Slow Start

OK, so a quick round-up of the latest rumors (both 4th and 5th hand) on the coaching search. Take each with a gain of salt and the understanding that all of this could end up on it's head in a week or two.

Chris Peterson isn't interested in UCLA. This shouldn't come as a big surprise to anyone who has followed Peterson's career. He is a Northwest guy, his roots and family are there. He was in LA this week for a recruiting trip, but swore up and down that he wasn't coming for an interview. This might be posturing since he still has a bowl game with Boise State playing Virginia. Who knows.

UCLA isn't interested in Mike Leach. Like a lot of bloggers and fans, I'm left scratching my head on this one. I'm not a big fan of Leach but for Guerrero to just flat out turn him down is baffling. He is an innovative offensive coach, he's had nothing but winning seasons in Lubbick (though no conference titles), and money apparently isn't a stumbling block. Leach reportedly would even go under market value to take the job. To me that sounds like a guaranteed interview at the very least. For Geurrero... not so much. I guess Leach's slightly quirky personality isn't a "fit" in Westwood.

Mariucci is interested in UCLA's money. He was quick out the gate as a candidate but the rumors circulating is that the Mooch wants a lot of money (at least by UCLA standards). Somewhere north of $2 million. That might be too high for Dan and the Bruins don't have a history of paying anywhere close to that for a coach.

So, with all of that said, we've moved into a second round of names. Jim Mora Jr, the DB coach for the Seattle Seahawks, has come up a lot. Apparently Florida offensive coordinator Dan Mullen is said to have some interest. Montana coach Bobby Hauck, who was a graduate assistant at UCLA during the early 90's has been seen his named come up in a few conversations. Even former Bruins' offensive coordinator, Tom Cable, who is the OL coach for the Oakland Raiders, has also been mentioned.

Norm Chow is also getting a lot of attention these days. His history as a great offensive mind is definitely attractive after watching the Bruins play into the 96th best offense in country this season. Norm has been rumored to want the job, but then again, his name gets mentioned for a lot of coaching positions. The Bruins might have to wait until after the NFL season to get Chow.

The only person, who for sure is a candidate, is DeWayne Walker. He has an interview scheduled with Guerrero for this week or next. Walker only has two years of defensive coordinator experience and no time as a head coach. Guerrero said that experience was a big plus, but not a necessity for the job, but I think most fans (myself included) would like someone who has been there before. I really hope Walker stays on the staff, even if he isn't given the head coaching gig, because he has done a good job with the defense and his recruiting prowess is phenomenal.

The only other big head scratcher during the week is that Guerrero is just now hiring a firm to help in the search. I assumed that he would have done that months ago, or at least picked out a firm before Dorrell was fired so they could start their search the next day. Apparently, Dan wasn't kidding when he said he was still evaluating Dorrell's performance. As in, he decided to fire Dorrell and then started thinking about a new coach. I guess all of us were already looking for a new guy after the Notre Dame game. It's kind of disheartening to see things take off so slowly. I just hope this isn't indicative of the entire search process.

Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt

Fear, uncertainty, and doubt form a very base set of emotions in the human experience. It is that great unknown, the devil in the darkness, that pulls on some core reflex in our DNA. It keeps some people in dead end jobs and others in bad relationships. For most of us, however, these emotions make us seek out the familiar, the known, the safe.

For us fans, this is an exciting time in UCLA football. We can run through the mertis of different head coaching candidates, debate them ad nasseum on message boards, and speculate on the future of our program. But we're already dedicated to UCLA. We're not going to switch allegiance or choose another team to support. We look at this change as a positive for the team, a long anticipated change in direction.

For the players and recruits, who don't always have such strong commitments to Westwood, the exact opposite is true. This is their future; some dream of playing in the NFL and others of just playing on Saturdays. They are faced with the reality that the coaches who have recruited them, mentored them, made promises to them... could be gone. That creates a sense of uncertainty and fear in their futures. Futures that looked so clear a few months ago, are now riddled with many unknowns.

In the wake of Dorrell getting fired, the emotions of fear, uncertainty, and doubt are a natural response to the situation. Who is going to be the head coach? What type of offense will he run? What about the rest of the staff, will they be retained? How will I fit into the new system? What if I don't fit in? All of those are logical and reasonable questions being asked by the players and, espeically by the new recruits. The natural reaction is to hang on to the familiar and to be cautions of the unknown.

So it should come as no surprise, that in the days after Dorrell's release, that we're seeing things like this in the news papers...

"If they get rid of the defensive side (coaches), yeah, I'd probably leave, but I'm not sure yet," Defensive Tackle Brian Price said. "I'm still weighing my options. I don't want to leave. I want to stay here."

"It really hasn't bothered me," Defensive Back Rahim Moore said. "I'm still going to UCLA. Whatever coach they bring in, it doesn't matter as long as Walker and Coach E (Scott) stay there. They're bringing in a new coach, so be it, as long as they bring somebody that's right."

"I was disappointed. (Dorrell) was a big reason why I wanted to go to UCLA," Running Back Milton Knox said. "He was cool, someone I could relate to. I think they'll lose a lot of recruits now, because I think a lot of people wanted to go there because of him."

"I think that's unfortunate, because he brought in the recruiting class," Defensive Back E.J. Woods said. "I think it's going to get broken up. I hope not, but I've talked to a few of the guys, and I think it's going to get broken up."

"A big reason why we committed was not so much Dorrell but his staff," Donovan Carter Sr. (father of linebacker Donovan Carter Jr.) said. "Linebackers coach (Chuck) Bullough and Coach Walker were very instrumental in us committing."

Some of those quotes come from existing players and others from recruits. Obviously these are very early reactions to the situation and they are, naturally, giving more of an emotional response. But I think there are some interesting points.

The firing of Dorrell hasn't really deterred many recruits away from UCLA. Aundre Dean looks very doubtful but he is an out of state recruit and he has already changed his commitment once. The local kids still seem to have a strong bond with each other. There seems to be a lot of talk of "others" maybe changing their school of choice but nobody yet has stepped forward and said they are out because of Dorrell.

The other point is that many seem much more connected to their position coaches and coaches Walker and Scott. This might be them hanging onto the familiar, now that the head coach is an unkown, but I think these kids were heavily influenced by both Walker and Scott in the decision to go to Westwood. This is why Guerrero is pushing hard for Walker to stay, since he seems to be a key linchpin in this recruiting class.

It's going to be an interesting, and rough, couple of months for our players and recruits. Other schools are going to be coming hard for them to try and capitalize on the instability in the program. Hopefully, UCLA can work out an agreement to keep coach Walker soon. That would go a long way to settling the situation and give these kids a familiar name and face they can count on during this process. If they can't then I also hope that the head coaching situation can be resolved in a timely manner. We don't want to rush the serach, as it is more important than a single recruiting class, but the longer uncertainty lingers over the future of the head coaching position, the harder it will be to keep these players committed to UCLA.

Head Coach Walker

Well, at least for one game. It looks like Coach Walker will take over the head coaching reigns for the Las Vegas Bowl. I'm not going to expect a dramatic make-over on offense in just a few weeks. With Jay Norvell and the WCO still firmly entrenched in Westwood, it should be more of the same on December 22nd. Hopefully, Walker brings a more aggresive game-decision process and is quicker to switch things up if they aren't working.

Perhaps the bigger question is who will be quarterback? I think there is an NCAA rule on the number of times an injured player can return for the season... or at least there should be. Pat Cowan has done his part for God and Country and after a pulled hamstring, torn ACL, concussion, collapsed lung, and another leg injury against USC, I think it is safe to say he should sit this one out. Hopefully Ben is ready to take the reigns.

Making it Official

Here is the official announcement from UCLA. Karl Dorrell had these comments:

"I want to thank Dan Guerrero for the opportunity to coach at my alma mater. I know that the program is in much better shape than when I inherited it and I believe that it is ready to flourish.

"I am proud of what the program accomplished during my five years, especially in the areas of academics, citizenship and recruiting. I think a great foundation has been laid and I will be pulling for the young men I recruited into the program to be successful in the future.

"I want to thank all of the players, coaches and staff for their efforts in building our program. They always worked hard, both on and off the field, no matter what adversity we faced, and I want them to know how much I appreciate them."

Classy until the end. Thank you for your time and the hard work you put into this program. I think you represented this University and the Bruin fans well over the last five years. It is unfortunate that it didn't translate into more victories on the football field. Good Luck in your future endeavors Coach Dorrell.

Dorrell Dumped

In a move that should come as a surprise to nobody, Dan Guerrero removed Karl Dorrell as the head coach of the football team today. Rumors have been swirling for weeks that this would come at the end of the season and the official announcement came in a private meeting this morning. Now the hunt for a replacement goes forth in earnest and the mad scramble to keep the 2008 recruiting class will continue for the next month and a half.

Guerrero has a Favorite

The Los Angeles Times reported last night that UCLA and Dan Guerrero already have a short list of candidates for the head coaching job. The man on top of that list is Boise State's Chris Peterson. The other two big names are Leach and Mariucci.

It is good to hear that Dan is on the same page as many UCLA football fans. I would be OK with any of the three names mentioned and Peterson would also be my favorite. The only concern with these choices is how much UCLA would pay. The University is notorious for not playing well and picking up coaches on the cheap. That's probably one of the main reasons why Dorrell ended up on the short list last time... he was affordable. But a source for the LA Times said that

financial hurdles are not believed to be a problem for Guerrero, as "the money will be there for the coach who is the right guy," a source familiar with the situation said.

Another good piece of information is that Guerrero is looking to retain DeWayne Walker. Walker has been contacted about the head coaching job up at WSU and his name has been brought up for a few other positions as well. If the Bruins can keep Walker then the bulk of the 2008 recruiting class would probably stick. I strongly believe that Walker will continue to develop into a great defense coordinator and his dedication and success on the recruiting trail make him an extremely valuable asset to UCLA. I don't think he is quite ready, at this time, to be the head coach.

All of this is very good news and I'm glad to see that Dan Guerrero and the administration are in sync with what the fans have been saying for months. Make an investment in a good coach and put football as a top priority. It is a cash cow and this investment will reap dividends in the future.

(photo credit: AP)

Viva Las Vegas

UCLA got selected for the Las Vegas bowl. Boy, can you say yawner. Not only is the Vegas Bowl the place where PAC-10 teams go to die, but the Bruins have already played their opponent BYU this season; not only that, but we get them early next season as well. Obviously this isn't the most inspiring end to the season, but then again, this wasn't the most inspiring season either. The sad irony is that we'll probably be underdogs to a Cougar team we beat back in week two.

It is becoming an almost annual tradtion for the Bruins to play in the Vegas Bowl. This is our third trip in six years. The same goes for BYU, who is making their third consecutive appearance. The big question for the game is who will be the coach? Will Guerrero let Dorrell have one last game before he bids Westwood goodbye?

The Mooch

Rumors are flying fast and furious this morning after the SC loss. Dorrell getting fired is all but a done deal and the talk has turned to replacements. It looks like Steve Mariucci is the name leading the list of candidates. The "Mooch" as so many internet fans like to call him has been rumored as a replacement for months. Apparently some wealthy boosters are on high on Steve as a replacement and they've been pushing for him.

I'm not entirely sold that Mariucci is the best candidate. He does bring some great credentials as an NFL coach and his story could be very similar to that of Pete Carroll. A proffesional coach who had a tough stint in his last gig in the league before coming to a struggling college program. He also brings a background in the West Coast Offense which could be a positive (the players already know it) or a negative (Can the WCO work at the college level?) depending on your perspective. He definately brings some name recognition and would generate some buzz in Westwood.

Other coaches still being considered are Mike Leach of Texas Tech, Chris Peterson from Boise State, Rick Neuheisel, and defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker. How interested they are in UCLA head coaching gig remains to be seen. Exciting times as a UCLA football fan!

Bowl Bound!

With the Bears losing to Stanford, the Bruins are bowl bound. Which bowl we get remains to be seen. I'm hoping for the Armed Forces Bowl just because it would be incredibly boring to watch UCLA play a rematch with BYU in the Vegas Bowl; especially with us playing them again next season.

Boy, how bad did California collapse this season?!? It is hard to believe they were the #2 team in the country at one point and looking at a likely #1 ranking after LSU lost. They ended up losing 6 of their last 7 games including loses to two teams that lost to Notre Dame! They finish the regular season at 6-6.

Winning the War

The game against SC went down pretty much as everyone expected. The UCLA defense played pretty well and our offense was atrocious. The silver lining should come tomorrow or Monday when Dan Guerrero final puts an end to the Karl Dorrell era. While the Trojans may have won this battle, UCLA will hopefully win the war with a new coach.

When the Bruin defense held Booty and the Trojan offense to a 3-and-out on the first series, it looked like UCLA had come to play. Austin picked up the punt around midfield and the Bruins were in position to start their first series in SC terrirority. That was until he fumbled. Another big defense stop a few plays later on 4th down and the Bruin defense was feeling its oats. Then came the Markey fumble. So a big pass and a dive in the end zone later and the Trojan's "first drive" ended in a touchdown thanks to the UCLA offense.

It really was a tale of three teams out there. The UCLA defense, the USC Trojans, and that abysmal lot of players that was also wearing blue-and-gold. It seemed like the UCLA offense was desperately trying to lose that game. Their first 6 series ended in 5 punts and a fumble. They ended up committing 4 turnovers and you're not going to beat too many teams playing like that, but especially a #8th ranked Trojan team in the Coliseum.

Really, USC wasn't all that dominating. The Bruin defense held them to only one touchdown in the entire second half. If UCLA under Karl Dorrell had even a semblance of an offense, it could have been a close game or a Bruin victory. They didn't necessarily need a great offense or even a good one. Just an offense that is suitable for the college game and these players. One that maybe had some elements of misdirection beyond a triple/reverse fake-pass. The two reverses executed ended up being total duds with one getting canceled by illegal motion and the other ending in a poor exchange and a fumble.

The announcement that this era in Bruin football can't come soon enough. The experiment that was Karl Dorrell's reign was summed up in tonight's futility. It's too bad because I really liked Dorrell and wanted him to succeed since he is a former Bruin player. But his time has come and UCLA needs to start closing the gap with the other premier teams in the conference. Tonight was an all to painful reminder that this program still has a long way to go.

(photo credit: AP)