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A source inside the UCLA football program said earlier today that defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker "wants to stay" and will stay at UCLA unless he is dissatisfied by the contract offer to keep him.
Walker has enjoyed his time at UCLA, likes living in Southern California (he has family in the area) and feels he has not yet completed the job of turning the Bruin defense into the best unit possible. In addition, his son Kevan, has verbally committed to attend UCLA and would be enrolling in the fall.
Assistant coaches Todd Howard (defensive line) and Chuck Bullough (linebackers) have indicated to Walker their interest in staying as well and their enthusiasm for the players coming back for 2008. It is not clear whether new coach Rick Neuheisel, who has reportedly met or spoken with Walker three times, is interested in retaining any of the other assistant coaches.
In a 31-minute question-and-answer session, new UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel impressed a capacity crowd inside the Press Room of the Morgan Center on campus with his sincerity and wit. Highlights:
>> "This is one of those pinch-me days because I have been in the wilderness, so to speak. You leave home, you kind of find your way, you lose your way and here I am back home. I couldn’t ask for a better scenario for myself in terms of wanting the chance to prove that I can do this job, that I can do it in the right way and to do it with my friends and my family."
>> "I was a young coach when I got the [Colorado] job at age 33. Maybe in an effort to prove that I belonged to my older peer group, I did some things that probably weren’t necessary in an effort to try to compete, to show everybody that was going to out-hustle them and so forth. And the mistakes have been well documented, but I certainly take ownership in them and I have learned from them. I can’t change the past, but I can learn from the past. I made sure that both Dan [Guerrero] and Chancellor [Gene] Block realize that if given this opportunity that I would never, ever do anything to tarnish the great reputation of UCLA, the integrity of this program and it would be a thrill to have the opportunity to prove that."
>> "I do know how to lead a program. I do know how to put the pieces together. It doesn’t happen overnight. There are a lot of great kids in this room who are excited about the future, and I just met a few of them out in the hallway before we walked in here. And the message is this: guys, we’re all the same. We got recruited by UCLA – me for the first time! [big laugh in the room] – we got recruited by UCLA for one reason: to come and make the most of this experience. Yes, we want to win and go to the Rose Bowls and do all of those things that bring great honor to this football program, but we would be remiss if we missed out on all the other pieces of the experience, meaning the chance to have this first-class education, a chance to meet a student body that’s as diverse as any in the world, to walk the same grounds that Jackie Robinson walked, that Arthur Ashe walked, that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar walked and go on down the list: Kenny Easley, Freeman McNeil, Troy Aikman, you can go on down the list of great Bruins that not only made a mark as a student and as an athlete, but also making a mark in society."
>> "I owe [Brian Billick, fired today as coach of the Baltimore Ravens] a great debt. He gave me a chance to get back into football. He was very, very helpful in getting my family situated and getting us jump-started if you will. I learned a great amount of technical football in the NFL; it’s a great game. The relationships there are even more important to me, to the players that I got to be a part of. Our family will always be indebted to him."
>> On when he will be re-locating his family: "Susan is going to make all those decisions, she’s the head coach in the moving department. She’s the head coach in most of the things, if you really want to talk about it. She and I will figure out what’s best for the boys in terms of schools and getting themselves situated and make sure they’re on the right path. As soon as its prudent to do so, we’ll do it. We want to be part of this Southern California scene as quickly as is possible. I don’t know if you knew this, but the weather is better here [big laugh in the room]."
>> On his discussions thus far with defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker: "DeWayne is a great, great coach, a great ambassador for this university and he has proven that he’s a capable defensive coordinator. The Bruins have played outstanding defense each of the last two seasons and I know he’s excited about his first chance as a coordinator and would like to continue in that stead. Obviously, with that being said, he is coveted. When you make your mark like he has over the last couple of seasons, there are other suitors out there who would love for him to come and spin his magic for them. So it is a little bit of a recruiting battle, but I’ve got one great thing on my side: UCLA. I don’t have to sell it to him because he has been here and he knows it. We’re in dialogue, we’re going to continue to talk because I would love for him to be a part of this program going forward. I know the defensive players on the team feel the same way in terms of really believing in his leadership. So hopefully that can happen here sooner than later.
"But it’s important for DeWayne to take the amount of time that’s necessary for him to feel really good about the decision, because it’s exciting to be coveted. But we’re going to make him feel like a blue-chipper."
>> On how the process of being hired worked: "I called Bobby Field, an old colleague of mine and Dan’s right-hand man here in the [football] program. I just wanted to let it be known that should UCLA have an interest in me at all that I would love the opportunity to talk to them. I certainly understood if they felt like there was another direction they needed to go.
"I begged, pleaded and all that other stuff and basically let them know who I was. I said to Dan [Guerrero], ‘I know there was a moment when you got this job as the athletic director of your alma mater where you closed the door, sat down and probably put your feet up on the desk for the first time and just kind of leaned back in awe about what kind of an opportunity this was and what kind of an awesome responsibility you were undertaking. And somewhere in that thought process, you made yourself a promise that you were never going to do anything to tarnish the great reputation of UCLA.’ I’m no different. I’m hopeful that I get to have that same moment.
"While doing that, I will fight, scratch and claw to get us back to the national scene. That’s a solemn promise and I looked him in the eye and fortunately, he listened.
"There was a second interview. I was called and asked to come out to California, on a Monday. In the NFL regimen, Tuesdays are player’s day off. So it was the day to do it where it would make the least amount of commotion. So I got on an early morning flight which was cancelled at BWI, so I got in a cab to try to get to Dulles in Washington, D.C. and there were two accidents along the way, so I missed that flight and then I got onto a flight that got in at 2 o’clock and then I had a meeting with some of Dan’s support staff at about 3:30 that day and then had the opportunity to meet Chancellor Block and share my vision for the program at his home, which was a thrill.
"In all my years, I’d never been in the Chancellor’s home, so that was kind of a cool thing. Really cool artwork in there [big laugh in the room]. I think it’s a Warhol picture of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, right? Just a monster one; you just want to stare at it. Then I got on a 10:45 flight back, landed at 7 and went right to the office to start the next day’s practice and just go on.
"You’re hinging on every phone call, hoping that it’s good news, hoping you’re still in it. You have to give them their chance to do the process, but you’re also in this island waiting for good news. Fortunately, this past Saturday, the good news came. I never stared at a fax machine longer in my life. ‘The fax is coming Rick’ and I just stared at it. All of a sudden it started to click on and the agreement came across the deal and it didn’t take me long to sign. And it went back and you stare again. I hope they didn’t change their mind. I wish everybody could have the thrill."
>> On whether he will ask for a relaxation of the entrance requirements on behalf of specific players: "My job is to work within the framework of the institution and to do everything I can to compete successfully in a great conference. I certainly understand there’s frustration at times when you see somebody you believe in and they don’t meet the necessary requirements. But rather than spend my time worrying about that, I want to spend my time worrying about all that’s good with UCLA. You only have a limited amount of time. So use it to focus on that which can help you rather than focus on things which will be difficult. The powers-that-be will make those decisions and they will make them with the best interests of this institution. And it’s my job to work within that framework."
>> On whether UCLA should be concerned about taking a chance on him? "No, because I know how I am going to go about this. I know the mistakes I’ve made, I know how I made them and I’m not going to make them again. That doesn’t mean I’m not going to make a mistake. But it’s not going to be because I’m trying to do anything that’s shady or under the table. I’m going to do everything I can as aggressively as I can because this program deserves that.
"As Dan said to me in our talk, ‘I don’t want some robot coach. I want your swagger, if that’s the right term, I want you, but you have to understand you’re going to be under a microscope.’ I said, ‘Dan, I’ve been under a microscope now for a long time and I understand it. Rather than being upset about it, I’m trying to look introspectively about what I can do better the next time.’ Did they take a chance? Only time will tell. I’m hoping it was a really good decision."
>> On whether he will continue to recruit in inner-city Los Angeles: "If I sat in one meeting with Terry Donahue, I sat in 100 . . . ‘there’s no reason to travel to the ends of the Earth if everything we ever needed was right here at home.’ In our meeting with Chancellor Block, he really wants to reconnect with Los Angeles. So I think it’s just a ready-made goal of all of ours to have UCLA be Los Angeles’s university, to be a place where the great student-athletes want to come to compete in the same places that Jackie Robinsons and the Arthur Ashes and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbars and the Kenny Easleys and the Freeman McNeils, where they competed. That’s the job, and I have great relationships with the high school coaches in this area. I’m hopeful of re-connecting very quickly and make sure that this is an open place, that we want very best and brightest."
>> "On the subject of recruit calls – you’re going to be impressed that I know these rules [big laugh in the room] – we’re in a ‘dead period’ currently, though there can only be one phone call. Dan and Bobby made sure the coaches left that phone call to the new head coach and so I get to make those calls this week. This coming weekend becomes a ‘quiet period’ that you can see recruits on campus, but not off-campus. So I’m hopeful that we can encourage a lot of them and their families to come to campus this weekend and so I can get to meet everybody, kind of share my vision for what this is going to be all about and why it makes a heck of a lot of sense for them to stay with their commitment and come to this great institution and that they’re going to have the ultimate college experience.
In the meantime, I’m going to be taking a test to make sure that I’m current with the NCAA rules so that when the time presents, I can get off-campus and go about the work of recruiting."
>> "I got a chance to meet a lot of [the assistant coaches] this morning. Obviously, there are some anxious moments in terms of what their future holds and we just have to deal with that. The hope is that we’ll get a chance to meet with everybody Wednesday and Thursday, certainly no later than Friday and we’ll hopefully have some moves. You don’t need to go so fast that you make hasty decisions. I’ve made hasty decisions in my past and as I said, I learned from them. We’ll take the necessary amount of time and do this the right way."
From UCLA Sports Information:
"Junior guard Michael Roll reruptured his plantar fascia in his left foot today in practice and will be out indefinitely. An MRI has been scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 2nd."
However, the news was not all bad:
"Lorenzo Mata-Real returned for a full contact practice today for the first time after straining his left groin in practice on Dec. 26 and missing the UC Davis game on Dec. 29.
"Mustafa Abdul-Hamid also was cleared to practice today, though he will only go for half of practice. Abdul-Hamid suffered a stress reaction in his right foot on Dec. 6 and has missed every practice and the last five games since the injury.
"Darren Collison is practicing today for the first time without the knee brace on his left knee after he sprained his MCL in the first exhibition game on Nov. 2."
A wildly enthusiastic audience at the Morgan Center that included more than a dozen current and former players heard Rick Neuheisel speak and answer questions for about 45 minutes as he was formally introduced as the new Bruin head football coach.
Reflecting on his Bruin career that started as a walk-on and moved slowly toward his final game in which he was the Most Valuable Player of the 1984 Rose Bowl, he said "Today I stand before you experiencing the greatest thrill, to come back and be the head football coach at my alma mater, the greatest university in the land, UCLA."
Neuheisel brought all of the energy, enthusiasm and wit that was expected of him and broke up the audience repeatedly. He also received six ovations during his 12-minute opening remarks. Some highlights:
>> "I can’t thank you enough for that jersey [his no. 10, presented by Dan Guerrero]. It’s not the one I started with at UCLA. When I walked in 1979, they didn’t have a jersey for me, so I got 24X. 24, you’ll recall, for those of you who are great Bruin fans, was Freeman McNeil’s number. Now Freeman and I don’t get confused often, but we had the same number, 24, and then all of a sudden a young guy who was in my same freshman class, a guy by the name of Donnie Fisher went back to Port Arthur, Texas. He was homesick. And so I got his number and for the entire year I was Donnie Fisher, no. 20."
>> He had plenty of thanks to the Bruin coaches who came before him. Of Terry Donahue, for whom Neuheisel played and later became an assistant coach: "I owe him the greatest debt of gratitude, for getting me into this business, for believing in me as a player, believing in me as a coach and encouraging me to pursue this as a career.
"We’re going to try to take back the city in the same way you did in the early 80s and see if we can’t get ourselves into those New Year’s Day games on a regular basis, just like Terry Donahue did."
>> Of his immediate predecessor: "I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Karl Dorrell right now. Karl was a teammate and a great teammate. He wasn’t very talkative. He wore no. 8 and I wore no. 10, so our lockers were that close together and he was a sophomore before he said hello [big laugh in the room].
"I called him immediately upon hearing the news [of his hiring], before it had reached the public because I wanted to him to know that we’re going to carry on his legacy. He meant a great deal to this program and will always mean a great deal to this program. He’s a great man and a great leader and he’ll always be a Bruin. As long as I am in charge of this program, we are going to speak of Karl Dorrell in reverent tones."
>> Of Chancellor Gene Block and Guerrero, Neuheisel said that he appreciated that they were willing to look past his previous errors in judgment and thanked them for believing "that I can do this job and do it in a way that UCLA deserves it to be done, with the highest level of integrity and we can do it in a way that we can all enjoy it and be proud of it and also win, I can’t thank you enough. This is a dream come true for me and my family."
>> He thanked his family at length, starting with his wife Susan and thanking her for her support during five years of being in the football "wilderness." He said he told her that "Tough times don’t last, tough people do and that we were going to get through it." He introduced his three boys, Jerry, Jack and Joe, all of whom were nattily (if not comfortably) attired in khaki pants, white shirts, blue blazers and yellow striped ties.
He broke up the room again when he introduced his parents, Dick and Jane Neuheisel. "How about that, Dick and Jane. I was this close to being named Spot."
And of his sister Nancy, he remembered "We played [Arizona] in that Rose Bowl run in 1983 and we missed a field goal – I’m here to admit to John Lee it was a bad hold, my fault (laugh) – but Nancy was a cheerleader for U of A that day and she came over and even though her team won, she was sorry for me, so thanks for that. Nancy has finally found the error of her ways; she’s moved to California, so she lived here now. It’s a very big family thing for us, it’s home."
>> Of the actual job of being football coach, he said "It’s time now to get to work. I have a sense of calm about this because I have done it before.
"It’s going to be a very good fit for all of us. We’re going to have two rules. One rule is to get the job done, no matter it takes and the second rule is to enjoy each other’s company and laugh every day, because this is a special place.
"I ask for your patience in terms of all the things that need to be done, to make sure we set the foundation for this program, but fortunately for me, a lot of it is already in place, because of my predecessor and because of the fabric that is UCLA."
He ended his opening remarks by saying again "How excited I am to get about the task of taking back the City of Los Angeles and getting even with those guys across town."
Rick Neuheisel was formally introduced as UCLA’s new head football coach in what was billed as a news conference, but was just as much a pep rally with more than 160 people in a room that was set up with 70 chairs.
UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero was an enthusiastic as anyone had ever seen, saying "Today we have another opportunity to celebrate. We brought Rick Neuheisel home."
He also joked about the deliberate pace of the hiring process after Karl Dorrell was excused on December 3: "I want to thank all of you for your patience as we went through this thing. I looked in the "How to Hire a Football Coach" manual and for some reason, it didn’t say you had to do it in three days, five days or ten days or whatever.
"I can assure you with the highest degree of confidence that we did come up with the right decision. We are thrilled to death to have Rick Neuheisel back at UCLA. We’re forever grateful that he accepted this position and we’re looking forward to what the future will bring."
He then surprised everyone by handing Neuheisel a copy of his no. 10 jersey, which was instantly donned by Neuheisel’s middle son, Jack.
After the session ended, Guerrero added two points in response to questions:
>> "There’s a mitigation clause" in Dorrell’s agreement that would reduce what the university owes him on a dollar-for-dollar basis by what he might be paid in another coaching position. There have been published reports in Texas that Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak – who coached with Dorrell at Denver – may consider him for the position of offensive coordinator.
>> As to UCLA’s ability to pay enough to keep assistant coaches like DeWayne Walker and others, Guerrero said "We’re giving him [Neuheisel] the resources to be very competitive in the marketplace and I don’t think that’s an issue for us to be honest. Not at all."
 Hello 2008! The Bruins have a new football coach and basketball is heating up with the start of Pac-10 play:
Baseball:
>> Last week: UCLA junior shortstop Brandon Crawford was tabbed as a pre-season, third-team All-American by Collegiate Baseball this week. Crawford hit .335 with seven home runs and 56 RBI as a sophomore last season. The Bruins open their season Feb. 22 at Jackie Robinson Stadium against Oklahoma.
Football:
>> Last week: Former Bruin quarterback and assistant coach Rick Neuheisel was selected to be the Bruins’s head football coach Saturday after a lengthy search. He called the selection "a dream come true" and will be formally introduced at a news conference Monday on campus.
>> This week: Neuheisel will be trying to secure the services of defensive coordinator and interim head coach DeWayne Walker for the future. After that, he’ll be interviewing the remainder of the existing coaching staff and begin speaking with recruits.
Men’s Basketball:
>> Last week: No. 5-ranked UCLA finished its non-conference schedule at 12-1 with a 76-48 rout of UC Davis on Saturday. The Bruins showcased a balanced offense with four Bruins in double figures, led by guard Darren Collison with 14 points. Freshman center Kevin Love had 13 points and nine rebounds.
>> This week: The Bruins go on the road to start the Pac-10 season against Stanford (11-1) and California (9-2) on Thursday night and Saturday, respectively. It will be only their second and third games on an opponent’s home court, as their three other away games have been on neutral courts.
Men’s Volleyball:
>> This week: Al Scates’s volleyballers head to Hawaii for the Outrigger Tournament to face Ball State on Thursday, Penn State on Friday and host Hawaii on Saturday.
Women’s Basketball:
>> Last week: UCLA (6-7) split its Pac-10 opening weekend, losing Friday to No. 24 Arizona State, 62-59. The Bruins were unable to score in the last 1:35 after freshman guard Darxia Morris gave the team a 59-58 lead. Morris led the Bruins with 14 points; senior forward Lindsey Pluimer and freshman guard Doreena Campbell had 12 each.
However, UCLA defeated Arizona in Tucson, 68-59, behind a sensational performance by freshman forward Nina Earl (pictured). She had 23 points on 8 of 14 shooting, 6 of 7 from the foul line and led the Bruins with 10 rebounds in 38 minutes on the floor. Pluimer added 10 for the Bruins, who cruised home after piling up a 42-30 halftime lead.
>> This week: The Bruins entertain No. 2 Stanford at Pauley Pavilion on Friday and California on Sunday.
Women’s Gymnastics:
>> This week: The Bruin women will be favored in their first event of the season, the Vegas Cup, in Las Vegas on Friday. UCLA returns four All-Americans from its national fourth-place team of a year ago and will face No. 11 Oregon State and No. 18 Arizona State in this week’s matchup.
Women’s Soccer:
>> Last week: Tired of hearing about Bruin sophomore striker Lauren Cheney? Get used to it. She received her second "Player of the Year" award in collegiate soccer this past week from Soccer Buzz magazine. She is still in the running for two other national player of the year honors in the Herrmann Trophy (one of three finalists) and the Honda Award (one of four).
Women’s Swimming:
>> This week: The dual meet season continues for UCLA (5-1) with a match Friday against UC San Diego.
Nina Earl photo courtesy UCLA.
In the all-time series, 12-1 UCLA now leads 2-0 as there was a meeting in 1939-40 with the Bruins pulling out a 34-32 win. Other notes:
>> Bruin freshman center Kevin Love had four blocked shots today, a career high. His prior best was one.
>> UCLA had 20 assists on 33 baskets today, tying a seasonal high (Youngstown State).
>> The 37 field-goal attempts by UC Davis were the lowest UCLA has given up in a single game this season (previous low was 44 vs. Michigan State). It’s also the lowest total by UC Davis in a game this season (previous, 43 twice). Quotes from UC Davis Head Coach Gary Stewart:
"There is no moral victory. We’re kind of disappointed that we couldn’t get the job done. But there are some things that we can build on. This is a good tape for us to evaluate our team.
"This is a great test to play against Division I opponents like UCLA. We’re only going to get better by playing against teams like this. We hope to make strides from this experience.
"The two freshmen, Max Payne and Ryan Silva, got into the heart of the defense and made some good decisions. Overall, we are going to look at this film and take away the positives. We shot 50% against a team like UCLA. That shows us what we’re capable of."
Quotes from UCLA Head Coach Ben Howland:
"UC Davis played tough tonight. They spread us out defensively, by running a Princeton-style offense. I was happy the way we responded, especially in the second half. It’s great to have the non-conference schedule behind us.
"We did a good job forcing turnovers without gambling tonight. I felt our man defense was aggressive and got them to do things they were uncomfortable with. Our 1-and-2 guards (Collison and Westbrook) are some of the most athletic in the country and they did a great job pressuring defensively. I also thought Alfred Aboya did a great job tonight. He plays so hard; I get excited watching him and the others pressure the ball.
"I was also excited with the way Darren [Collison] looked. He was unselfish to a fault and did a good job regaining his conditioning. He should be taking his brace off for practice Monday. I felt that the whole team lost a little bit of their conditioning with the break for Christmas; we will get up to speed by this weekend.
"Mike Roll also did a good job tonight. He had a couple of uncharacteristic passes, but I was most excited about him drawing his first charge ever.
"The Cal and Stanford trip is going be extremely tough. They have four NBA-caliber big men between them. Both teams also have good players around their front court. Stanford is a very solid team that is very well coached. They have some depth this year and their stadium is always a hard place to play in. Cal is very similar and will also be a tough game for us."
This is a fairly slow game and the Bruins are up 66-39 with 2:56 to play. After the 37-24 halftime, the Bruins went on a 20-3 run after a Shane Hanson 3-pointer for Davis and extended the lead to 57-30.
>> In the end, UCLA shot 53.2% for the game with a blistering 63.% second half. Davis ended the game at 48.6% and was held to only 8-22 in the second half (36.4%).
>> UCLA's leading scorer was Darren Collison with 14, backed up by Kevin Love with 13 and Josh Shipp and Luc Richard Mbah A Moute with 10 each. Love had nine rebounds to led everyone and UCLA had a 31-16 edge on the boards.
FINAL SCORE: UCLA 76, UC DAVIS 48
This game is pretty slow to start, but the announcement of Rick Neuheisel as head coach got a nice ovation with seven minutes to go in the first half.
>> On the court, the highlight has been a flying right hand facial applied by Josh Shipp flying down the middle of the lane on a fast break with 8:20 to go.
>> The Bruins lead 30-19 with 2:42 to play in the half, shooting only 44.8% from the field. Davis is shooting 61.5% from the floor, however.
>> At the half, UCLA leads, 37-24, shooting 45.7% from the field. Davis shot 66.7% (holy cow!), but had only 15 shots in the first half, compared to 35 for the Bruins. UCLA led in rebounds, 16-8 and the Bruins forced 12 turnovers compared to just five on offense.
>> Luc Richard Mbah A Moute and Darren Collison led the Bruins in scoring with 8 each. The Aggies were led by guard Mark Payne with 7.
"It’s been a long process," said new head football coach Rick Neuheisel. "I am elated to accept job as new head football coach at UCLA. It’s a dream come true for me.
"It means the world to me and my family. We are excited about the prospect of coming home."
Neuheisel was direct about his past and what he expects in the near term as he takes over the reins at UCLA:
>> "I missed college football for the last five years it’s something that’s been in my blood for a long time. It’s a thrill for me to return to my alma mater and take over a program that can be and should be one of the best in the country."
>> Neuheisel sais that during his initial interview, he had a lengthy discussion to "set the record straight on exactly what had taken place, where I had made errors in judgment and what I had learned from that.
"I’m not sure you can say anything [to alleviate everyone’s worries]. Talk is cheap; you have to walk the walk. I made it clear I am committed to make sure we do this 100% the right way." He told Guerrero during the process that violations such as those from the past "will never take place again."
He added, "The mistakes I made at Colorado were youthful mistakes, trying to out-hustle other coaches. I just made some silly mistakes. I still feel I can be a very effective recruiter doing it the right way."
>> "I have told Dan that DeWayne Walker is my no. 1 recruit. I am very impressed with the defense he played the last couple of years. That the team played as hard as they did in Las Vegas in the bowl game was impressive. Those are all things we’d love to keep at UCLA.
"I want him to finish what he started; I know he is coveted, sought-after guy. It’s important to make him feel welcome." Neuheisel said he had tried to contact Walker twice thus far, but unsuccessfully.
>> Asked when he would be able to contact recruits – and Neuheisel was well aware of the quality of the class that has been lined up – he said he didn’t know exactly, "but I guarantee I’m going to check to make sure before I do."
Guerrero added that Neuheisel would have to pass a standard NCAA coaches’ exam before he could actually start and joked, "so we’re going to throw the book [NCAA Manual] at him."
>> Asked about whether he was irritated by nicknames such as "Slick Rick," he said: "Slick Rick is not who I am; it happens to rhyme with my first name. Sometimes you don’t have a real say in how you’re termed, but I have big enough shoulders to handle the name-calling. Some of it I deserve."
>> Asked about how he’ll coach the offense, Neuheisel said he hadn’t decided whether he would be the play caller himself, but did say that "you cannot line up in the Pac-10 and not be able to control the ball on the ground and be successful. In my fourth season at Washington in 2002, we got away from that and paid the price. You have to be proficient enough to make the defense stop the run. It’s rare to see a team not have a good run game playing on New Year’s Day."
Neuheisel said he would be finishing up the season with the Ravens tomorrow in their final game of the season with Pittsburgh. "I’ll be able to say my goodbyes to an organization that’s been very good to me," he said, adding that he expects to get to UCLA quickly in order to help the Bruins "get back in the national scene."
A formal news conference has been scheduled for 2 p.m. on Monday.
"After a thorough and exhaustive search process, I am absolutely thrilled to name Rick Neuheisel as our new head football coach."
Dan Guerrero’s comment on this afternoon’s conference call brought an end to the UCLA head coaching search that began after the dismissal of Karl Dorrell on December 3.
"In the end," said Guerrero, "it was all about 66 collegiate wins and a winning percentage that places him among the top active coaches in the country and an opportunity for Rick to start anew with a clean slate at his alma mater."
Among the points made by Guerrero during almost a two-hour conference call that included a comical half-hour during which Guerrero’s comments about Neuheisel were replayed on the line over and over again:
>> The search was lengthy and was designed to be confidential; a lot of names were thrown out and contact calls were being made well after Neuheisel and others met with Chancellor Gene Block. Neuheisel was offered the job this morning.
>> "Rick’s past transgressions very much an issue for me," said Guerrero. He said he spoke with contacts at the NCAA, at both schools at which Neuheisel had been the head coach before and with others and was satisfied that such activity was behind him.
>> Neuheisel’s contract is for five years at a base salary of $1.25 million per year with up to $500,000 in annual incentives plus participation in camp revenues and other ancillary items.
Guerrero pointedly declined to name other coaching prospects that had been contacted during the search, noting that he had emphasizes the confidentiality of the process to everyone who was involved.
From UCLA Sports Information:
Rick Neuheisel, who quarterbacked UCLA to victory in the 1984 Rose Bowl and who compiled a record of 66-30 as a collegiate head coach, has been named his alma mater’s 16th head football coach, Bruin athletic director Dan Guerrero announced today.
The energetic and personable Neuheisel returns to the collegiate ranks after spending the past three seasons in the NFL. In his eight years as a college head coach at the University of Colorado and the University of Washington, he fashioned a record of 66-30, winning at least 10 games on three occasions and finishing in the Top 10 on three occasions, and led his teams to seven bowl games. His winning percentage of .688 places him among the top 20 active coaches with at least five years in the Football Bowl Subdivision. He was also recognized as one of the nation’s top recruiters during his college coaching days.
“Rick has enjoyed great success throughout his career and we believe he is the coach who can take our program to the next level,” said Guerrero. “His teams at Colorado and Washington continually challenged for conference championships and national rankings and that is what we are looking to do at UCLA.
“Rick is an outstanding coach and recruiter. He is outgoing and personable and can motivate our players, fans and supporters. We believe he is well equipped to lead the program and attain the success all Bruin fans wish to achieve.”
“I know there are some issues in Rick’s past that concern our constituency. We have discussed those at length with Rick and have investigated those issues with the NCAA. It has been at least five years and, in some cases, more than 10 years since the incidents occurred. We believe Rick has learned from those incidents and that he is more mature and experienced in the areas of compliance.”
“I am thrilled to be returning to my alma mater as its head coach,” said Neuheisel. “UCLA is a special place and I want to thank Dan Guerrero and Chancellor (Gene) Block for the opportunity to come home. We are going to build a program our supporters will be proud of, both on and off the field. I can’t wait to get started. I made some mistakes earlier in my career and I take responsibility for those mistakes. I have learned from that experience and I would never do anything that would reflect negatively on UCLA.”
Neuheisel, 46, spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach for the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens. He served as quarterbacks coach in 2005 and 2006 and in January of 2007, was promoted to offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach. With the Ravens, he worked with quarterbacks Kyle Boller, Steve McNair and, most recently, 2006 Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith.
During his four seasons (1999-2002) as head coach at the University of Washington, Neuheisel led the Huskies to a record of 33-16 (.673) and four bowl games (one Rose Bowl, two Holiday Bowls and one Sun Bowl). His Pac-10 record was 23-9 (.719) and Washington won one league title and finished second twice in those four seasons. The Husky offense averaged over 390 yards per game in each season, topped by 420.7 in 2002 (17th in the nation) and 407.9 in 2000 (35th).
In his final season, the Huskies finished 7-6 and tied for 4th in the Pac-10 while ranking fourth nationally in passing offense (346.2 yards per game) and earning a spot in the Sun Bowl.
In 2001, Washington finished 8-4 overall and second in the Pac-10 with a 6-2 mark, earning a trip to the Holiday Bowl. The Huskies faced five teams ranked in the final AP Poll that season, winning three of those games.
In 2000, Neuheisel led the Huskies to an 11-1 record, a first-place finish in the Pac-10 and a victory in the 2001 Rose Bowl. It was a year of great comebacks as Washington trailed in eight of its 11 wins and recorded five straight fourth-quarter comebacks. It marked the first time Washington had won 10 games since 1991 and the school’s first Rose Bowl title since that same season.
In 1999, his first season in Seattle, Washington finished 7-5 but finished second in the Pac-10, earning a trip to the Holiday Bowl. Neuheisel became the first coach in school history to lead a Husky team to a bowl berth in his first season.
During his four seasons (1995-98) as head coach at the University of Colorado, Neuheisel won 33 of 47 games (.702) and won all three bowl appearances. In his final season, Colorado finished 8-4, including a 51-43 victory over Oregon in the Aloha Bowl, and the Buffaloes ranked 13th nationally in total defense that year. In 1997, Neuheisel suffered his only losing season as a collegiate head coach (5-6) but Colorado still led the Big 12 in passing offense (232.4).
During the 1996 season, Neuheisel recorded his second straight 10-2 season, including a 33-21 victory over Washington in the Holiday Bowl, and finished second in the Big 12 North. The Buffaloes were ranked eighth on both polls and outscored opponents 319-199 while setting a school record by winning 10 consecutive road games. That team produced three All-Americans, including Butkus Award winner LB Matt Russell, and averaged 452.1 yards of offense, including 303.5 in the air, while allowing just 315.5 yards to opponents.
Neuheisel’s 20-4 record in his first two seasons were the fifth most wins at the time for a first-time head coach in the Football Bowl Subdivision (Division IA).
In his first season as a head coach (1995), Colorado finished fifth on both major polls. He guided the Buffaloes to a 10-2 record (the best ever by a first-year CU coach) and an appearance in the Cotton Bowl (a 38-6 win over Oregon), becoming the first rookie Colorado coach to take a team to a bowl game.
Neuheisel spent the 1994 season as a Colorado assistant coach under Bill McCartney after going to CU from UCLA.
Neuheisel spent six seasons (1988-93) as an assistant coach at his alma mater. During his final four years he tutored the wide receivers, helping to develop some of UCLA’s all-time great receivers, such as J.J. Stokes, Kevin Jordan and Sean LaChapelle. In 1993, Stokes helped the Bruins reach the Rose Bowl while setting school records with 82 receptions, 1,181 yards (since broken) and 17 touchdowns. LaChapelle made 73 receptions in 1991 and Jordan made 45 as a sophomore in Neuheisel’s last year (1993). In 1990, three Bruins – Scott Miller, Reggie Moore and LaChapelle – all made at least 35 receptions for at least 600 yards.
Neuheisel joined the UCLA staff full-time in 1988 and coached quarterbacks for two seasons, including NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman’s senior year (1988). Aikman earned consensus All-America honors and finished third in the Heisman Trophy race, completing a school record 228 passes (since broken) for 2,771 yards, a .644 percentage and a school record 24 touchdowns (since broken). Aikman was the No. 1 selection in the 1989 NFL Draft.
In 1986, he served as a volunteer coach and his major assignment was to teach the offense to a transfer from Oklahoma who had to sit out the 1986 season – Aikman.
The new Bruin head coach also played some professional football. In 1987, he played in three games with the San Diego Chargers and started twice. He completed 40 of 59 passes for 367 yards and one touchdown and also ran for a score. Against Tampa Bay, he completed 18 of 22 passes for 217 yards and a touchdown, setting a team record for completion percentage in a game (81.8%).
He also spent two seasons (1984 and 1985) in the United States Football League (USFL), playing with the San Antonio Gunslingers. In his rookie season, he completed 211 of 385 passes (.548) for 2,544 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Neuheisel began his collegiate career at UCLA (1979-83) as a walk-on, holding for place kicker John Lee, and earned the starting quarterback job during his senior season (1983). He led the Bruins to the Pac-10 title after a 0-3-1 start, earning honorable mention All-Pac-10 honors while completing 185 of 267 passes for 2,245 yards and 13 touchdowns. His completion percentage of .693 that season is still a school record. In a classic game against Washington, he completed 25 of 27 passes for a then-NCAA record .926 completion percentage in a 27-24 victory. That mark is still a UCLA record.
In his final game as a Bruin, he overcame food poisoning to lead UCLA to a 45-9 victory against Illinois in the 1984 Rose Bowl. He was named the game’s MVP after throwing for 298 yards and four touchdowns. In 1998, he was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame for his efforts.
During his career, he completed 198 of 290 passes for 2,480 yards and 15 touchdowns and his completion percentage of .683 is also a school record.
Neuheisel earned his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science in 1984. In 1986, while he was tutoring Aikman as a volunteer, he attended law school at USC and earned his degree in May of 1990.
Born February 7, 1961 in Madison, WI, he grew up in Tempe, AZ, attending McClintock High School. He and his wife Susan, a UCLA graduate, have three children, Jerry, Jack and Joe.
Rick Neuheisel’s Head Coaching Record Year School W L T Pct. Conf. Finish Bowl Rank (AP) 1995 Colorado 10 2 0 .833 T-2nd Cotton 5th 1996 Colorado 10 2 0 .833 2nd North Holiday 8th 1997 Colorado 5 6 0 .455 T-4th North 1998 Colorado 8 4 0 .667 4th North Aloha 1999 Washington 7 5 0 .583 T-2nd Holiday 2000 Washington 11 1 0 .917 T-1st Rose 3rd 2001 Washington 8 4 0 .667 T-2nd Holiday 19th 2002 Washington 7 6 0 .538 T-4th Sun Eight Years 66 30 0 .688 7 Bowls 3 Top-10 Statement from UCLA Chancellor Gene Block
“I'm pleased to welcome Rick Neuheisal back into the UCLA family as head coach of UCLA football. Rick is a proven talent, and the right person at the right time to lead our program to great success, both on and off the field, which is always our expectation at UCLA. Rick understands what it means to be a Bruin, and I have every confidence that he will maintain a first rate program that continues to bring pride to the entire UCLA family for years to come.”
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING --
Dick Vermeil, Super Bowl and Rose Bowl (UCLA) winning coach:
“Rick is a great hire for UCLA. I feel that way because first, he is a Bruin and he played for and coached with one of the great coaches in Terry Donahue. I had the opportunity to broadcast a number of his games as a head coach and I respected how he handled himself. Being in the NFL for the last three years is like going to grad school and I think that will be a great asset to him as he returns to college. I am very excited about this decision.”
Tom Ramsey, College Football Analyst and former UCLA record-setting quarterback:
“Rick is a former successful head coach in the Pac-10 and Big 12 and he has been a Rose Bowl champion as both a player and head coach. He knows that it takes from top to bottom to be successful at UCLA, having been there as a player, assistant coach and now head coach. He is also well versed in the Pac-10, thanks to his four winning years as head coach at Washington. Rick is a dynamic individual and he will be embraced and supported by the Bruin alumni.”
Terry Donahue, College Football Hall of Fame Head Coach at UCLA:
“I think Rick is a great hire for UCLA. He knows the UCLA situation as well as anybody. Rick is a proven head coach with a very successful record in the Pac-10 and he will be able to compete with any team in the conference. He will do a great job in attracting some of the best football players in the country to Westwood. It’s great that they have kept it in the Bruin Family. A lot of the former players and alumni will be excited about this hire.”
The fifth-ranked Bruins (11-1) face off against the UC Davis Aggies (5-6) this afternoon at Pauley Pavilion beginning at 4:30 p.m. Of note:
>> Asked about what he was expecting, UCLA coach Ben Howland said: "Princeton offense; they’ll come in here and be super-patient. Gary Stewart’s team beat Stanford two years ago, which was a huge one for them. We don’t want to be in that boat this year.
"They have a lot of alums down here. They’re going to have 500-600 people here I think, they got an extra allotment of tickets. So it’s nice for their program to be able to get down here. Gary’s a good friend and a good coach."
>> UCLA’s injuries continue to mount. Guard Darren Collison suffered a minor knee sprain in practice this week, but hopes to be able to go. Center Lorenzo Mata-Real suffered a groin strain and said yesterday "I’d like to play tomorrow, but I guess that’s not going to happen; it’s pretty doubtful. But I plan to be back when the Pac-10 starts." Guard Mike Roll has been sick, but expects to play.
>> Freshman center Kevin Love, asked about the differences he’s seen in transitioning from high school to college basketball said: "The physicality is a little bit different, but that’s something I’ve adjusted to well. I’ve just been having fun playing."
He reiterated that he’s like to be able to get more touches during the game to help the Bruins on offense: "Just facilitating the offense a little bit more, getting the ball in certain places, touching the ball so I can pass it to my open teammates, find them on cuts and off-side. I think that’s the biggest thing right now."
>> Sharpshooting wing Josh Shipp also emphasized that the UCLA offense needs more work: "I think our offense isn’t where our defense is right now. I think we’ve been playing pretty good D; the offense is a little stagnant. We definitely need to work on that, but I definitely think it is improving. Every day we need to come and practice hard, and hopefully we can get rolling and win these games in the Pac-10."
The Bruins aren’t expected to have much trouble with Davis. This is the first meeting between the schools and although the Aggies are a 33 1/2–point underdog, their total of five wins in 11 games is already as good as last season’s total in a 5-23 campaign.
Posted on CSTV.com this morning:
"A source tells CSTV that UCLA is considering Carolina Panther head coach John Fox to take over the Bruins' football program. Fox, who is under heavy heat for a disappointing season with the Panthers, has experience at the college level, all before 1989.
"Previous college stops include Pittsburgh, Iowa State, Kansas, Utah, Long Beach State, Boise State and San Diego State.
"The Panthers conclude their regular season on Sunday against Tampa Bay."
Carolina is 6-9 this season and Fox is widely expected to be fired, even though he has a reported three years and $15 million left on his contract with the Panthers.
"It’s not bad," said Bruin junior guard Darren Collison today of his most recent injury, a minor ankle sprain. "It’s just another thing, a tweak deal. I want to play Saturday. But we’ll see how it goes."
He said he felt he was back to 80% form when he was injured yesterday in practice. "I was starting to get more and more comfortable in myself. These last few days we had off for Christmas break, I was really conditioning myself and trying to get in shape where I need to be.
"I’m starting to trust [the knee] a lot more. It’s not a thing where it’s bothering me or I’m thinking about it or favoring it. But every day that goes by, I’m trusting it and having more and more confidence. I’m looking forward to taking the brace off before the first Pac-10 game, which is Stanford. That will make me extremely happy. It does limit you because you can’t have the full extension the way you want it to. I’ve got to deal with it and it’s helping me not get it re-injured again. When I take this brace off, I should be fine."
He noted that the big impact of the brace is on defense. "I’m still a step slower because of the brace. When I take the brace off, I should feel a little lighter on my legs, so I won’t feel a little bit heavy. It’s kind of heavy, so it’s limiting me from being a step faster, so when I take the brace off, I should be fine."
UCLA head basketball coach Ben Howland’s weekly briefing centered on the various injuries suffered by the Bruins since their return from Michigan:
"Darren Collison sprained his ankle yesterday. He probably could do some shooting today but I just felt it was better to hold him out, so he was just getting treatment today. Lorenzo [Mata-Real] the same thing, so we won’t make a decision on either one of them until tomorrow."
Howland said that Collison "actually collided with Russell foot to foot and just kind of twisted it a little bit. It had nothing to do with his knee." He also noted that Collison was close to his old form before the twist in practice and that "He did a great job during the Christmas break. He worked out every day, two hours a day. I don’t think that ankle is going to impact him [long-term]."
Mata-Real suffered his groin pull in practice, "sliding, on a defensive close-out," said Howland. "The main thing is I don’t want them to injure it worse. I think that Lorenzo’s injury is a little more precarious than an ankle, because a groin can be a long, long-standing injury. A groin [injury] is not something you play with at all. His is not a major groin pull. I want to treat it with caution and be conservative."
And that’s not the end of the UCLA team’s health woes. "Mike [Roll]’s been sick. He’s still not back to full strength. Kevin [Love] missed the day before yesterday’s practice; he had the flu and was throwing up all day on the 26th coming right back from Portland, so that’s going around a little bit. Lorenzo was sick back in Michigan, so we’ve got three guys that have been under the weather, plus myself right now."
Of Roll, Howland noted that prior to suffering the plantar fasciitis injury, he was playing his best basketball ever at UCLA. "When you take a month off," Howland explained, "it’s so difficult. It takes time to come back; it’s an arduous process. He couldn’t do a whole lot of anything because you can’t stop, plant, start, move; he did a little bit, but not like game-like conditions. He’ll get it back. He shot it well yesterday prior to practice."
Asked about the overall impact of the injuries so far this season, Howland noted "We had that same problem two years ago. Unfortunately for us, we don’t have the same amount of depth we had two years ago. So it makes it a little tougher. It’s distracting, from being able to be at our best, at full strength. I think we’re getting closer to getting there, it’s just we still have things [to work on]. This [injuries] is part of the game."
A credible source says that UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero took a flight to San Francisco tonight for the purpose of speaking with Oregon State coach Mike Riley tomorrow morning about the UCLA head coaching position.
Oregon State just defeated Maryland, 21-14, in the Emerald Bowl. Riley's team has won four straight bowl games and finishes 9-4 after a 10-4 season in 2006. In his second tour at OSU starting in 2003, his record is 39-24 (.619) and has won eight or more games in three of five seasons.
Riley played defensive back at Alabama from 1971-74 and has been a head coach at Winnipeg (CFL), San Antonio (World League), Oregon State twice and in San Diego (NFL). He was, interestingly, the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for USC from 1993-96, losing all four games he coached against UCLA.
 A thin schedule for the pre-New Year’s Weekend with just three Bruin events on the calendar, all basketball games:
Men’s Basketball:
Ben Howland’s fifth-ranked Bruins (11-1) will finish their non-conference schedule with a Saturday afternoon match against UC Davis in Pauley Pavilion at 4:30 p.m. The Aggies are 5-6 and 0-5 on the road, averaging 66.9 points a game while giving up 67.9. The game will be telecast on FSN Prime Ticket and on the radio at KLAC AM 570 with Chris Roberts on play-by-play. The Bruins will open conference play with a tough road trip to the Bay Area on January 3 (at Stanford) and January 5 (at California).
Women’s Basketball:
After a 4-0 start, UCLA has dropped six of its last seven games. Conference play begins tonight with UCLA at Arizona State (6:30 p.m. Mountain time), also a disappointment at 6-5 after being projected near the top of the conference this season. The game will be audiocast live at uclabruins.com with Dave Marcus on the play-by-play and Jamila Veasley as analyst. The Bruins will then move on to Tucson on Sunday to take on Arizona (also 6-5 going into tonight’s game with USC). That game will also be available live online with tipoff at 2 p.m. Mountain time.
Even with the team’s slide, senior forward Lindsay Pluimer (pictured) has continued to shine, leading the lead in scoring at 14.5 points per game and rebounds at 7.7 a game. That’s a career high for her in rebounds and only 1.0 points less than her career-best scoring average last season.
From UCLA Sports Information:
"Earlier today, Kevin Brown had his left hip joint and labrum debrided or "cleaned-up." He will be on crutches for the next three to four weeks."
That's unfortunate for Brown, a senior, who played well in the Las Vegas Bowl and may have an NFL shot, either as a late-round draft pick or as a free agent.
Columnist Tom Dienhart of the Sporting News wrote this morning that UCLA interim head coach DeWayne Walker "would remain at UCLA as defensive coordinator if Rick Neuheisel gets the head coaching job, according to a source close to Walker. [Washington coach Tyrone] Willingham is also talking to Walker about his opening as defensive coordinator at Washington.
"Neuheisel remains the most logical choice to take over in Westwood. He has been humbled by his experienced at Colorado and Washington. And he told me a few months ago he is eager to return to the college ranks. Plus, UCLA is his alma mater. Neuheisel has a magnetic personality, which would help the program battle the big persona of USC's Pete Carroll.
"And, maybe even the most vital: Neuheisel will come relatively cheap.
"It all makes too much sense."
Comment: Two aspects of the situation in favor of Walker staying in Westwood are (1) Walker's son, a wide receiver, is committed to attending UCLA and (2) if he stays at UCLA, Walker can keep his defensive coachins staff in place, especially line coach Todd Howard and linebackers coach Chuck Bullough. Even if Washington is willing to pay Walker a lot of money, he'll be asking what they can pay Howand and Bullough and possibly others and that combination may be too much for the Huskies to handle.
The Houston Chronicle reported this morning that ex-UCLA head coach Karl Dorrell will be a candidate to become the offensive coordinator of the NFL's Houston Texans next season. Texans coach Gary Kubiak was the offensive coordinator for Denver while Dorrell coached the wide receivers there from 2000-02.
The Texans' offensive coordinator for this season, Mike Sherman, has been hired as the Texas A&M coach, and Kubiak said Kyle Shanahan - currently a Texans offensive assistant - would also be considered.
If Dorrell were to be hired, UCLA would benefit as a significant part of the money owed to Dorrell would be offset by his earnings in the NFL.
From UCLA Sports Information:
"Darren Collison suffered a mild left ankle sprain in practice today. He is questionable for tomorrow's practice."
UCLA Sports Information announced that sophomore defensive tackle Jess Ward underwent reconstructive surgery on the posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. He is expected to be cleared for contact next September, meaning he will be out of spring football completely.
A second reconstructive effort may be going on with the Bruin head coaching search. There has been no announcement on a coaching selection today and nothing other than UCLA basketball Coach Ben Howland's weekly briefing has been slated for tomorrow. It is possible that the search is opening up again and if so, calls could be going out as soon as coaches in which UCLA has interest finish their bowl games. However, it is also possible that the search is over and contract details are simply being hammered out. But if the choice was down to just Rick Neuheisel or DeWayne Walker, an announcement could have been made this week.
UCLA Sports Information announced that senior center Lorenzo Mata-Real suffered a strained left groin muscle yesterday in practice. He is not practicing today and is doubtful for the UC Davis game on Saturday.
UCLA interim head coach DeWayne Walker met with Washington head Coach Tyrone Willingham yesterday in Los Angeles. Our source said Willingham "will do whatever it takes" to get Walker to shore up the Husky defensive unit.
That being said, Washington has no history of paying its assistants anywhere near the $300,000-plus that Walker is now getting, and he will get a raise if he stays at UCLA as the new head coach or the defensive coordinator. Willingham is paid $1.4 million per season.
Here’s the statement released by Temple announcing Al Golden’s withdrawal as a candidate for UCLA football coach:
"Temple head football coach Al Golden withdrew his name over the holidays from consideration for the head coach position at UCLA, school officials announced on Wednesday.
"‘I am flattered to have been contacted about the coaching vacancy at UCLA,’ Golden said.
"‘UCLA is a world-class institution, and Athletic Director Dan Guerrero is a first-class person. However, we are on the brink of something truly special here at Temple. Our staff, student-athletes, and I look forward to what Temple Football will accomplish in the future; we have some unfinished business to take care of.’
"‘We knew when we hired Al Golden to be Temple's head football coach that he would achieve the kind of success that would draw attention from other schools,’ said Temple Director of Athletics Bill Bradshaw. ‘There are great seasons ahead for Temple football, and we are happy Coach Golden has chosen to remain with our program for some time to come.’"
While the coaching search seems to be narrowing down, the beat continues for the Bruin football team:
>> Today’s list of The Times’ All-Star Football Teams included seven Bruin recruits out of 24 players named:
- Running back Milton Knox of Birmingham HS
- Wide receiver Antwon Moutra of Culver City HS
- Defensive end Datone Jones of Compton HS
- Linebacker Patrick Larimore of Hart HS
- Defensive back Anthony Dye of Corona Santiago HS
- Defensive back Rahim Moore of Dorsey HS
- Defensive back E.J. Woods of Crespi HS
You might ask who the defensive backs coach is . . . it’s DeWayne Walker.
>> From Don Markus of the Baltimore Sun:
"Ravens offensive coordinator Rick Neuheisel denied a report on ESPN that he was in Las Vegas to watch UCLA play -- and lose to -- Brigham Young in the Las Vegas Bowl on Saturday night.
"Neuheisel has been mentioned prominently as a candidate to become the next coach at his alma mater.
"‘I don’t go to Vegas for anything,’ Neuheisel said yesterday."
Good answer, Rick.
The Times' UCLA beat reporter Chris Foster reports that Temple Coach Al Golden had withdrawn his name from consideration to be UCLA's next head football coach.
Interim head coach DeWayne Walker interviewed this morning with UCLA Chancellor Gene Block. Walker and former UCLA quarterback and Colorado and Washington head coach Rick Neuheisel appear to be the only remaining candidates for this position.
 The annual Los Angeles Sports Council "Greatest Moments of the Year" awards show is coming up soon on Sunday, Jan. 20 at the Beverly Hilton. It honors the top moment in sports in Los Angeles in 18 categories plus setting down the Top 10 Moments of the Year.
You can vote on UCLA’s top moment of the year by clicking here and going to the Sports Council Web site voting page. Voting is open through Jan. 10.
>> UCLA Wins First Rivalry Game at Galen Center:
In the first-ever UCLA-USC men's basketball game played at the new Galen Center, Arron Afflalo (pictured) hit a 15-foot jumper with four seconds remaining to lift the Bruins to a 65-64 victory over the Trojans. USC had taken a 64-63 lead with 22 seconds left, but Afflalo gave the Bruins the lead for good (Jan. 13).
>> UCLA Men's Basketball Team Reaches Second Straight NCAA Final Four:
For the second straight season the UCLA men's basketball team swept through the West Regional, winning four games to reach the Final Four. The Bruins, seeded No. 2 in the West, earned the trip to Atlanta by defeating No. 1 seed Kansas, 68-55, in San Jose, led by 24 points from Arron Afflalo and 14 from Darren Collison (March 24).
>> UCLA Becomes First University To Win 100 NCAA Team Championships:
The UCLA women's water polo team defeated Stanford, 5-4, at Los Alamitos, to capture its third straight NCAA title and UCLA's 100th, as UCLA made history by becoming the first university to win 100 NCAA team championships. Kelly Rulon was named Tournament MVP and became the first female student-athlete in UCLA history to play on four NCAA championship teams (May 13).
The show will be televised live on Fox Sports Net in Los Angeles, but if you’d like to see it in person, a limited number of seats are available for the reception, dinner and the full awards program, which is longer than the television show. Call Monica Maldonado at the Sports Council at (213) 482-6352 for more information.
Arron Afflalo photo courtesy UCLA.
 With a glossy 11-1 record, UCLA moved from eighth in the nation to fifth in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today coaches poll.
The Bruins are one of five Pac-10 teams that are ranked: Washington State is no. 4 in both polls and Arizona is no. 17 in the AP poll and no. 18 in the coaches poll, with Stanford 22nd in the coaches poll and USC 24th in the AP poll.
The power of the conference is already being shown in the non-conference standings of the major leagues through yesterday:
1. Pac-10: 85-23 (.787) and probably 95-25 (.792) at year’s end;
2. ACC: 100-30 (.769)
3. SEC: 101-33 (.754)
4. Big 12: 102-35 (.745)
5. Big East: 122-45 (.731)
6. Big 10: 84-38 (.688)
The Bruins have one more non-conference game, on Saturday vs. UC Davis and then begin conference play at Stanford on January 3.
 The holidays are here and Bruin teams are either finished for the season or just getting ready to go:
Baseball:
>> Last week: UCLA was ranked 18th in Collegiate Baseball's preseason poll, which had five Pac-10 teams in the top 40. Arizona is ranked No. 1, with Arizona State at No. 3, Oregon State at No. 19 and California at No. 39. It’s UCLA’s highest preseason ranking since before the 1999 season. The Bruins open their season Feb. 22 at Jackie Robinson Stadium against Oklahoma.
Football:
>> Last week: On Saturday, the Bruins lost a heart-breaker to BYU, 17-16, in the Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl as Kai Forbath’s potential game-winning field goal was blocked as time expired. It was the last game for almost two dozen seniors, including All-American safety Chris Horton and brilliant defensive end Bruce Davis. UCLA finished the season 6-7, losing this game under interim head coach DeWayne Walker as Karl Dorrell had been dismissed earlier this month.
>> This week: The football season may be over, but the coaching search is in high gear. Former Bruin quarterback and assistant coach Rick Neuheisel and Temple Coach Al Golden have interviewed with UCLA Chancellor Gene Block, and Walker is scheduled to get an interview as well. A coaching announcement could be made late this week, or might not be made until after the "bowl season" is over.
Men’s basketball:
>> Last week: UCLA beat up Western Illinois at home, 77-52, then flew to Ann Arbor, Mich., and came back to beat Michigan, 69-54, with a 41-18 run to close out the final 13 minutes. Despite the uneven play against the Wolverines, the Bruins move to 10-1 overall and should be ranked in the top five in the nation this week. Josh Shipp led the Bruins with 19 points, 15 in the second half.
>> This week: The Bruins come back to Pauley Pavilion on Saturday to face UC Davis in their last pre-conference game, with an odd starting time of 4:30 p.m.
Women’s basketball:
>> Last week: A loud crowd of 4,003 that included former Bruin stars such as Ann Meyers-Drysdale and Anita Ortega saw No. 1-ranked Tennessee defeat UCLA, 82-70, on Wednesday night. It was UCLA’s sixth loss in seven games. The Bruins came back to defeat UC Riverside on Friday, 71-60, with senior Lindsay Pluimer scoring 16 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
>> This week: The Bruins (5-6) begin Pac-10 play on the road against Arizona State on Friday night and against Arizona on Sunday afternoon.
>> Of note: A comic exchange occurred during the UCLA-UC Riverside game came when tenacious defender Tierra Henderson closed in on Riverside guard Seyram Gbewonyo in the second half. While trying to slap the ball free, she actually hit Gbewonyo in the face. The Riverside guard didn’t like it and slapped Henderson back and was whistled for a foul. Said Gbewonyo to the official, "But she slapped me first!" The call was not changed.
Women's gymnastics:
>> Last week: The Bruin women ranked No. 4 in the nation in the preseason coaches poll, behind Georgia, Florida and Utah. UCLA will face nine of the preseason top 25 this season, including Georgia, Utah, No. 5 Stanford and No. 6 Alabama. The season opens Jan. 4.
Women’s soccer:
>> Last week: Bruin sophomore striker Lauren Cheney was selected as Soccer America's Player of the Year in collegiate soccer and U.S. Soccer’s Young Female Athlete of the Year. Cheney is still in the running for two other national player of the year honors in the Herrmann Trophy (one of three finalists) and the Honda Award (one of four).
Josh Shipp photo courtesy of UCLA
The Times' Chris Foster reported tonight that UCLA's interim football coach, DeWayne Walker, will get an interview next week with UCLA Chancellor Gene Block.
Walker will be the third potential head coach to receive a final interview, after Rick Neuheisel and Temple Coach Al Golden.
If the yardstick for DeWayne Walker was to get the Bruins to play as hard as they have played all year, then he deserves an interview for the head coaching job at UCLA. A 6-7 season is a failure by any yardstick at UCLA, but Walker’s work with a broken squad was admirable if not simply outstanding.
>> His defense was much better against BYU tonight than it was in the second game of the season. The Cougars had only 268 total yards compared to 435 in September and did not score in the second half. What chance was there of that?
>> What can be said about Bruce Davis in his final, emotional last game as a Bruin? Or of freshman tackle Brian Price, who looks like a terror in the making and will line up with Brigham Harwell to anchor the middle of the defense next season!
>> The Bruins managed — thanks to their final drive — 316 yards in total, again better than the 236 in September. That’s hard to believe, but true. Chris Markey had a nice final game with 27 carries and 117 yards, the first back to gain more than 100 yards on BYU this season.
>> UCLA did things in this game that it did not do all season and got itself in position to win. It dominated the line of scrimmage (except for the final field goal try, of course) and won the possession time battle, 33:23 to 26:37. There were two turnovers on each side, and the Bruins gave BYU short fields for its two touchdowns, but UCLA capitalized on the gift BYU provided at the end of the first half with a touchdown, not a field goal try. And the Bruins had only five penalties in the game, less than in several games this season.
Does Walker deserve to be the Bruins’ head coach, or the "associate head coach" with an offensive-minded head coach like Rick Neuheisel? Only Dan Guerrero knows right now; to be considered, Walker still has to be asked to interview with Chancellor Gene Block.
The Bruin players would be insulted if he didn’t get that chance.
That UCLA is still in this game is amazing, but it’s hard to see — absent a turnover — how the Bruins could drive the ball for a touchdown. It's 17-13 with 11 minutes to go.
>> Freshman tackle Brian Price planted Harvey Unga on first down for a five-yard loss. He wasn’t eligible to play in the first BYU game, but they will remember him when the teams play again in September.
>> Less than three minutes to go, and at this point in the September game, BYU was moving the ball with ease and on its way to a win. A fumble stopped BYU, but credit DeWayne Walker and the defense for keeping the Bruins in the game.
>> The Bruins have the ball on their own 1-yard line with 2:02 to play. Not promising.
>> UCLA lost the game in a fitting end to a 6-7 season that had such promise. A nice drive with a quarterback who had shown no ability to make plays this season ends with a sweet drive — 12 plays and 87 yards — to give the Bruins what looks like a win . . . and Kai Forbath's 28-yard field goal try — which was on-line and true — is blocked by BYU's Brett Denney. A great effort and another bad result.
Final score: BYU 17, UCLA 16
A 10-yard sack of McLeod Bethel-Thompson costs the Bruins a field-goal try, but the 12-play, 43-yard drive reversed field possession and BYU now has to start from its own 3 with six minutes to play in the quarter. The Bruins are actually leading in time of possession by 21:54 to 17:06.
>> A lot of pushing and shoving in the quarter, but no one came close to scoring except for the Bruins on the drive that ended with a sack. A great job by the Bruin defense, but Bruce Davis was hurt on the last play of the quarter.
>> Yards after three quarters: BYU 210, UCLA 164. Yards in the quarter: BYU 63, UCLA 53
End of the quarter: BYU 17, UCLA 13
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