Norton Stays at USC

The LA Times is reporting that Ken Norton Jr. will stay with the Trojans despite a job offer from UCLA.

I'm not all that terribly disappointed to be honest. I wasn't that high on Norton to begin with and I think UCLA would benefit more from hiring Nigel Burton instead. Norton didn't exactly have a defined position at UCLA, so besides his recruiting prowess, there wasn't much he was going to add. He would get a nice title and competitive pay, but in reality he would become an assistant to the assistants. Howard and Bullough are already coaching the D-line and linebackers and Walker is the DC. Norton would have been a 5th wheel.

Walker! Walker!

Oh yeah! DeWayne Walker has agreed to stay on as UCLA's defensive coordinator. This is fantastic news. We get back a great coach and an even better recruiter. This will likely keep the entire 2008 class together, and with the coaching staff solidifying, the Bruins can get back on the offensive and hit the recruiting trail again.

Defensive line coach Todd Howard and Linebacker coach Chuck Bullough will continue in their current positions. I think both have been great assistant coaches and it is good to see continuity continue in the coaching staff. That's been sorely missing over the last few years. Hopefully we'll see defensive improvements under Walker and his staff for years to come.

There were rumors, soon after the Rose Bowl, that Ken Norton Jr. might join the staff at UCLA. those rumors might have been just idle speculation, or maybe Neuheisel was looking at a backup plan in case Walker and his assistants split? In any case, with the defensive staff all but complete, I don't see Norton returning to Westwood... at least not this year.

I have to admit, I wasn't all that thrilled in getting Ken Norton Jr. back in Westwood. Not because he was at USC or because he negatively recruited against the Bruins; that's all part of the job. No, I just don't see him as being that great of a coach. Sure, the linebackers at USC are good but that's because they recruit insanely good players. I've heard talk that Norton isn't all that smart and he isn't a great X and O's guy. He might be a decent position coach, and no doubt a great recruiter, but I would hate for UCLA to take a chance on him as the defensive coordinator. Maybe if he goes and gains some experience at a lower level, to prove that he is capable, then I would be interested. As of now, I think the Bruins got a much, much better coach in Walker.

Neuheisel had this to say about keeping Walker,

"It's a great hire for us as we go forth with the new staff. DeWayne has proven himself as a bona fide, top-notch defensive coordinator in his two years. We're elated."

Neuheisel said Howard and Bullough were

"two cornerstones of the defensive staff that have proved their mettle the last couple seasons. All three were coveted by other programs. The neat thing is they decided their work wasn't done here."

Walker on the decision process,

"At the end of the day, it's about winning championships. When I had a chance to sit down with coach and listen to his vision and commitment in terms of trying to get to the championship level: (it's) really trying to finish what we started. To be a defensive coordinator but also to win a championship. Being from L.A. and having a chance to grow up around the Rose Bowl is something we haven't accomplished yet. The recruits and the (current) football team and all those things factored into this decision."

(photo credit: Getty)