Sporting News deletes story about Guerrero meeting with Walker

Update: UCLA Sports Information Director Marc Dellins said this afternoon: "This story is categorically untrue. We have asked that it be removed from the SportingNews.com Web site." As of 1:35 p.m. Pacific Time, the segment of Dienhart’s blog entry concerning UCLA had, in fact, been removed.

From the Sporting News.com’s college football blog today, written by Tom Dienhart:

"The next few games are critical to Karl Dorrell's future at UCLA.

"A source told me that UCLA AD Dan Guerrero met with Bruin defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker last week during the team's off week to discuss the possibility of Walker taking over as interim coach this season if Dorrell is let go early.

"Presumably, if Walker does well, he would be given strong consideration to become the head coach. Walker's defense has been strong since he arrived in Westwood before the 2006 season. He long has been considered a strong head coaching candidate, with his extensive background in the NFL. The guy is good."

Comments

[ajax]

Any chance you can follow up on this development Rich? If this is true, it is promising, although I am not sure Walker is the person I'd want as the next head coach.

[ucla2k3]

Refreshing news to read about. Perhaps UCLA football can be saved afterall. I don't mind Walker being given the opportunity to prove himself and establish his credential as a solid candidate to become UCLA's next head coach. Seven games left this season (assuming we're going to a bowl game).

[Jon Kavulic]

Fire Dorrell.

Hire Walker.

Period.

In any case, I'll defnitely be rooting for Cowan this weekend. He plays with heart.

GO BRUINS!

[Jon Kavulic]

I like Walker's tough, disciplined attitude.

I want to see my Bruins mean and mentally tough. Period.

GO BRUINS!

[Jon Kavulic]

Well, if Guerrero hasn't spoken to Walker, he damn well should. If Guerrero doesn't get this Bruins football team in order by next year, I'm going to start clamoring for his head as well!

We've had to wait since 1954 for a National Championship. In the last 53 years, by my estimate there have been a good 10-12 seasons where we SHOULD have at least made it to the championship game but ended up shooting ourselves in the foot AGAIN.

This CANNOT continue. It simply cannot.

The athletics program at UCLA will never be as it should be unless we have a consistent, dominant football program. Period. 100 National Championships don't mean quite so much when Bruin Nation is constantly having near heart attacks because of losses like Miami, Arizona, and Utah.

You have no idea the disappointment and anger those utterly incomprehensible losses produce within me.

UCLA's program needs to be transformed into a dominant program of Classical Greek Spartan mental toughness.

Guerrero, unless you get this done, I will be protesting outside your home 365 days a year. I won't let you sleep!

Nor will I let the chancellor sleep until you are fired!

GET IT DONE!

GO BRUINS!

[DumpDorrell]

Rich ... To be fair, your retraction should include Tom Deinhart's own retraction and not simply what Marc Dellins and Morgan Center says should be Sporting News' retraction. Here it is in Tom Deinhart's own words (in the comment section of the report):

"Note to readers: There was an item on UCLA's Karl Dorrell that was pulled. UCLA admits that its A.D. met with a Bruin assistant last week for "personal development" reasons."

So you see, Morgan Center ADMITS that Guerrero met with "an assistant" to discuss "personal development" without Dorrell present. Those 2 glaring generalities about an admitted meeting gives Deinhart's original report some validity.

Deinhart's retraction link:
http://tinyurl.com/ypf5kf

[Hans]

What an awful blog entry. You report a retraction, then print the entry that was just discredited. That's worse than the sloppy entry that was made in the first place.

[The Mad Bruin]

hmmm . . . could that smoke I'm smelling be Dorrell's office chair? Let it burn, Dan. G. Let it burn. It's a fire made possible only by the kindling of chronic coaching ineptitude.

[ucla2k3]

If Guerrero isn't looking for someone to replace KD, why won't Morgan Center just kill the story and say that Dorrell's job is safe for the time being and an evaluation will be made at the end of the season. The fact that UCLA was cryptic in its reply to Tom Dienhart (Guerreo meeting with an assistant about "personal development" reasons) fuels speculation about a coaching change. Unfortunately, I think the leak is very damaging to the program as it forces Guerrero and the Athletic Dept to backpedal from any immediate plans to let Dorrell go and have an interim coach.

[MarcoTheBruin]

Deinhart printed the truth but cannot prove it. That is the way journalism works.

Keep encouraging Dan Guerrero.... email dguerrero@athletics.ucla.edu to recommend that he replace Karl Dorrell immediately with an interim coach and restore competitiveness to this program. The precedent for this action is Florida, a program we compete with in basketball, which replaced Ron Zook mid-season under similar circumstances to what we are facing at UCLA.

[Alumnus 1965]

I never though that the football program would ever fall so low. UCLA athletics are a class program. Why can't we have a proven football coach?

[W. H. Phinizy]

"..fuels speculation about a coaching change. Unfortunately, I think the leak is very damaging to the program as it forces Guerrero and the Athletic Dept to backpedal from any immediate plans to let Dorrell go and have an interim coach.."

Maybe they want to inure Karl Dorrell to the prospect that he may be out of a job next season?

[Michael Bartlett]

The comments so far demonstrate classic "The Grass is Greener on the Other Side of the Fence" sentiment. I like DeWayne Walker, and there's no arguing the Bruin defense has been significantly better the last season and a half compared to previous years, but some perspective is needed before we rush to fire Karl Dorrell and install Walker.
When UCLA held U$C to 9 points last Dec. 2, fans and the media fell all over themselves annoiting Walker as the Second Coming. So how did a mediocre Florida State team amass 430 yards and 44 points? Answer: Walker didn't become stupid in the space of 25 days, the players didn't perform on the field.
We've become such a "Blame-the-Coach" society, we've forgotten coaches can't do everything, the players have to get it done. Just look at last Saturday, when noted offensive "genius" Jeff Tedford's backup QB tried to scramble with no timeouts left. The ESPN guys vilified Tedford for not having his QB ready, which is ridiculous -- it's on the player.
Every team in America has its ups and downs -- especially this year. If Bruin fans continue to call for the coach's head with every down, it is just going to hurt recruiting. And before people snap back about "Dorrell lost this game and that game" keep these in mind: Precious Pete Carroll lost at home to a Stanford team Karl Dorrell beat by 28 on the road, genius Jeff Tedford lost at home to an Oregon State team Karl Dorrell beat by 26 on the road, and Mike Riley beat No. 3 U$C and No. 2 Cal the past two seasons but has never beaten Karl Dorrell.
Go Bruins!

[The Mad Bruin]

Yes, Michael Bartlett, all true, and Steve Lavin's positively a-w-f-u-l tenure as Bruin Basketball coach included some improbable wins over storied opponents. So what? The Lavin era was still abysmal. The Dorrell era has become mediocrity typified by repetitive commission of the same mistakes. The West Coast Offense is too complicated for everyone but the opposing defenses to figure out. Ben Olson (who'll probably be an NFL QB one day) can't function effectively within it. Dorrell's teams still give up 25 - 30 yards a game in false start or delay penalties, he's canned or replaced OC's nearly every year (scapegoating anyone?) and we haven't even gotten to great calls like having Bethel-Thompson try to roll out and throw for a first down on 4th and 1 from the Irish 32 against the 116th best rushing defense in the country. It IS the coach's fault. He is not doing the job, and he needs to be replaced.

[greatgymnasticschool]

Hey Michael, "fans" like you are the reason UCLA is yet again a national joke in football and never better than 'okay'. Which part of the last five years has not been a complete failure? 4%? 5%? And which part of this season, or next? Or the one after that do you see improving with Dorrell? Is being 7-6 okay with you? because that's what he's done 75% of the time. Remove the one fluke season where they kept throwing out his pathetic offense and it gets worse. Dorrell has proven himself a bad coach. But maybe the real problem is that you represent so many UCLA (loser) fans who don't have any expectations or requirements for the football team. "Hey, we absolutely SUCK, but we beat USC once in five years so that's cool." No, it's not cool. And how on earth do you compare Carroll and USC or Tedford and Cal to Dorrell and UCLA? Because they lost a game at the last second? KD isn't IN any big games so they're hard to lose.

And Walker is not the guy either. Enough with coaches learning on the job at UCLA. Let's get a HEAD COACH who has a system built and knows how to execute? Not the guy who happens to be in Westwood working for one of the most embarrassing failures in football.

[MarcoTheBruin]

Hi Michael Bartlett:
I am happy to concede an occasional loss, but 11 of the 23 losses under Dorrell have come when UCLA was favored -- that is more losses than all but 3 of 65 teams in BCS conferences. Add to that the fact that UCLA has never improved during the second half of the season (a well coached team improves during the season); Dorrell is 18-6 during the first 6 games of the season and 11-15 during the last 6 games and bowls. UCLA should be getting more for the $881,000 in annual salary being paid to someone with NO PRIOR HEAD COACHING EXPERIENCE.

Keep emailing Dan Guerrero dguerrero@athletics.ucla.edu to recommend that he replace Dorrell.

[Knight1]

Michael , you're unbelievable and with little expectations !! Mediocrity will not be tolerated by Bruin fans . WE have the athletes at UCLA , but the coaching is failing miserably. We demand to have a winning football program !! We're are so tired of the inconsistancy and predictable West Coast offense that doesn't work. With all the SENIORS on this team , we were expected to be ranked and play well . You forget that Dorrell said this was the year that defined the program (20 returning starters). This 2nd half of the season vs. ranked teams will make things clear on where we are as a program . ALso, what we can expect for next year with graduation losses ?? Lets see Bruins !

[UCLAlum]

Ummm...how many geniouses on this list could win a game without their #1 and #2 QB's? How bad has u$c looked the last 3 weeks (despite going 2-1 against the dregs of the Pac-10)? Could they win a game without Booty AND Sanchez? Can anyone name their #3 QB? How many snaps does he get in practice?

How about running back...let's see, UCLA lost Raymond Carter before the season (#3 all-purpose back in the nation). Chane Moline has been out with a wrist until recently. Chris Markey (#10 all-time in all-purpose yards in UCLA history before the season) is out. Khalil Bell bruised his shoulder vs. ND. And Michael Pitre (#4 FB in the country according to Mel Kiper). So that's 5 out of your top 5 running backs.

You want to fire Dorrell like Florida did Ron Zook? All Zook has done is taken an Illinois team that had 3 wins the year before he got there (2 against Florida A&M and Central Michigan) to 5-2, and standing 3rd in the Big 10.

Get off Dorrell's back.

[Michael Bartlett]

Wow! So I put up a post that says "hang on, let's not fire Dorrell in favor of Walker in the middle of the season" -- and that makes me "the reason" UCLA is a "national joke" in football? It makes me "unbelieveable" with "little expectations"?? Nice job, Bruin fans. I appreciate it. You people who hide behind your cute little pseudonyms have a lot of class.
What I was saying, and will always say when people attack coaches unfairly, is the reponsibility lies with the players on the field/on the court. I specifically said Jeff Tedford should not be blamed because his quarterback tried to scramble when Cal had no time outs left against Oregon State last week. Anyone who has ever played quarterback at any level *knows* to throw the ball away in that situation. BUT sometimes human beings in the heat of the moment make mistakes.
Addressing a couple other points people made while bashing me:
-- The rollout pass on 4th and 1 was for all the second-guessers who insisted UCLA should have rolled out against ND last year in South Bend on 3rd and 7 with 2 minutes to play. Funny how if a run doesn't work, the coaches SHOULD HAVE called a pass, and if a pass doesn't work, the coaches are IDIOTS for not calling a run. Listen up: it is not the play call that determines success, it is the execution on the field by the players -- and the defense on the field has something to say about the matter, also. Blaming the coach after the play is nothing but 20/20 hindsight.
-- Dorrell has no prior head coaching experience. Uh, and that is pertinent in 2007 because....??? If someone wants to bring that up in a new coach's first year (and certainly many did about Dorrell in 2003), fine. At this point, it no longer is valid. Lloyd Carr is in his 13th year at Michigan, and has a National Championship on his resume, but his team lost its home opener to a I-AA team. Teams don't get points on the scoreboard because the coach has X number of years experience, the players have to play.
-- Dorrell has "canned or replaced OCs nearly every year (scapegoating anyone?)." This statement is repeated often, and it is not correct, which is irritating. In the first Dorrell season, 2003, Steve Axman was the offensive coordinator. He had LOTS of experience, including a previous stint as OC at UCLA in 1987-88, but wasn't familiar with the West Coast offense and was replaced by Tom Cable. Under Cable, the offense improved significantly in 2004, then was darn near unstoppable in 2005. Cable left for an NFL opportunity after the 2005 season; he was not "canned." The OC last year was Jim Svoboda, who quite frankly struggled getting plays called in time, causing the offense to burn time outs. Dorrell had to take over play calling halfway through the season, so it was clear Svoboda's days were numbered. It is more than difficult to judge Jay Norvell, because he keeps having to prep a different QB every week due to injuries.
-- We certainly don't "absolutely suck" and I never said "beating U$C once in five years is cool." All I said was, it is ridiculous for fans to talk about firing a coach over one loss or a couple of losses. I brought up Jeff Tedford because people fawn over him and call him an offensive guru. I think he's overrated, but again, to blame him for a play that lost a football game is stupid. And, I will point out, Tedford had the handicap of trying to operate with his No. 2 quarterback. Suddenly, his high-powered offense struggled.
Dorrell had to go with his No. 3 QB against ND, but people crucify him when the offense sputters. How many coaches in America would look like offensive geniuses with their No. 3 quarterbacks?!? Not to mention the No. 1 RB (Markey) was out, our No. 1 TE (Moya) has been out all year, our No. 1 WR (Everett) has been out for the last three games. Yet with all those injuries, people want to place 100% of the blame for a loss on the head coach. That's what I'm speaking up about -- it's not fair, it's not right. My defending the coach under those circumstances does not mean I have low expectations, it does not make me a "loser."

[The Mad Bruin]

Jeez, Michael, which of your "retorts" to pick as my favorite. So many, so little time. I guess it would have to be:

The rollout pass on 4th and 1 was for all the second-guessers who insisted UCLA should have rolled out against ND last year in South Bend on 3rd and 7 with 2 minutes to play.

So the staff called time out and "readied" his 3d string walk-on QB in that time frame to roll out and pass for 1st down to even the score with last year's critics of a bad call in the ND game? Bizarro justification, but if that's the only one you can come up with for not ramming the ball down the gullet of the 4th worst D1A rushing defense then you've proven my point. It was a TERRIBLE coaching decision - a sucker play (like playing roulette, or betting the 99-1 shot 'cause you liked the horse's name or romanticized about how good it would feel if it won the race). You play the percentages - esp with an untested kid in a pressure situation like that one.

They made the freshman kid throw 28 passes (another d-u-m-b idea considering the lack of reps in game situations, and ND's rush weakness). Perhaps it is no dumber than burning time outs in the first five minutes of nearly every game, or failing to give your back up any reps in practice leading up to a game, or punting 3 times to a decent returner (see the Oklahoma game in '03 or '04 - Antonio Perkins. Sure hope the Coach remembers THAT one as they ready for DeSean Jackson), or keeping all your 1st stringers in during garbage time of a blowout (Utah), resulting in three completely avoidable injuries to starters. But, hey, he's just learning right? Give him a couple of more years. He's only had, ahem, not quite five. There are few occupations in fewer walks of life that would tolerate mediocrity for nearly a million a year for that long of a time.

[DumpDorrell]

5 years and all I hear are excuses from Dorrell supporters. What a joke. Are you really Bruin fans??!! This is Steve Lavin all over again. Once we finally get rid of the cancer that is Dorrell all of you will disappear just like the Lavin supporters, never admitting your position in public again. What a glorious day that will be.

[Michael Bartlett]

Once again, Mad Bruin, you misunderstand something I wrote, then insult me. Regarding the 4th and 1 pass play. I can't even imagine how you twisted my words to say the coaching staff *called* a pass play to "even the score" with critics. It was quite clear I was addressing second guessers and Monday Morning Quarterbacks. I pointed out last year's running play versus ND was criticized AND this year's pass play versus ND was criticized -- because the plays didn't get first downs. That attitude is stupid. Period.
For an entire year people have been saying "if we had called a rollout pass against Notre Dame, we would have gotten a first down and we would have won the game." You know who you are, and you are not correct. No one will ever know if a pass would have gotten a first down, because we cannot go back in time and rerun the play.
Get this straight: NO PLAY IS PERFECT! No play is "guaranteed" to get a first down or a touchdown. The coaching staff can call the "greatest play in the history of football" (if there were such a thing), but if someone misses a block, or drops the ball, or a defender makes a great play, the play gets blown up.
Case in point: in his most recent post, Mad Bruin terms last year's decision against ND a "bad cal.l" However, for those who know football, Dorrell did "play the percentages" last year in South Bend by running the ball on 3rd and 7 with 2 minutes to play, thereby forcing the Irish to call their final time out.
Turning to this year, what if, on 4th and 1, the coaches had called a straight-ahead run that was stuffed short of a first down (as the Bruins did to the Irish in the fourth quarter -- 4th and 1 running plays do not ALWAYS result in first downs). Don't even try to tell me Bruin "fans" would not have criticized the play call endlessly. "How can you run the ball into the line when the defense is expecting it?"
It is SO easy to be a second-gueser, because one is always right! Run play didn't work? Well, then the coach is stupid, he should have called a pass. Pass play didn't work? Simple, the coach is a moron, he should have just run. Hindsight is always 20/20.