the money to pay a top of the line coach, and that we are not afraid to go after one.

What's the alternative? Accept DW because he is here, wants the job and is easy?

I choose to believe that DG is doing it right and that we will try our hardest to bring in a coach who meets his espoused standards. It just may take some time. And, I'm not the least bit upset that we get turned down by some candidates. The fit has to be on both sides. Better to get turned down than have someone who really does not belong here.

sjh

by Class of 66 on Dec 21, 2007 4:30 PM PST up reply actions

Simple...

You gotta try to succeed.

It shows we are trying...

by kidro2001 on Dec 21, 2007 5:28 PM PST up reply actions

The point is

...that DG is trying to land a great coach, and is not settling for lower tier candidates like the Walkers and Chows of the world. Many have been concerned that UCLA would not make that sort of effort.

greg in denver

by gbruin on Dec 21, 2007 6:12 PM PST up reply actions

Part of succeeding is being persistent

I don't recall the numbers exactly, but Thomas Edison tried hundreds (and probably thousands) of light bulb filaments before he actually got it right. If he hadn't been so damn persistent, he would've NEVER succeeded. I'm sure there's tons of other analogies, but this one stands out the most to me.

Anyway, 66 is right. There's nothing wrong with being turned down by a big name coach. Hell, eve Michigan was turned down a few times before they landed Rich Rodriguez. Fear of failure was probably the biggest problem with UCLA hires in the past. It is definately one of the reasons why UCLA hasn't landed a big name football coach in 30+ years.

by OutOThsWrld on Dec 21, 2007 4:31 PM PST reply actions

Mike Bellotti

I blame TJ Slimers for Bellotti turning down the job. Bellotti was trying to escape the negative press in Oregon and he was greeted by more of the same in this mornings Slimer's column. Bellotti turned down UCLA shortly after Slimers wrote that Bellotti's wife attacked an Oregon reporter in a drunken rage and how Bellotti tried to hide his son, Luke's 2 DUI convictions.

by bruin75 on Dec 21, 2007 6:14 PM PST reply actions

Well Said, SJH

So it goes.

by Sweetbreads Bailey on Dec 21, 2007 6:15 PM PST reply actions

Leech, Kelly, Golden

And even Rick are all better hires than Bellotti. I keep going back to this but I think sjh will back me up, Your definition of "Big Name Coach" is warped by where you live. I was at a poker game in North Carolina last night when the Bellotti story broke and no one know who he was at first, but all of them knew Golden from Virgina, and his reputation as a recruiter, as I am sure in Texas the same would be said about Leech. DG is looking on a national scale, as he should, so again look at the coach first, really check him out before you get excited/fill with hate. There are coaches outside the Western United States.

by Bear on Dec 21, 2007 6:21 PM PST reply actions

Patience

I, like everyone else, is anxious regarding the hiring of a new coach. However, what do we gain by selecting a coach in the next two days. Unless there is a home run hire out there, what is the difference (other than our collective anxiety) whether we hire a second tier coach now or have to settle in early January. Any commit can decommit, recommit as many times as they choose until February. I would rather DG exhaust ALL possibilities rather than settle now because the fan base has anxiety...

by Gary72 on Dec 21, 2007 7:39 PM PST reply actions

ESPN dweebs

Were touting Walker again tonight...large. They were pushing UCLA to remove his interim tag before the BYU game so the Bruins could focus. Again one of the motivations according to them is the Bruins might lose this recruting class...

Where in the hell do they find these "experts"?

BTW, for other college football-related laughs, go here:

http://thisgoesto11.blogspot.com/2007/12/todays-waaay-too-funny.html

by bbuclabruins on Dec 21, 2007 7:53 PM PST reply actions

They're douchebags

Actually taped it so I could watch it later. Can we please stop hearing about how important it is to keep the recruits, like our program will die if some of them leave? I'd happily let them all go, if it meant finding the right person for this job. There will be other recruiting classes. Just focus on finding the right guy DG- If you build it, they will come.

by DallasBruin on Dec 21, 2007 8:17 PM PST up reply actions

Uhmm

I'm not ready to let DG off the hook just yet. Just becuase he is publicly going after big names (and getting rejected) doesn't earn him a merit badge.

We should EXPECT him to go after big names because that is what big time programs do.

Anyone can go after and get rejected by big names. Question is, can DG be persuasive enough to LAND the big name?

Save the praise and judgement for the announcement; when it really counts.

"This is not a place for just any coach" Dan Guerrero

by godblesstyus95 on Dec 21, 2007 8:34 PM PST reply actions