Neuheisel: "Walker is my no. 1 recruit"

"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.

Comments

[Jon K.]

Guerrero, you better put down the money to keep Walker! Even give him the title of "Assistant Head Coach"!

The Bruins play hard for this guy and we need a tough, "bad cop" to balance Slick Rick high-energy, "good cop" personality.

Football needs the full support of UCLA's administration.

GO BRUINS!

[Jon K.]

Right now I'm nervous. I'm seeing the upside of Neuheisel, but I'm nervous.

If we retain Walker, I won't be nervous any longer.

GO BRUINS!

[Doug]

I suppose some program has to serve as the halfway house of Pac-10 football. I'm just surprised it would be the same school that once employed John Wooden.

How times have changed.

[Kennemax]

I can't believe they picked this guy. We had an opportunity to pick a quality coach with a winning record at the college level and they pick a guy who was the offensive coordinator for the worst offense in the NFL !

More UCLA nepotism. They won't get another season ticket dollar from me. I'm done.

[jdsids85]

Dan Guerrero took forever, but he finally made the right decision. Neuheisel is the right coach for UCLA right now.

Ideally he will retain Walker - but it has to be a good fit - we don't need a confused program, and if Walker and Neuheisel don't see eye-to-eye, Walker should move on (with my best wishes).

I hope the athletic department finds a way to compensate Walker accordingly, if he and Neuheisel do see eye-to-eye.

Let the Neuheisel era begin!!!

A proud alumnus, UCLA class of 1988.

[SoBayBruin]

And just who is the "quality coach with a winning record at the college level " who was passed over in favor of Neuheisel? It seems to me that Neuheisel was the last man standing with head coaching experience who wanted the job. It just shows how far the prestige of UCLA footbal has been allowed to sink.

[Jon K.]

Okay, I just read the UCLA "interview" with Neuheisel.

I believe.

Walker better be the damned defensive coordinator, though!

GO BRUINS!

[Eric]

I think it was a great hire AS LONG AS WALKER AND ERIC SCOTT ARE ON THE STAFF.... if we lose Walker to UDub, we will fall behind SUC, Oregon, Cal, ASU and UDub in recruiting. The kids love Walker and love playing for Walker. I think RN and DW share the same passion and they have contagious energy that trickles down from the coaches to the players......UCLA has its swagger back!

[Eric]

I think it was a great hire AS LONG AS WALKER AND ERIC SCOTT ARE ON THE STAFF.... if we lose Walker to UDub, we will fall behind SUC, Oregon, Cal, ASU and UDub in recruiting. The kids love Walker and love playing for Walker. I think RN and DW share the same passion and they have contagious energy that trickles down from the coaches to the players......UCLA has its swagger back!