December 3, 2007
Dorrell out at UCLA
ESPN is reporting that UCLA head coach Karl Dorrell will be fired this week, perhaps as early as today, much to the delight of many UCLA Bruins fans who started the DumpDorrell website years ago.
AD Dan Guerrero is meeting with Dorrell this morning and will hold a team meeting this afternoon. There is no word yet on whether Dorrell will coach the Bruins in the Las Vegas Bowl or not.
Dorrell has been under fire for the better part of two years at UCLA, but the decision to fire him was reportedly made after the team finished with just one win its final five games.
Dorrell, who has a 36-26 record at UCLA, is under contract with the Bruins through 2011.
(More details of Dorrell's contract are online at CoachesHotSeat.com)
Adding more credence to the report, the LA Times details the UCLA coaching search that is already under way.
Dorrell will be fired and a short list of candidates has been assembled, sources familiar with the athletic department said Sunday.Boise State Coach Chris Petersen is said to be the first choice of Athletic Director Dan Guerrero, with Texas Tech Coach Mike Leach and former NFL coach Steve Mariucci considered among the other top candidates. UCLA athletic department have contacted all three, multiple sources said.
The Bruins may also interview current DC DeWayne Walker, who is well-respected and considered an outside candidate for the Washington State head coaching job. Any incoming head coach would be strong-armed by the Bruins to retain Walker as DC.
The LA Times says that Peterson has a soft-spot for the Oregon position, having spent several years there as an assistant and may be waiting for that job to come open. Several booster have questioned his readiness as a head coach at a big-time school, but that does not seem to be a factor for Guerrero.
Leach has long been rumored to want an opportunity to coach in the Pac10 and return to California. This position would seem to be tailor made for him.
Mariucci is the one coach that is available today. His current NFL Network job would not be an impediment to taking the UCLA job, whereas the other two coaches would have a transition from their current teams.
I can't say that I have a problem with any of the top three candidates and I think any of them could be successful with UCLA's talent. I half expected to see Norm Chow's name on the list, as well. Chow is a great offensive mind and was widely reported to be seeking an opportunity to coach in the Pac 10. Although his first-choice was Stanford, UCLA would clearly be a great position for him.
It's interesting that the top-three names are all considered wide-open offensive coaches. That's a stark contrast to Pete Carroll and the cross-town rival Trojans. Carroll widely considered one of the best defensive coaches in the game today. I'm not passing judgement on the search either way, I just think that is a curious point.
What's that old saying about defense wins championships?? Eh, never mind.
Comments:
gatorhippy
posted on December 3, 2007 12:32 PM — 209.16.115.5 — link — abuse?
said:
Ben (#1):
How many coaches does Boise State need to produce before the program itself gets recognition of being a winner, regardless of the coach?Maybe when one of them has season of success similiar to what they enjoyed in Boise...
The only one to come close to the type of sucess that BSU has seen the last few seasons has been Houston Nutt and the SECCG run he put together last season at ARK; however his lone season at BSU was a losing one at 5-6...
In two seasons at Colorado, Hawkins hasn't put it together yet even though some would say it looks like they might have begun to turn the corner this year at 6-6; an improvement over a 2 win campaign last season...
Dirk Koetter never posted better than third place and 5-3 records in the P-10 with Zona State but did have one pretty good season with a 9-3 record in 2004 but is now calling plays for the Jags on Sundays...
So maybe when one of these guys can move a BCS cinference team into position for a legitimate MNC shot then BSU will get a little credit as a coaching jump-starter...
College Pigskin Fan said:
posted on December 3, 2007 4:18 PM — 4.245.18.27 — link — abuse?
For the life of me, I can't see any college, let alone UCLA wanting to have Steve Mariucci as their Head Coach. He has a big problem wanting to be a friend to players, instead of being their coach. He had a major problem with players coming in late and/or not showing up at team meetings while he was the Head Coach at Detroit.
I don't see Norm Chow being a canidate for anyone. Yes, he's a great offensive mind, but, he's 61, and wants to get paid alot of money. UCLA has never been known to open up their vault for a football Coach.
Peterson might be a good fit at Washington State, but he would be better to hang around Boise St. for another three to five years, build up his accomplishments, then go after a high profile job.
Mike Leach would be interesting, he would bring people out to the Rose Bowl with his style of offense. If he was to go there, he would have to bring in a top Def Cord to compete with USC, Arizona St. and Oregon.
I'm going to throw a name out there that no one is saying, (many of you will now polly parot his name) he's a California guy, great defensive mind, and is 45, he would be around for awhile. Remember the former Def Cord for the Chicago Bears, and current Chargers LB Coach Ron Rivera?
He's coached under Jim Johnson, and Lovie Smith, and the Bears defense where one of the, if not the, top units in the NFL under Rivera. He would be the fit UCLA is looking for.
coondawg1 said:
posted on December 7, 2007 8:42 PM — 68.114.136.135 — link — abuse?
UCLA, stay away from the great Chris Peterson. Boise State is suched a feared team every damn year you guys come with your millions and steal our coaches. Find your own. Ill say it again the UCLA BRUINS are as relevant is CFB as that log i said adios to this afternoon.
coondawg1 said:
posted on December 7, 2007 8:48 PM — 68.114.136.135 — link — abuse?
GATORHIPPY GIVE BOISE STATE BACK THAT CRYSTAL BALL YOU GUYS ARE HOLDIN. GO UNDEFEATED OR GO HOME. YOU BEAT A OVERHYPED OSU TEAM THE BRONCOS WOULD HAVE BEAT. YOU GUYS SHOULD HAVE PLAYED OU. 2006 BCS MUCKS IT UP AGAIN. 2007 THE SAME DAMN THING. HAWAII WINS THEN YOU HAVE A TRUE NATIONAL CHAMPION.
Zac said:
posted on December 9, 2007 10:37 PM — 64.12.116.136 — link — abuse?
Papa Smurf (AKA Coondawg), here's some stats I know you'll appreciate. In this case, the #'s don't lie.
Boise St's 2006 & 2007 aggregate won/loss records are 64-79 & 65-80 respectively (2006 includes bowls). There's really no difference there, and on the surface playing a schedule that has an over-all loosing record doesn't look like much. Here's the big difference.
In 2006, Boise St went undefeated against 12 teams, 6 of which wound up bowl eligible. That includes 11-3 Hawaii, and 10-4 OR St, a team Boise dismantled in Corvallis, OR. Better still, only one of those 6 teams lost its bowl game: Nevada, by 1 against Miami. The crowning achievement and the clincher for me was Boise having beaten Big-12 Champ, OK, in the Fiesta Bowl.
Now, I'm not tooting my horn; ask the guys. I openly argued in favor of Boise St being given a shot at the NC on the basis of the information above. There have been past champions which had achieved less. (I fully agree with your sentiments on this subject, but the BCS is what it is, and it's all we have for the time being, until somebody comes up with something better.)
As for this year, by contrast, Boise lost to 2 of the 12 teams on its schedule; one of them has only 4 wins in 13 games; only 5 of the teams are bowl eligible. The other team it lost to went undefeated against a schedule that went 53-92, and produced 3 bowl eligible teams.
My opinion: Boise St's 10-2 record against its schedule is more impressive than Hawaii's record against its schedule. But Hawaii beat Boise St. This has been the entire basis for my argument against Hawaii this year, as opposed to Boise St last year. But, as you've already said yourself; we'll see soon enough when Hawaii plays GA.
Back on track: If UCLA were to pick up Ron River as suggested in Post #4, Rivera should pick up Bill Callahan, former NE HC, as his OC. That should be a good match all around. Callahan may not have been much of an HC, but he was a decent OC. Just a thought.
Ben Prather 
said:
posted on December 3, 2007 8:46 AM — 63.168.219.206 — link — abuse?How many coaches does Boise State need to produce before the program itself gets recognition of being a winner, regardless of the coach?
Maybe they need to hire the Boise State Athletic Director.