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Welcome to the world of big time college football.
Rumors are flying all over the Internet that new Southern Cal Head Coach Steve Sarkisian has offered UCLA offensive line coach/ace recruiter Adrian Klemm a great deal of money to coach at Southern Cal.
One can only wonder how much UCLA factors into Southern Cal's recent moves. First they hire Sarkisian from Washington, opening up the one job Jim Mora might have considered taking.
Then, after Mora re-upped with UCLA, they've made a move on one of Mora's most important assistant coaches.
Much of the chatter at the moment is on Twitter and behind firewalled message-boards at both Southern Cal and UCLA sites. I am able to tell you that I called the one person I know who might have some solid info and he confirmed that the offer to Klemm was sizeable (didn't say how much it was) and that the only reason Klemm would go is for a really huge paycheck. In other words, he likes Mora and UCLA, but business is business.
As for UCLA's counteroffer - I have no idea what we intend to do. I do trust that Mora knows what he's doing. There might be a level he just can't go to, not because we don't have the money, but because it would throw off the salary structure of the rest of the staff. Klemm is important, but he's just a position coach. I would love to keep him, but also believe that Mora will find a great offensive line coach to replace him.
This is Jim Mora's program. If he is that dependent on a single assistant coach, then he isn't the right guy in the first place. And if you want to swim in the deep end, stuff like this is going to happen.
Go Bruins.