Bruin Bites: Penn State Sanctions Announcement, Dietrich at Camp, Big Commit for Speraw, and Noel Mazzone Profile

It's Monday morning, and after a sunny, relaxing California weekend, it's once again time to climb back into the work week routine. So, let's get the morning commute/coffee hour/hour of stubborn refusal to do work started with the round-up of the various bits and pieces of news from around the UCLA-iverse.

So, let's get to it this morning's edition:

• Beginning with, as usual, football, sources inside the NCAA have revealed to both ESPN and CBS Sports that NCAA President Mark Emmert is going to announce unprecedented sanctions against Penn State in the wake of the disgusting and tragic scandal that resulted in an unrepentant, deviant pervert sexually abusing young children, with the iconic head coach and administration all too willing to cover it all up. According to ESPN, the announcement will be made at 9 a.m. ET (6 p.m. out on the West Coast), so stay tuned for the breaking news in a few short minutes. Consider this your open thread for reactions, opinions, and discussion on the Penn State sanctions announcement. We'll have more detailed reaction and analysis later this morning.
• Moving on to the other bits and pieces of news, and sticking with football, Dietrich Riley took part in the NCAA Youth Football Clinic in Pasadena over the weekend, helping instruct youth players on the finer points of the game. Riley, a standout from nearby St. Francis High was one of the top draws for the local kids, drawing about 325 youth football players to Jackie Robinson Park in Pasadena. Of interest to Bruin fans is Riley's proclamation that he is "fully healed" from neck surgery from his frightening neck injury last season. Getting Dietrich back, even if not until the next season, would be a huge boost to UCLA.
• Turning to the coaching staff, Rant Sports, has a somewhat detailed accounting of offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone's coaching history, beginning with his stint as the QB and WR coach at Colorado State in 1982, and ultimately projecting Noel to be a head coaching candidate following this season, assuming he can turn UCLA's boring offense into a productive, spread, air-it-out scoring machine.
• Finally, new men's volleyball coach John Speraw got a big commitment this past week, landing the commitment of 6'3" outside hitter Parker Brown from Corona del Mar. Brown, a target of Speraw's when he was still in charge at UC Irvine, decided to give UCLA a long look when Speraw took over for his mentor, the legendary Al Scates, in Westwood. So far, so good in the master plan to bring Westwood it's 20th men's volleyball national title (it sure doesn't hurt that Speraw coached the defending national champs last season).

Alright folks, those are your Bruin Bites to start the work week with. Fire away with your thoughts, takes, and additions in the comments thread, including your reaction to the breaking news re: Penn State and the expected nuclear devastation the NCAA will level.

GO BRUINS