THIS is the best Dan could do? Stanford pulled an outstanding coach out of a smaller conference. Washington State pulled a coach who was coaching a winning FBS football program a year ago.
And THIS is the best Dan could do? All around the country, athletic directors are finding up-and-coming coaches who are aware of the changing environments in recruiting, in on-the-field offensive and defensive innovation, in managing the multiple and oft-times conflicting concerns of modern collegiate athletics?
And THIS is the best Dan could do? Fine, Dan goes after many observers' #1 choice for a candidate, and gets turned down. OK, it happens. But then? Going after a coach who just signed a four-year extension two weeks before? Then going after another coach whose only significant achievements have only come with a once-in-a-generation quarterback? Dan goes from a solid #1 choice to not one but TWO wastes of effort, and then to someone with not even 10% of the college coaching experience of our last hire?
And THIS is the best Dan could do?
With all the talk of new resources being made available for a hire, with millions of dollars now available to every Pac-12 team thanks to the efforts of our new, proactive Commissioner, with talk of FINALLY improving training facilities for our team to meet standards being set by other teams over a decade ago, and finally acknowledging the need to upgrade support staff, we hire someone who hasn't walked a sideline in over two years?
And THIS is the best Dan could do? In a world with roughly THIRTY Bowl Games, and the opportunity to see multiple head coaches perform in pressure situations and see who knows how to actually RUN a program, develop talent, manage games, and deal with media... we SETTLE for someone that absolutely NO ONE else has even considered for a LOWER DIVISION job, let alone for the head coach job at one of the most renowned universities in the country?
And THIS is the best Dan could do? I have two kids in elementary school, each with their own talents and gifts. I would love for them to excel at everything they even stop to think about. But, at the end of the day, I remind myself and them that all I want from them is their honest, best, effort. If they try their hardest, do what their teacher tells them, and ask for help when they need it -- then that's fine. I just don't want them to EVER give up, and I want them to keep learning, and keep putting in their HONEST BEST to build on what they had done before.
But, HONESTLY, is THIS the best Dan could do?
If it isn't, then I want him OUT, for dishonoring what so many have believed in and worked hard to build and nourish and support.
If it is, then there is no dishonor to him, but I still want someone better IN, as in "IN PLACE OF HIM."
UCLA Football deserves better than THIS.
M
UPDATE (BN Eds): Also, echoing gbruin:
If Dan is myopic and ignorant enough to think that slipping this in on the weekend is going to lessen the blow on Monday, he is absolutely wrong. And if the people answering the phones at the Chancellor's office think it was bad before, wait until they get a load of us now. 1-310-825-2151. Start calling now Bruins, just for practice. Someone will be answering Monday morning.
There is only one message: Fire Dan Guerrero Now!
If you are tweeting, use the hashtag #NoMoraDan.
UPDATE II: Announcement from the website. Early reviews are terrible:
UCLA just made the 2nd-worst hire of the offseason. And I can't say I'm surprised.
More:
Other than 1 year as a GA, Mora has never coached in college. Never dealt with recruiting, academics, booster functions, etc. Best of luck.
Yikes. Remember, Karl Dorrell's career record is 35-27 and he has one of the worst records of a UCLA head coach ever. Mora's career record is 31-33.