IF Dorrell gets fired, who do you guys want to take over?

 

Having a good coach at UCLA would take some of the recruiting firepower away for USC, who is picking up almost everyone they want in the So Cal area.

 

If UCLA loses DeWayne Walker, then some of the UCLA commits like Datone Jones, Aaron Hester, Rahim Moore etc are likely to bolt as well unless a good replacement is hired.

 

 

Some names that people are talking about:

 

Chris Peterson (Boise St)

DeWayne Walker

Norm Chow

Mike Leach

Steve Mariucci

Rick Neuheisel

If I'm UCLA, I'm getting Norm Chow. He knows the inner workings of UCLA's arch nemesis, he's a great offensive coordinator, he's a minority (California loves that) and he admittedly took his NFL job after USC to prep him for a college coaching job, so he's open to coming back to college football in California without much prodding.

Norm Chow. Great offensive mind. Can point to Phillip Rivers, Palmer, Leinart, Bush as players that thrived under his system (Thus brings a "name" value). Would create buzz around UCLA football, something that is sorely missing. None of the other candidates could do that.

 

Mariucci and Neuheisel are retreads.

 

Peterson and Leach don't have the "name" value that others would bring.

Problem is that Norm Chow is NOT a good recruiter. He didn't even recruit while at SC.

 

However, pair him up w/ a guy like Ed Orgeron, known as one of the best recruiters ever, and that may be a formidable pairing.

 

Here's another factor to consider. UCLA is unwilling to pay its coach more than $1 mill / yr and Chow is getting paid around 1.5 mill right now. Plus, the UCLA AD has a lot of pressure to hire someone w/ previous head coaching experience.

I think Norm Chow would be the only one Guerrero (AD) would hire without head coaching experience just because of the USC factor. You know the Trojan's success is just eating away at the UCLA administration.

 

Personally I think Neuheisal would make another great college coach. He has that LA personality. I wouldn't be worried about the probation thing either.

My guess is either Chris Peterson or Steve Mariucci.

I was thinking that Orgeron would be on the UCLA staff next. The guy is a good position coach and recruiter, but he was in over his head as a head coach.

Fighton. How much heat is Dorrell getting down there? He keeps putting up mediocre years, similar to Toledo and Donahue who were shown the door when disconent arose. Are alums calling for Dorrell as well? Does tomorrows game impact anything? I imagine it will be for I don't expect it to be close or very pretty.

Everyone is assuming that if/when UCLA loses to USC, he'll be fired. Alums were calling for him to be fired last year beffore he upset USC.

What about the guy from Fresno St., Hill. I don't follow them a lot but he always seems to put a competitive team on the field without a ton of top tier talent. I think he would do great at a place like UCLA.

 

Unless I'm missing something about him, I'm surprised he isn't considered for some higher tier coaching jobs.

Blarney, I actually attend Fresno State. Have been around Fresno all my life. My dad raised me right though so I only root for the Blue and Gold in football. But living here you can't help but know about the football team.

 

In terms of motivation, drive, there is no coach better in doing that then Pat Hill. His players would run through a wall if he asked them to. His teams have no business competing or even being on the same field as USC, Wisky, Oregon, yet they always seem to play above their abilites when matched up against them. One criticism against him is that he places too much emphasis on playing the "big boys" while neglecting conference foes. In nine years he has never won an outright conference championship. Never achieved a BCS bowl berth. Meanwhile, Boise has done all that and more, supplanting Fresno as "the" team in the WAC.

 

Another knock against him is that he really isn't a great game day coach. His football accumen will never be confused with that of Carroll, Tressel, or Weis. He is stubborn to a fault. Never quick to bench a struggling QB or deviate from a gameplan.

 

With all that said he has done all that he can at Fresno State. He never get the players that he needs to consistently compete against the upper echelon BCS schools. The resources are not here, the infrastructure is not here, that's something he needs to realize at some point. People round here think he will someday turn Fresno State into Florida State (no joke). That's just not possible for all the reasons I stated. I was reading today that as a practice he doesn't throw out any offers until he has reviewed a prospects senior film. I call BS, but could you imagine trying to get away with that a major D1 school.

 

In summation (whew), I don't know where he would be a good fit at if he ever left Fresno State. He is a blue collar type of guy, I don't think he would do well in Los Angeles, or at a place where expectations might be high. Washington State might be a good fit. Arizonia maybe. A Kansas State. You get the point. Heck of an OL coach, wonder if he would be willing to take reduced role at certain midwest school.

Everyone is assuming that if/when UCLA loses to USC, he'll be fired. Alums were calling for him to be fired last year beffore he upset USC.

There's still plenty of people out here that want to see Karl get this next class in and see what he can do next year.

UCLA doesn't pay there coaches, and this has to change if they ever want to keep pace with the trojans.

Especially with the cost of living in L.A.

A coach either lives out of town, or is happy with less.

What big time coach would come to UCLA for less than they could make as a coordinator at a major program where the cost of living is incredibly less?

Not too many.

It's gonna be Mike Leach. Explosive offense, went to Pepperdine law school, misses LA...

If I were UCLA I'd try to get Sarkisian (?) from USC, Pat Hill or Chris Peterson. I know Sarkisian is young and doesn't have alot of experience, but maybe thats what UCLA needs. I don't know what kind of recruiter he is, but I'm sure he learned a little from Petey.

It's gonna be Mike Leach. Explosive offense, went to Pepperdine law school, misses LA...

 

Imagine Leach's explosive offense with DeWayne Walker's swarming defense. That would be scary!

 

Although UCLA lost against USC, their defense played one hell of a game, especially since their offense didn't to anything all game. It could be because it is Jay Norvell's first year as OC, but the Bruin offense shouldn't be struggling this much.

I saw leach break down his offense at a coaches retreat one year and came away with two things: 1.) The offense is great, lots of options per play, and not overly hard to grasp and 2.) he is boring as all hell. Talk about monotone voice. Damn...