Posted on 12/03/2007 1:39:59 PM PST by Dog Gone
Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - UCLA fired head football coach Karl Dorrell on Monday.
Dorrell, a 1987 UCLA graduate, was dismissed despite a rather successful five- year tenure that included a bowl trip each season.
"This was a very difficult decision for me," said UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero. "Karl has represented this program with dignity and class. He is a true Bruin and I respect what he has accomplished in his five years as our head coach, particularly off the field. But, at the end of the day, the focus has to be on results and I felt that a change was in the best interest for the future of our program."
Dorrell had a 35-27 career record at UCLA, including a 10-2 season in 2005.
"I want to thank Dan Guerrero for the opportunity to coach at my alma mater," said Dorrell. "I know that the program is in much better shape than when I inherited it and I believe that it is ready to flourish."
The Bruins stumbled down the stretch this season, dropping four of their last five for a mark of 6-6. They will play in the Las Vegas Bowl on December 22 against BYU. DeWayne Walker will serve as the coach for that game.
(Excerpt) Read more at seattlepi.nwsource.com ...
As a USC fan, I’m disappointed that Dorrell is gone.
One of the 2005 losses was to...anyone...anyone?
Thanks Karl, for beating USC last season.
I always kind of liked Karl Dorrell. I’m not sure he was a bad coach, but UCLA’s recruiting efforts over the past few years under him were pretty much horrible.
It’s hard to win without first rate talent.
Then again, I can’t spend too much time sympathizing over Bruins. Those bastages would paint Tommy Trojan Bruin Blue before every game when they got the chance.
Now, before the USC/UCLA game, Tommy is wrapped in plastic and under 24 hour security guard.
I certainly understand why you guys will miss him. I am UF fan too and he did us a favor last year, but if he is 37-27 overall and was 10-2 one year, that means in the other 4 years he was 25 and 25.
UCLA has been a big time program during my lifetime and there is no real excuse for them not being one again if they want. So I can certainly understand why they might have fired him. And the article claiming he had a successful tenure as UCLA’s coach is pretty misinformed.
There’s no way it can be considered successful. Sure, UCLA had a theortetical chance at the Rose Bowl last weekend, but they’ve been mediocre at best over the past five years.
UCLA won’t stand for that.
How much of all this really lies on the coaches’s shoulders, I don’t know. The kids are the ones who have to perform between the sidelines.
I don’t shed too many tears for any of these coaches. If they work two years at this level, they’ll make more money than I will in my entire career. They never really need to work again.
This year’s loss to Notre Dame may well have been the clincher.
It probably was.
As mentioned, I’m USC. And I’d like to beat UCLA 500-0 every year, but it’s no fun if it’s not a rivalry. Last year notwithstanding, it really hasn’t been close lately.
They need to do what it takes to turn it around.
Another loss that hurt UCLA and Dorrell was a 38 point defeat at Utah.
While I’m not a fan of the L.A. teams, nevertheless I do respect Dorrell as a person. He was a good offensive coordinator for several schools including U. of Washington.
Apparently, Washington coach Ty Willingham will get another year, in spite of a 4-9 record in his third season as head coach. The Huskies will have most of their key players back next season, so they should be much improved.
Larry Elder discussed firing of Karl Dorrell in the first hour of his radio show...He did some research...When Dorrell got hired, some UCLA official stated that he was hired because he was the best man for the job. (Dorrell had no head coach experience...) Then, a few weeks later, some other UCLA official stated that Dorrell brings a fresh perspective to UCLA as a black coach. (Diversity argument...)
Elder expressed his disappointment with Coach Dorrell in his previous shows...In newspaper articles, Dorrell stated that he has to work extra hard as the head coach because of his race...Meaning people judge him more harshly because he’s black...
Elder sent a reporter to the press conference to ask the UCLA AD Dan Guerrerro about the race issue...AD Guerrero acknowledged that Dorrell’s concern about number of black head coaches was legitimate. (Guerrero asked how many Hispanic ADs are out there.) But, Guerrero said that the decision to fire Dorrell was based purely on the performance on the field...Elder expressed his “confusion” about Guerrero’s comments...
Then there was the 1962 helicopter incident immortalized in “If at all Possible, Involve a Cow”.
One of my favorites was when, in 1965, McGowan Hall, the brand-spanking-new theatre arts building with its magnificent marble(?) fountain opened for the fall semester and on the morning of the game it was spurting a mixture of water and crimson paint. Must have cost a fortune to clean it all up.
We counter-raided with amatuerish and desultory results and had retired back to campus on our way to get a beer when what do we espy? A couple of guilty looking skulker near Royce Hall. Yep! Turned out to be infidels who after found themselves separated from their own raiding party and were photo’d the next morning, heads shaved, buck-ass naked except for a coating of blue and gold paint, chained to the main flagpole on campus.
Finally, the two administrations got together, got their respective fraternities together, laid down the law, and all was quiet for a few years.
Until the aftermath of the ‘67 game, that is.
Those were the days!
Today, we all would have been serving time.
What IS funny is Nebraska. They fired Scolich for an 8-3 season, got some other guy and ended up with constant 40 point drubbings all year long.
That’s a funny story. Served those kids right.
A rumor is circulating that Chris Peterson, Boise, is the leading candidate for the UCLA job. Yesterday Peterson said he has not been contacted and if he is he does not want to go to UCLA.
I am. His coaching against Notre Dame last year was pathetic. They hammered the ND QB for 58 minutes, then went into a prevent defense, and lost. Pathetic!
As much as they are my cross-town rival, I hope UCLA lands a good coach.
They should be able to attract one. It’s not Podunk State, and it’s a prime media market. The campus is attractive and there’s no reason why UCLA can’t rebuild its program. It’s just been the case that USC has recruited consensus better players, and high school kids want to commit to a team that consistently wins.
It’s hard to dig out of that hole, but a good coach who starts showing good results can turn it around fairly quickly. Dorrell didn’t.
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