Guerrero: "An opportunity for Rick to start anew"

"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.

Neuheisel named UCLA coach

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 16^th 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 (17^th in the nation) and 407.9 in 2000 (35^th).

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 13^th 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.”

UC Davis-UCLA: Pre-Game

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.

More whispers: John Fox

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.

Collison: "I’m looking forward to taking this brace off "

"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."

Howland: "This is part of the game"

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."

Whisper: Mike Riley interview tomorrow

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.

Weekend Warm-up: Hoop-de-doo!

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.

Brown down but not out

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.

Report: Walker stays if Neuheisel hired

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.