Rivalry Recession

Remember the good old days? You know, way back in 2008, when cars were still made in Detroit and Rick Neuheisel was the newly minted head coach in Westwood. People were excited back then and, dare I say it, optimistic.

Even though the Bruins had lost eight of their last nine games against the Trojans, there was talk that things would be changing. Some even had the audacity to believe that the days of Pete Carroll's football empire were numbered. The once dead rivalry between UCLA and USC was about to be resurrected and Neuheisel was poised to put the Bruins back on top.

Then the season started.

After watching eight losses, a school-record twenty interceptions, and a parade of overwhelmed offensive lineman, one thing became perfectly clear... Neuheisel and the Bruins were a long way from challenging USC for conference supremacy. A very long way.

The other truth was that Karl Dorrell had left the cupboard bare. UCLA was short on size, speed, and athleticism and even a dream team of assistant coaches wasn't going to turn the ship around in one season.

Not that any of this should surprise anyone who has been paying attention the last few years.

Pete Carroll has been not-so-quietly amassing a collection of all star players over at USC. When you land a top-5 recruiting class year after year, it's kind of hard not to dominate everyone in your path.

During that same time, the football program in Westwood was content to let Carroll pick the creme of the crop from southland high schools, hoping to scoop up the leftovers.

The complete trouncing that the Bruins received this past December at the hands of the Trojans pretty much sums up the state of the rivalry at that point. Outmatched, under sized, and overwhelmed, the boys in blue never really had a chance to win.

If that wasn't bad enough, the exclamation point came a few months later when eleven USC players were taken in the NFL draft. Not a single UCLA player was chosen... not even the punter.

Amidst all of this doom and gloom, there are some signs of recovery. The Bruins last two recruiting classes have been head-and-shoulders above their predecessors.

Last year's freshman and the new arrivals this fall should inject some much needed talent into the program. Impact players like Rahim Moore, Derrick Coleman, and Jeff Baca have already claimed starting roles. Redshirt freshman Kevin Prince has been named the starting quarterback and some very talented offensive lineman will be arriving this August.

In fact, I expect over half of UCLA's starters on offense to be underclassman this year.

Neuheisel has finally brought a little competition back to the recruiting trail as well. He managed to steal some of Carroll's thunder this past February when he convinced two highly regarded USC recruits to switch their allegiance to UCLA.

Wide receiver Randall Carroll and H-back Morrell Presley were much needed additions to the latest Bruins class. Presley has already impressed the coaches this spring with his intensity and Carroll is one of the fastest high school seniors in the state. Both have the potential to be big time play makers.

The Bruins will continue to rebuild this season while the Trojans reload with another round of Parade All Americans. The results on the gridiron may not be markedly different from last year but give it some time. Like declining global economies, football programs take a while to turn around.

If anyone is going to bring life back to this rivalry it is Rick Neuheisel and all he needs is a few more stocked recruiting classes. Well, that or an NFL program with lots of money, no head coach, and Pete Carroll's cell phone number. Whichever comes first.

Prince was the Right Decision

Well, it should come as a surprise to nobody that Prince was named the starter. He was taking the lion's share of the reps all spring. I think this is a great move by Neuheisel. UCLA now has a starting freshman quarterback with 4 years of eligibility left. Behind him is a true freshman quarterback with 5 years left. This will give these guys time to grow and develop in the system and give the Bruins stability at the position. There will be growing pains this year and likely into the 2010 season as well. But that kind of investment will start paying big dividends down the road.

Spring Game: Progress?

It was a chilly night out at the Rose Bowl. Not only were the fans a bit cold, but so was the offense; at least when it was running against the first string defense. But as the night progressed, the QBs started heating up, the running game thawed out a bit, and the fans left with some glimmers of hope for the 2009 season.

Let me just say that spring games at the Rose Bowl are awesome. That is one of the many great things that coach Neuheisel has brought to the program since he returned to Westwood. The other thing is getting former players and coaches involved. They were out there last night: Bruce Davis, Terry Donahue, Dick Vermeil, and Jerry Robinson. They were interviewed by Wayne Cook during breaks in the action and even coach Neuheisel was "wired up" and talked to the fans when the players were getting instructions on the next series.

Just like the last scrimmage, the offense came out and immediately got a first down on their first series. Coleman looked solid in those first few plays and the offense was downright nimble. That was the first three plays. After that the offense got pummeled by the defense. Dropped passes, defensive lineman in the backfield, and a running game that was going nowhere. Verner even picked off Prince to end his first drive.

Once the first string defense was on the bench, the tide started to turn. Johnathan Franklin provided one of the first sparks, by getting a nice screen pass from a scrambling Prince. If it were live action and the quarterbacks were allowed to be hit, I'm not sure if Kevin would have got the pass away. But it was still a nice pass and Franklin rambled down the field deep into the red zone. He came back out on another series and put the ball into the end zone for the first score of the evening. Later in the scrimmage he had another big run on a similar screen pass.

Dean and Knox also put together some nice runs. Dean has some power and on one memorable run he ran over a defender at the line of scrimmage; at first I thought it was going to be a short gain, but he managed to stay on his feet and ramble forward for another 10 yards. Knox, again, did his best Mo Drew impression. Bouncing off of guys and exploding through the line.

I'm sorry to say that Raymond Carter was not impressive. I think he only had one or two nice runs. The rest were him scrambling to the outside for a short gain. He had a fumble that was lost and he tends to go down on first contact. I don't think he's ever come back 100% from his knee surgery and I'm pretty sure the freshman backs are going to pass him up on the depth chart.

The quarterbacks got clicking as the night progressed. Prince started completing a number of passes in this spread, multiple receiver set. He had a great pass to Austin on a play where he rolled out to his right. It looked like everyone was covered but he found Austin on a 30 yard pass. Terrance came back to help out his QB and I thought it was a great connection for both players. Brehaut also had some good connections and some quick runs. Like Prince, he really struggled early but he found some success and put together a few good drives.

Kevin Craft just doesn't get it. He comes in for his first play of his first series and makes this ridiculous, ill advised shovel pass toward Presley on a broken play. Instead of just tucking the ball and running for a couple of yards, he makes this pass which had almost no chance of being completed and every chance of being intercepted. He was immediately benched and only came back at the very end of the night.

Besides Austin, the receivers were not very good today. There were a lot of dropped passes. Only at the end, when the 3rd string defense was in there, were guys consistently hanging onto the ball. I don't remember any of the TE making any big plays. Even Presley, who has had a big spring, made some drops and ran some routes wrong. This group, as a whole, really needs to step up. I would say that the best catches of the evening were made by the running backs.

The defense as a whole looked really sharp. Reggie Carter made a huge hit in the middle of the scrimmage that got the crowd oohing and awwing. Brian Price did his usual thing and I think he got two or three sacks. I counted four fumbles that the defense recovered, two of which were forced. The secondary was hawking the ball and absolutely swarming the offense. I'm sure much of that is the familiarity of the defense with the offensive game plan.

There was virtually no special teams play because Frank Gantz Jr. was visiting his ailing father. The only play was a field goal attempt that I believe was partially blocked. The special teams play during scrimmages is always really boring because they don't have live tackling... so I didn't miss it.

It was a fun game and I had a great time. I don't know if I saw anything entirely different from the week prior. I wasn't expecting a whole lot from the offense because so many guys were out with injury. The offensive line will be entirely reformed in the fall with the new guys and Maiva back in the lineup. Prince showed some flashes of being a good QB, but also struggled as a true freshman. A summer to polish up on the play book and work on timing will help these guys and I'm hoping for some big improvements come August.

Rick, Rick, Rick!

At the end of the game against Tenneesee, Rick Neuheisel got up and addressed the crowd. We were exhausted, excited, and still recovering from near heart failure. I was 100% convined, about a half dozen times, that we were going win that game only to have another half dozen moments where I was positive we would lose. Neuhiesel wrapped up one of the most eciting games I've ever witnessed with a great speach. Another cerished memory I'll keep for a very, very long time.

It is GREAT to be a Bruin!

Two Words

Hell.

Yes.


Its late and I just got back from the Rose Bowl, but I'll have a lost more thoughts and some video from the game. Couldn't have asked for a better start to the Neuheisel era. What a game. Hell Yes!!

How You Like Me Chow!

Think about this for a minute. Rick Neuheisel, in his first few weeks as head coach, just convinced two other coaches ( who were up for the exact same job ) to come work for him. That's some serious mojo. With Norm Chow officially on board, as of this weekend, Neuheisel has radically transformed the UCLA coaching staff from a game day liability into probably the best staff in the conference.

One of the best things about this staff of Neuheisel, Walker and Chow is that they are determined to best USC. If you could channel the collective hatred of the Ketchup n' Mustard and form it into some type of primordial ooze then out of that soup would emerge these three coaches. They want to compete with Carrol and company. They want to take back this city. It's emotional for them, it's a challenge, and I think it is also personal. In the Monday press conference, Rick had this to say about the Trojans:

"Our goal is for us to get where they are," Neuheisel said about USC during a teleconference to introduce Chow. "We want to be one of the elite college football programs."

Man... Norm frickin' Chow. Even as a die-hard Neuheisel supporter, I didn't think that was possible. As of last week I was writing stuff like this:

Speaking of Chow, I don't think he is coming to UCLA. At least not this year.

Believe me when I say that I'm much better at my day job then I am at predicting the outcome of coaching hires at UCLA. What a coup for Rick. I'm sure some of it was blind luck with Tennessee firing Norm. But hey, better to be lucky then good. In the news conference it was mentioned that Chow originally said no, on a few occasions, to offers from Neuheisel. Rick is persistent in his recruiting and it looks like that dogged determination has paid off in this coaching hire as well.

Ben Olson must be doing back flips right now. With his football career stuck in second gear and only one more season to prove his worth, he must have been praying hard for some quality coaches to show up at his door. I don't think he could have asked for a better duo in Neuheisel and Chow. Rick has played in the NFL as a quarterback and was recently coaching a Heisman winning signal caller at Baltimore. Chow has worked with a bevy of talented players: Matt Leinart, Carson Palmer, Ty Detmer, Steve Young, Jim McMahon and Philip Rivers. He was given credit for almost single handily turning around Carson Palmer's career and three of those guys went on to win the Heisman.

It is that kind of resume that will draw great offensive players to Westwood. You know every quarterback currently at UCLA is going nuts right now. You have to imagine that a lot of other kids, who aren't in college yet, are going to seriously take a look at UCLA... some probably for the first ime. What offensive recruit wouldn't want to play for Norm Chow? What defensive recruit wouldn't want to play for DeWayne Walker? Throw Neuheisel into the mix and the Bruins should be stocking talent for years to come.

Here is a quote from Ben via Rich Perelman's blog:

"I always wanted to play for Coach Chow and things didn’t quite work out at USC. I looked at USC twice -– when I came out of high school and then when I got back from my mission. I always wanted to play for Coach Chow, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that. I consider myself very lucky to have the opportunity to learn from the best and I’m going to make the most of the opportunity and work my hardest to do what he asks me to do.

"I can’t remember when I was this excited about football."

You and every other Bruin fan, Ben. It's exciting times in Westwood.

The exact details of the contract are still in the works. I'm hoping Chow sticks around for at least two years. We absolutely need some continuity on this staff. In just a few years, I'm sure Chow could get this offense back to the top of the conference rankings.

(photo credit: Getty Images)

Why Rick is Good for the PAC-10

For a while now, the PAC-10 has been a lopsided conference. There was USC at the top and the nine dwarfs trailing well behind. But times, as they say, are a changing. The rest of the conference is starting to get its act together and Rick Neuheisel could be another reason why the days of Trojan dominance are numbered. There is little doubt that Neuheisel will be good for UCLA but I believe he will also be good for the PAC-10 as well.

The Rise of Troy

Let's turn back the clocks a few decades. If you look at the winners of the PAC-10 (and it's prior incarnations) over the last five decades, you'll see three schools repeated over and over: UCLA, USC, and Washington. Since 1959, one of those three teams have won at least a share of the conference title in 43 of the 49 seasons. Occasionally, a Stanford or Arizona St or Oregon will rise to the top, but the three historical powers in the PAC-10 are the Bruins, Trojans, and Huskies.

Yet in 2001, those three teams were in decline. USC had been struggling under Paul Hackett, Bob Toldeo was presiding over a fading UCLA squad, and Rick Neuheisel was about to have his job as the Huskie head coach yanked out from underneath him. Add to that the impending departures of Mike Price at WSU and Dennis Erickson at Oregon State and the PAC-10 was in the midst of a serious power vacuum.

Into this environment walked Pete Carroll. He wasn't USC's first choice to replace Hackett, nor was he the second. Hell, he wasn't even their third choice. Nobody knew it at the time, but this almost-passed-over coach was about to lead the Trojans to a record setting six straight conference titles. He inherited a gold mine of talent at USC. He also found a fertile recruiting bed that had been shipping it's best players outside of California for a number years. With UCLA in no position to challenge for those players, and the conference lacking a true powerhouse, Carroll woke the sleeping giant and quickly pushed the Trojans to the top of the conference.

Typically, in college football, you see cycles of success and failure that last a few years. But the Trojans found themselves in a perfect storm of conditions that have lead to their absolute dominance of the conference for the better part of this decade. Both UCLA and Washington, the other two historical powers, have spun their wheels during the seven years since Carroll took over. Washington went into the toilet after they unceremoniously and illegally (per the civil suite they settled) terminated Rick. They hired a string of coaches who have run that program into the ground. UCLA unwittingly put up the white flat when it hired Dorell. He sputtered and stalled and kept the Bruins far below their potential as a national football power.

The last two years, however, have seen a crack in the Trojan amor. They have lost two conference games in back-to-back seasons and they've had to share the conference crown as well. Dennis Erickson is back in the conference coaching at ASU and he has the Sun Devils firing on all cylinders. They were PAC-10 co-champs in his first season. Jeff Tedford has California's name being mentioned in national conversations. Mike Bellotti has turned Oregon into a dangerous team as well. Heck, even Stanford has some life under Jim Harbaugh.

The New Neuheisel Era

Yet still, the other traditional powers besides USC, have struggled. Until now. Rick Neuheisel has only been on the job for one week but he is already making a splash. He had the press eating out of his hand at his introductory press conference. He had a cameo at the Rose Bowl, went on national sports radio, and rumors are circulating that top-notch players are looking to transfer to UCLA. He's eying USC's coaches and he even won his first recruiting battle against Tyrone Willignham for the services of DeWayne Walker. There is a buzz around Westwood for the first time in a long time.

It will likely take Neuheisel and his staff a few years before he can get UCLA back into the national spotlight with their play of the football field. But, in the meantime, he is serving the rest of the college football world notice. UCLA is coming. The Bruins are going to start competing for championships. They're going to start competing with USC. We're going to bring back some balance to the rivalry and help topple the king off his throne atop the conference rankings.

If Neuheisel can start recruiting top talent to UCLA then the Bruins can knock a few paces off of USC's step. Not only by winning recruiting victories, but by fielding a team that competes with the Trojans, year in and year out, on the field. The 2008 recruiting class is shaping up nicely and the Bruins have a bright future if Rick can keep that ball rolling. With the aura of invincibility removed from the Trojans, top recruits will start considering UCLA and other schools in the conference as viable places to show case their talent.

When that happens, the PAC-10 will again become a conference of balanced, competitive play. Instead of just one super power winning the title every season, we'll go back to a time when eight different teams won a share of the conference crown in the course of a decade. The Bruins won't win them all under Neuheisel, but you can be sure that UCLA will finally be getting its fair share of grid iron glory. That will be to the detriment of USC and their fans, but it can't be anything but good news to the other programs living in the Trojan's shadow.

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)

Will He Stay or Will He Go?

Now that the head coaching position has been filled, the question is who will be the coordinators under Neuheisel? The rumors are flying fast and furious over coach Walker. Will he stay with the Bruins or will he go to Washington?

Sporting News is reporting that Walker has already signed with Washington. But nobody else, as of this morning anyways, has confirmed that. Brian Dohn spoke with Walker recently and he said no decision has been made. The chatter on internet message boards seem to confirm the Sporting News report that it is a done deal. So is it? I sure hope not, because Walker is a great coach and an even better recruiter.

If Walker jets for another job, then Rick Neuheisel will immediately have to earn that $1.25 million salary of his. There is only a month and a half left before signing day. He'll have to see how many recruits he can convince to stay with UCLA. It might be a challenge, as so many have stated that Walker and Eric Scott where key reasons they commited in the first place. But Rick is supposed to be a great recruiter and if anyone can keep this class together, it is our golden boy.

On Neuheiel and NCAA Violations

(Ed Note: I started writing this article before Neuheisel was hired. Still, I think it helps shed some light on his past transgressions)

Another argument you hear against Rick Neuheisel is that he recorded over 50 NCAA violations during his time as the head coach in Colorado and Washington. That sounds like a shocking number and nobody wants a coach who is a cheater. But when you look further into the details, you'll discover that there is a whole lot of hoopla over some very minor rules violations.

The following information comes from a number of websites:

USA Today,
University of Colorado,
Seattle PI,
University of Washington Magazine

Compensation Violations

The first set of violations was due to over compensating recruits during visits. Here is the list:

1. Excessive reimbursement for mileage to recruits ranging from $3.20 to $35.76
2. $15 in excessive entertainment money to each of three student hosts of recruits
3. Use of a hotel game room at a cost of $3 over the limit for some recruiting week-ends
4. Provision of TV station tours and a gift of a mock interview tape
5. Allowing a newspaper reporter from a recruit's hometown to be present during a campus visit.
   
6. Failure to recover athletic apparel provided for campus visit week-ends and inadequate equipment room monitoring.
   

I mean, seriously, this is some rather petty stuff. A few dollars here and there for "excessive entertainment". Going $3 over the limit for playing on a Nintendo? My goodness, the humanity. Really, all of this is accounting problems, not problems with Rick, but because he was the head coach he gets the blame. Reggie Bush took over $300,000 from agents while he played at USC and Neuheisel gets run up the flag poll for recruits keeping Buffalo t-shirts after their visit. Mind boggling.

Just this year, Colorado got in trouble again for not charging walk-on players enough money for meals over the course of 5 years. Their punishment? They lost 3 scholarships and the school will pay a $100,000 fine. They also got two years probation. Now you have to ask yourself, is it Colorado that has a problem with keeping track of money spent on players and recruits or is it Neuheisel? Because it sounds to me like the University has the problem.

Recruiting Violations

The next set of violations were the more serious stuff. All related to recruiting:

1. A CU staff member phoned a walk-on player after he had transferred to a different institution.
2. Football coaching staff under Rick Neuheisel's direction regularly making in-person, off-campus "contacts" with prospective student-athletes outside of appropriate contact periods. The staff contacted 26 recruits.
3. Use of a private jet without proper documentation by then-coach Neuheisel for recruiting.
4. Attendance at a prospect's baseball game by an unauthorized athletic department staff member.
5. Neuheisel also made improper contact with several of his former Colorado players after going to Washington
   
6. Engaged one UW recruit in a a game of H-O-R-S-E, deemed an improper tryout by the NCAA.

These violations are all very minor. Rick gets 26 violations for calling recruits during a "silent period". This is a very common practice called "bumping". Basically the recruiter just calls and says what's up, just to keep in touch. It happens all the time. Rick just got caught. Still, it is a violation. A very minor, secondary violation... but still a violation none the less.

The improper contact with his former recruits when he went to Washington comes from him calling those players and "wishing them good luck". Was he also recruiting them to the UW? Maybe, but it is very plausible to think he also was honestly just wishing them well. Coaches get to know their recruits over the course of a few years. They build relationships and some even look up to their coaches as father figures. To just walk away without even a goodbye seems cold and heartless. But that's the NCAA rules.

Calling a game of HORSE an improper tryout is so ridiculous it is absurd. Attending a baseball game of a recruit is rules violation? I mean seriously. I understand that the NCAA is trying to protect the kids, but some of this stuff is so draconian. The private jet one sounds bad, until you read it closer. It wasn't a violation that he used the jet, just that he didn't have the proper documentation and approval.

Fallout and Sanctions

In the wake of these minor violations, the University of Washington self-imposed penalties including reducing Neuheisel's off-campus visits in 2000 from 29 to 9. They also agreed not to accept any of Neuheisel's former Colorado players as transfers.

When the NCAA completed its investigation of the violations at Colorado, they prohibited Rick from off-campus recruiting for a few months. For lack of institutional control, the NCAA placed the Buffaloes on probation for two years, reduced the number of scholarships by two and restricted off-campus recruiting by Colorado coaches. Neuheisel also got censured by the American Football Coaches Association earlier that year for "demonstrated lack of remorse for such violations" in the Colorado recruiting infractions..

Second Chances

At the end of the day, Rick did break some rules while he was a head coach. But let's put them in perspective. He was a very young coach, at the age of 34, when he took over the reigns at Colorado. He only had one year of experience as an OC before being pushed into the limelight of one of the best programs in the Big-8. Colorado had gone 11-1 the prior season and the Buffs were just a few years removed from a National Championship. There was immense pressure on him to preform and he probably felt that he had to work twice as hard to impress his critics.

He was an aggressive recruiter, no doubt. There is a fine line between been aggressive and violating the rules. Rick stepped over that line a few times. He didn't cheat, he didn't steal signals, he didn't break the rules of the game. No, he just went a little too far in trying to get the best talent into his program. In NASCAR they have an expression, "if you ain't cheating you ain't trying". In the same way, recruiting is a dance that has coaches going as close to the line as possible and finding "creative" ways to interpret the rules.

He was young and obviously didn't realize that, while each violation was minor, that as a whole it could hurt the University. If anyone in the college ranks understands the repercussions of pushing the NCAA rules, it is Rick. I think now that he is older and wiser, he'll learn form these mistakes. He has recently expressed that he is sorry for the incidents that occurred and he takes ownership of them. There isn't anything he can do now to make up for those mistakes, except run a clean program and stay out of trouble.

I'm all for giving Rick a second chance. It has been almost 10 years since his last violation was committed. He is, after all, a Bruin and member of the UCLA family and that should be enough reason to give him our support. He is definitely one of Westwood's wayward sons and It's time for him to come back home and prove that his past is just that... in the past.

Rick! Rick! Rick!

Neuheisel hired on as the head coach. Boy, I was about to go postal on Guerrero over the delay in the decision. But he made the right hire and I'm glad to see Westwood's wayward son return home.

Neuheisel now has to convince Walker to stick around. From Brian Dohn's article:

“I have told Dan that DeWayne Walker is my No. 1 recruit,’’ Neuheisel said. “I am very, very impressed with the defense he played over the last couple of years.’’

Sweet. Let's make that deal Dan and Rick. Keep one of the best defensive coordinators UCLA has seen in a very long time. The push will also be on for the recruiting class which is currently ranked #7 by Scout.com.

I'll have more thoughts later. Needless to say, I'm very happy right now. I think Neuheisel is a great hire and a candidate I have liked from the beginning. As the search narrowed, he clearly became the best prospect and I think Guerrero absolutely made the right choice today.

RICK! RICK! RICK!

Harbaugh-humbug

OK, so the "mystery" 3rd choice was John Harbaugh? Because, if that's the case, them I'm officially done following the rumors around this job. Seriously. If it's not going to be somebody big like Mike Leach, Chris Peterson, or June Jones... then why even bother.

Did anyone like Harbaugh's name when it came up the first time? An assistant coach in the NFL, with virtually no experience. Doesn't that sound familiar. I guess old habits die hard, huh Dan? His big claim to fame is being Jim Harbaugh's brother. I mean, common, we're waiting around for interviews like this?

Like I said a few days ago, I think either Rick or DeWayne would be fine choices. Both are far better than John Harbaugh. Even Walker, with the little experience he has gained at UCLA as a DC, is more qualified then Harbaugh.

I just have to ask what the heck is Dan Guerrero doing at this point? Dude, you have two very solid choices in Walker and Neuheisel, both really want the job, both are affordable, and both are light years ahead of Karl Dorrell. What the %^&! are you doing interviewing John Harbaugh!?!

The latest reports say it is a three man race with Walker, Neuheisel, and Harbaugh. A decision should come any day now. Of course, earlier this week it was a two man race with a decision coming any day. So, who the heck knows. It could go into the middle of February at this pace.

On Neuheisel's Record

I see this posted a lot on message boards far and near, "Rick Neuheisel's teams didn't perform well after years one and two". They make this observation in reference to Rick's time at Colorado and Washington. Let's take these numbers and put them into some perspective shall we? Because, far too many Bruin fans who are critical of Neuheisel's record have completely lost their minds.

Here is Rick's win loss record at Colorado and Washington:

Colorado
1995: 10-2
1996: 10-2
1997: 5-6
1998: 8-4

Washington
1999: 7-5
2000: 11-1
2001: 8-4
2002: 7-6

So what people complain about is the 5-6, 8-4, 8-4, and 7-6 records. I don't know how any UCLA fan, with a sense of where this program has been the last twenty years, can look at an 8-4 record and call that "bad". Since 1992, the Bruins have only had 3 years where we had a better record than 8-4. That's 3 years in 15 where our program was better than some of Rick's worst seasons.

Looking at the whole record, Rick's teams have finished ranked in the top-25 four times. That's his teams finishing ranked 50% of the time. Since 1992, the Bruins have finished ranked four times as well but that was over the course of 15 years. That's only a 25% chance of being ranked. If you narrow that criteria to top-10 finishes, Neuheisel looks even better. Rick finished ranked in the top-10 three times. UCLA only twice. Remember that is looking at UCLA over a time period almost twice as long as what Neuheisel had. So with two times the number of opportunities our Bruins have had less success.

Is Neuheil's record perfect? No. Is he the greatest head coach ever? Of course not. Is he the best option we have for our next coach? I sure think so. Also remember that, as much as you like to criticize and nit-pick Rick's record... he actually has a record. He has experience that you can evaluate and exam. Walker doesn't. DeWayne's candidacy is based entirely on potential and speculation. I think he could be a good coach, but I have no way to know because he really hasn't been a head coach yet. Neuheisel has. Even with the warts and all, if he could bring the same records to UCLA, it would be a HUGE improvement over what we've had in a very long time.

Decision 2007

With the recent notice from Al Golden that he is withdrawing his name from consideration (i.e. "I ain't gonna get the job, so screw you guys I'm going home") ... it is down to two. DeWayne Walker vs Rick Neuheisel. Defense vs Offense. Experience vs Freshness. It is decision 2007! And that much anticipated decision should be coming very, very, soon.

I guess, with all the heated exchanges during the Karl Dorrell years, that it is only fitting that the two candidates to replace him generate strong emotions as well. There are the Walkeristas and the Neuheiselistas. The respective supporters and detractors for each camp have waged war over Bruin message boards this week. No punches were pulled and no opportunity to shill was missed. When this is all over, I'm sure there will be a very angry and pissed off segment of the fan base. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

I'm still solidly in the Pro-Rick camp. Of all the candidates seriously considered, I still think he is far and away the best choice. But really, I'd be pretty happy with DeWayne Walker as well. That probably puts me in the minority. Most fans seem to think that hiring one or the other (or both for that mater) will bring an end to the American way of life, speed up global warming, and officially cancel Christmas for ever.

Maybe I'm just a deep-down optomist at heart but I think both can be very good coaches for UCLA. They are definitely a big improvement over Karl Dorrell and the two finalists bring some much needed energy and enthusiasm to the position that was so lacking with the oh-so-stoic former head coach. So forgive me if I don't wait with baited breath, praying to the football gods, while hitting refresh on my browser every 5 minutes for any morsal of news on the coaching search. Whoever is chosen will be a nice breath of fresh air for a program that has had such a stale taste these last 10 years.

Bye, Bye Bellotti

It's like speed dating around here! Bellotti is gone. In a 24 hour whirlwind, he was on board, the front runner, about to sign a deal, and now he's out. I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

Anyways, now it is all about Rick. He would have been my pick even if Bellotti was in the mix. This is his dream job, he is a great recruiter, and great game day coach. I truly believe he is remorseful and learned his lesson from this past transgressions.

So, I'm happy about this latest development. Though, I know a lot of you aren't. You can just sing this happy little tune to get you in the mood for Slick Rick as our next head coach.


Neuheesl back in the gold and blue!
Bring on Rick and the sanctions too!


Uh, just kidding about that last part. I hope.

Ciao to Chow

Chow is out. So, that leaves Neuheisel and Golden as the only two guys to get second interviews for sure. Maybe Walker will get one after the Vegas Bowl? In that three man race, I have to pick Neuheisel by a large margin. If Rick comes, I think Walker will stick around, so we get the best of both worlds.

I fully expect a Neuheisel hire early next week. I'm excited about it and getting more excited every day. This recent article about Neuheisel's feelings about the college game and his time at Washington tell me a lot. I really think he deserves a second chance and all the fuss about his NCAA violations is over blown. I'll have more on that later.

Husky Fan on Neuheisel

Editor's note: Portions of this post are reprinted with permission from dawgncarolina from the BRO free football board.

If you're interested in getting a good perspective on Rick Neuheisel, you should talk to Husky fans. They lived with Rick at the helm for four seasons and he brought them their last PAC-10 championship and Rose Bowl victory. Here is one fan's perspective on Neuheisel as a coach:

Neuheisel

I think Rick is a very good coach (though not great). He wins far more often that he loses. I think most of the criticisms of him are short-sighted, or just plain foolish. I'll list a few of my favorites:

He destroys programs

He was 15-10 in his last year at the two schools. Despite unceremonious endings that caused great upheaval, neither school had a losing season the year after he left. Washington hired two awful coaches who produced awful results with Rick's kids - Colorado hired a decent coach who produced decent results with Rick's kids (note that in the four years after RN left Colorado they went 29-21 with as many bowl births as losing seasons).

He doesn't recruit lineman / He over recruits skill players

There was one year at UW where he recruited a small number of lineman. According to sources, it was a tactical decision - that year was devoid of OL talent in the state of Washington, and the next year was stocked full of it. That one class that he pulled few lineman he signed 7 receivers. Of course, he had signed a total of 3 receivers the two years before.

I think there are some legitimate complaints about RN's recruting. First, I do think he recruits to himself rather than the university. This is fine as long as he's around, but if and when a new coach comes in he inherits a group of kids who were REALLY attached to the former regime. This is not a huge problem IMHO, but probably not a good thing.

Second, I think Rick's recruiting philosophy lends itself to unbalanced classes positionally. In his mind (and history bears this out) they even out over a two year span, but there may be something to be said for spreading things out a little better.

Overall, I think his recruiting philosophies are decent, and his salesmanship is top notch. At UCLA, he'd be a recruiting powerhouse.

He only wins with other people's players

Closely related to #1. I think this is just silly. Colorado was a top notch program when he came along, but Washington was mediocre. While he did perform better earlier on at both places, he still went 8-4 in his last year at CU and 7-6 in his last year at UW with almost entirely his own guys. Furthermore, both programs were ranked top 10 coming into the following seasons before he left. The perception nationally was that he was set to do serious damage with entirely his own guys. I think he would have.

He is dirty

I can't imagine that anyone has ever gotten such a horrible rep for doing so little. He was famously reprimanded by the AFCA (or whatever the coaches group is) for some illegal contact. At the same convention, Hal Mumme was given a full recommendation by the group after getting busted for paying players at Kentucky.

Rick is cocky and rubs people the wrong way, and they blow his transgressions out of the water. He is an aggressive recruiter, sure, but he's never been guilty of anything that lost multiple scholarships or cost a program bowl eligibility. He had some illegal bumps at Colorado and his first month at Washington contacted some kids during a dead period. He once played horse with a recruit.

Is he squeaky clean? No. But he's far from some rogue. He's not dirty enough to even survive in the SEC. Oh yeah, and he gambled on an NCAA tourney bracket when the NCAA's own website said it was okay. And he beat the NCAA (and UW) in court for trying to penalize him for this.

Seriously, look up his list of violations and explain to me what he's done that is so awful?

You can't trust him to stick around

Of all the criticisms of Rick, I think this is by far the most valid. It's no secret that he had one foot out the door the entire time he was at Washington, and this angered many UW fans to no end. IMO, this, more than anything else, is why the University fired him. He was not viewed as loyal, and to a large degree, I don't think he was.

However, I'd much prefer a good coach who has ambition to move onto better things than a mediocre coach who will happily suck your program dry forever. More relevant to this discussion, I think it's pretty likely that he would be content at UCLA since it's his alma mater, and since he's been humbled by being out of a HC job for five years.

Rick as a Head Coach

He'll give you four better years than you'll get out of just about anyone else. I think he's got the perfect personality for UCLA - he relates fantastically to kids and would relish the opportunity to take on Pete for recruits. I don't think he'd win most of the battles, at least not at first, but he'd win his fair share and CERTAINLY make UCLA the #2 PAC-10 destination at the very least.

Rick is highly motivational, which has it's pros and it's cons. The pros are that he can beat anybody at anytime, and that his teams are phenomenal in the fourth quarter. The cons are that when it's not a big game, against a worthy foe, his teams often sleepwalk through the first three quarters and have to pull it out in the fourth. They usually do though - it's very rare for Rick to lose a close game to anyone other than a top 15 program.

He does favor the passing game to the running game, but as evidenced by his willingness to run the option while Marques Tuiasosopo was at UW, he is adaptable and will run what works best for the talent at hand. His defenses were rarely great, though never terrible.

His development of QB's is absolutely sensational (IMO he's easily one of the top 5 QB gurus in CFB), but his emphasis on the position seems to overwhelm other positions, which don't get the same scrutiny or develop at nearly as quick of a rate.

Neuheisel at UCLA

Anytime you make a hire I think it's smart to look at best case, worst case, and likely case.

Best case - consistent #2 program in the conference with peaks at #1/poised to take over #1 consistently if Pete ever leaves USC.

Worst case - upper-mid level Pac10 (3rd to 5th) program with consistent excellence in recruiting, especially skill players, but leaves in 3-5 years after some secondary violations put UCLA on minor probation.

Likely case - consistent upper level Pac10 program (2nd to 4th) with big wins on the field and in recruiting sandwiched around the occasional disappointment. Lots of close wins over inferior teams. Consistent bowl team. Stays at UCLA for at least 6 years and longer if they're willing to pay him.

Get 'em While They're Hot

Interested in joining the UCLA blogosphere? Do you want to be invited onto local and national talk radio shows to voice your displeasure with the head football coach in Westwood? Do you have no prior experience or educational background that would qualify you to speak on the matter? Well, join the club! You too can start your own blog and join us internet idiots in the avalanche of information that plagues our modern lives.

Since Rick Neuheisel is in the driver seat for the position, may I suggest you jump on a domain name now. Unfortunately, firerickneuheisel.com is already taken. I know, shocking. The guy who owns it, isn't giving it up either. Here is a quote from the website:

If you were expecting to get a chance to vent your frustrations on the possibilities of firing Rick Neuheisel, I'm sorry. It worries me that college football has gotten to where it is the focal point in one's life. Checking message boards, poring over recruiting information on 15 year old high school kids, calling sports radio shows in May to talk about college football is not healthy.

Ok, this guy obviously isn't on board. Fireslickrick.com is also off the table. Man, you got to be quick around here! So, to help you out, here are some more domain names, still available, that you can pick up today:

www.nixneuheisel.com
www.fireskippy.com

I'm kind of partial to NixNeuheisel myself, so if you register that one make sure to give me credit. With the rampant hatred that Neuheisel produces among some fans, you could easily gain a following in the next few years and then parlay that into sports blog fame.

Polarizing Prospect

So, we've come full circle in the coaching profiles. I started out with Rick Neuheisel and it looks I might be ending with him as well. Everyone is now reporting that Rick is the leading candidate for the job. He is the only guy to have a second interview at this point and that is a prerequisite to getting hired at UCLA.

One thing I wrote in the profile is that Neuheisel is a polarizing candidate. You either love him or hate him and the passion on both sides is very intense. His profile got by far the most comments (and most debate) of any of the other guys mentioned. I'll come out and say that I am definitely in the Pro Neuheisel camp. I think his past troubles are behind him and he is a more mature and seasoned person. I'm also sure that, if Rick is hired, he will have strict language in his contract about morals and ethics.

If you look at the other candidates (Walker, Chow, and Harbaugh) a Neuheisel hire actually makes the most sense. Guerrero said in his new conference ,when Dorrell was fired, that he was looking for a candidate with head coaching experience. Well, out of the four, Rick is the only one with experience. I was totally convinced that he was out of the picture with his past run-ins with the NCAA, but he must have nailed the first interview because now he is the leading candidate for the position.

A Neuheisel hire also satisfies the long held UCLA rule that all coaches must be directly related to Terry Donahue by no more than one degree of separation. I'm just kidding about that. Well, no, actually I'm not. It is strange how every coach since Terry was at the reigns was either a former assistant (Toldeo) or player (Dorrell). Rick is also a former Donahue player, so the Bruin gods will be appeased once again.

Just to go along with the rumor mill, there is some crazy, crazy, crazy talk of Chow also joining the staff as an offensive coordinator. I guess he isn't that happy in the NFL and is looking for a return to the college ranks. So we could have a Neuheisel, Walker, and Chow combo leading this team. That would be, probably, the my biggest football fantasy of all time. Two great assistants, an experienced head coach with a PAC-10 title on his resume, and recruiting prowess unprecedented in UCLA's recent history. All of that means it can't possibly be true. Or can it? I'm going to send Santa a letter and see if he can make that happen. It would be a very Merry Christmas indeed!