We saw the signs of it on the internets through the year. Now the Walker campaign is in full swing and Brian Dohn is shamelessly leading the charge:
UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero said Thursday that interim coach DeWayne Walker would interview for the Bruins' vacant head coaching position, and added the school was close to hiring a search firm to help in the process. […]
"I'm flattered, and I think that says a little bit about what they think of me," UCLA's defensive coordinator said. "Hopefully, I can do a good enough job to be considered a legitimate candidate."
Dohn then added these details:
"I'm flattered, and I think that says a little bit about what they think of me," UCLA's defensive coordinator said. "Hopefully, I can do a good enough job to be considered a legitimate candidate."
And Holmoe said Walker would be a great fit at UCLA.
"I believe that," Holmoe said. "(Walker) has an approach that is endearing. He's a family guy ... and he loves the game. He's a Southern California guy, so he's got a lot going for him. One thing I know is there will be a lot of people calling for him."
Holmoe coached on staffs with Walker at California, and said Walker's coaching ability, likability and recruiting acumen is a perfect personality to run a high-level college program.
Walker coached for USC's Pete Carroll, Bill Belichick with the New England Patriots and Joe Gibbs with the Washington Redskins.
"He's got a great temperament," Holmoe said. "For a coach, there's a lot of characteristics, qualities, that a coach has. Whether or not they're strong or weak in them, all coaches have those qualities. You have some coaches that are exceptional in some, and very poor in others. The one thing I like about DeWayne, he's good at all of them, and exceptional at others. So there's not a lot of weaknesses."
Several players have gone to Guerrero. Bruins strong safety Chris Horton, who said he would speak to Guerrero, said there is a strong belief among the players Walker is the right person for the job.
I have heard from a very good source that Walker is Dohn’s choice to be the head coach of the UCLA football program. So it’s no surprise to me see this kind of shameless, one sided coverage from his reports."I believe that," Holmoe said. "(Walker) has an approach that is endearing. He's a family guy ... and he loves the game. He's a Southern California guy, so he's got a lot going for him. One thing I know is there will be a lot of people calling for him."
Holmoe coached on staffs with Walker at California, and said Walker's coaching ability, likability and recruiting acumen is a perfect personality to run a high-level college program.
Walker coached for USC's Pete Carroll, Bill Belichick with the New England Patriots and Joe Gibbs with the Washington Redskins.
"He's got a great temperament," Holmoe said. "For a coach, there's a lot of characteristics, qualities, that a coach has. Whether or not they're strong or weak in them, all coaches have those qualities. You have some coaches that are exceptional in some, and very poor in others. The one thing I like about DeWayne, he's good at all of them, and exceptional at others. So there's not a lot of weaknesses."
Several players have gone to Guerrero. Bruins strong safety Chris Horton, who said he would speak to Guerrero, said there is a strong belief among the players Walker is the right person for the job.
What Dohn forgets to mention in his report that players always support the existing coaching staff. Even a great player like Earl Watson remained loyal to Steve Lavin till his last day even Lavin was a complete joke. Cade McNown went to Peter Dalis’s office asking him to give the head coaching job to Bob Toledo. And IIRC even Pooh Richardson was pleading that UCLA keep Walt Hazzard as the HC.
And the ‘endorsement’ from Tom Holmoe doesn’t even pass the smell test. Here is a guy who flushed an also ran Cal program down the toilet and destroyed it to the point that it got Cal alums to wake up and force the administrators to hire a coach like Tedford. Holmoe is a complete tool and I guess it is also in his best interest to give Walker his "blessing" so that UCLA doesn’t eye the BYU head coach – Bronco Mendenhall.
Meanwhile, this obvious "campaign" on behalf of Walker via the beat press and the message boards is disconcerting because right now the hiring process at least in the public eye is stacked in his favor. From the OC Register:
Athletic Director Dan Guerrero confirmed that he will interview Walker, who is serving as interim coach for the Bruins as they prepare for the Dec. 22 Las Vegas Bowl and Brigham Young.
In that sense, Walker will have an edge on other candidates on a list that will take a more defined shape starting Friday when UCLA contracts with an executive search firm. To this point, plenty of names have been floated to varying reviews.
But Walker is in, and the Bruins will see what their search firm and own committee can come up with.
"What happens is, typically, with search firms, they certainly understand your particular university and the kinds of things that may be important to you," Guerrero said at a Las Vegas Bowl press conference. "They'll generally come in with a list of potential candidates and of course we have potential candidates in mind, as well, and you compare notes and you go from there."
Here is my question: why didn’t Guerrero have a search firm in place already? Hmm, let me see. If I am the UCLA athletic director, and I knew by September 16 (the day after the Utah debacle in which Utah’s backups slaughtered DyNoMite’s ‘defense’) that I’d probably in market for a new coach in December, I would have probably outlined the specific steps I would need to go through, and take care of some of the anticipated details through the ensuing weeks if not months. No?In that sense, Walker will have an edge on other candidates on a list that will take a more defined shape starting Friday when UCLA contracts with an executive search firm. To this point, plenty of names have been floated to varying reviews.
But Walker is in, and the Bruins will see what their search firm and own committee can come up with.
"What happens is, typically, with search firms, they certainly understand your particular university and the kinds of things that may be important to you," Guerrero said at a Las Vegas Bowl press conference. "They'll generally come in with a list of potential candidates and of course we have potential candidates in mind, as well, and you compare notes and you go from there."
I am trying to come up with a reason on why Guerrero didn’t exercise due diligence have a search firm already lined up? I can only hope this is just public posturing on his part, a smoke screen, something shiny he is throwing up in the air which the moronic beat writers can chase after and write about now. Otherwise, if it isn’t that it is very disconcerting. The whole shameless campaign on behalf of Walker is getting absolutely nauseating.
GO BRUINS.