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Spurrier to Westwood?

By Nestor

Why not? It doesn't sound like Ol? Bawl Coach is having a great time at USC. From the Wizard:

We told you last week about South Carolina's Steve Spurrier citing eight to 10 "so-called players" who were failing to show the proper commitment to summer workouts. Well, Spurrier was just getting started. "We got some real sorry, lazy guys; they won't go to class; they'll flunk out or fall by the wayside at some point, but we have to deal with them in the meantime." There's more. "Not attending class, that's something you run into everywhere, but usually, even those guys will show up for workouts -- not this group." Spurrier made the comments to Bart Wright of the Greenville News.
Sounds like the Ole Bawl coach is not enjoying himself all that much at a football program with not much upside in the disgusting hot humidity of South Carolina. Can you imagine what Spurrier would do QB talents like Ben Olson (who he recruited to come out to USC when BO was looking to transfer) and C-Force? And Spurrier to UCLA talk is not all that far-fetched. Spurrier has always been interested in a high-profile state school with good weather and good golf. Here was Spurrier back in November of 2004 when talk of him taking a college gig after his stint in Washington was heating up in the media:
Spurrier said he would prefer to coach in a warm-weather climate. South Carolina? North Carolina? How about Texas?

He declined to say whether he has spoken to any schools.

"I can't answer all that. I can't answer all your questions. In the next two or three weeks, once the season is over, we'll see what happens," he told The Sun

"I think I've made it clear now that if I go back into coaching, it'll be at a good state university, a college job. Hopefully it will be in the South. I'd rather not get up there in the North."

Right now it doesn't sound like South Carolina is working out all that well. Texas is out of the question. And once he leaves USC, it's probably a good bet he won't consider another Carolina school. So, if UCLA fits all of Spurrier's crtieria, then why not?

Spurrier, just like Butch Davis, would be an amazing hire in Westwood. People who follow college football know how Spurrier turned an underachieving football program in Florida into a power house, while clowning the shady programs at Florida State and Tennessee. Here is another quick peak into the Spurrier legacy at Florida:
When Steve Spurrier was named head football coach at the University of Florida on Dec. 31, 1989, none of us ever expected what would happen over the next 12 seasons.

After 58 years of SEC participation and competition, no previous Florida team had ever won an official league championship in football (1984 was stripped after cheating). Spurrier-led Gators have accomplished this six times (1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, and 2000) dominating the SEC, its title game, and rising to national dominance by always finishing in the top 10.

He is the first coach in SEC history to win three outright conference championships in his first five years in the league. Florida's 86-14 SEC record during this period is the best in history for any head coach with a minimum of five years at a league school. Spurrier has guided the Gator to ten straight bowl appearances including two BCS appearances in the Orange Bowl.

From 1906 to 1989, only seven Gator teams won as many as nine games in one season. In twelve seasons, Spurrier teams have won nine or more each year, including 10 in 1991 and 1994, 11 in 1993 and 12 in 1995 and 1996. UF has been ranked in The Associated Press' national poll in all but one week during his tenure at Florida (160 of 161 weeks). The Gators have appeared in the AP Top 10 in each of the last 123 weeks. Spurrier has been named SEC Coach of the Year five times and won the SEC's Eastern Division championship in the first five years of conference divisional play winning the four title games in a row (1993-96).

Spurrier became the first UF coach to beat Georgia in eight consecutive years (1990-97). The 1996 season was the greatest in school history, as the squad posted a superb 12-1 regular season record and chopped the seminoles 52-20 in the 1997 national championship game - The 1997 Nokia Sugar Bowl.

At Duke his teams reached heights no Blue Devil squad had seen in nearly three decades. The offense set records and shredded Atlantic Coast Conference standards and resulted in a 1989 bowl appearance and an ACC conference championship - Duke's first bowl showing since 1960 and first conference title since 1962.

Can you imagine how Spurrier would cherish the lime light of Los Angeles while schooling the Fulmer of the West? Yes, some people will say UCLA will not spend the big bucks to bring in a coach like Spurrier. Well, people were making those silly arguments when we were day-dreaming about coaches of the caliber of Ben Howland building a dynasty in Westwood. It's the vision thing. If we have it, eventually we will achieve that greatness. We sure hope Dan Guerrerro and co. are keeping an eye on the entire college football landscape while we are getting ready for what should be the watershed year for Karl Dorrell in Westwood. If he fails to deliver 9 wins and beat SC it may be viser time in Westwood.

GO BRUINS.

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