We'll see. At least he's not a hackneyed retread like Kelly and Mora. And who knows, the players seem to like him and that's gotta help. As to Jarmond I still say the jury is out, he gets no help in fact active hindrance from Block who could not care less about the Athletic Department.
I am neutral in regards to the hiring of Foster as HC. Let's see how that plays out. But point made that has been made clear awhile ago, the UCLA brass does not care about it's football program.
Well, I never said "confident" but perhaps and possible - which is different than "he's going to be chancellor for the next decade so by definition there won't be a change in attitude" no?
I suppose this time around we can't blame (or credit) Wasserman and Aikman for the HC selection. The so-called "Be quick, don't hurry" hiring process seemed more like "Be real quick and hurry up because you're out of time and options".
I think what is being missed here is that we drew from an extremely small pool of candidates. The pool was made even smaller by the donors unwillingness to pony up to let Jarmond make a decision. I have no doubt that based on the small pool of candidates Foster is a fine choice. But it's just really disappointing -- perhaps not surprising -- that we were contained in the way we were from truly hiring the best available head football coach.
The bad timing of it all, the rushed hiring process, the small pool of potential candidates, the lack of donor money, the poor recruiting, lack of NIL, and so on, are all just symptoms of the bigger problem--the inept UCLA administration. They took the lazy way out by extending Chip Alford's contract and maintaining the status quo (i.e., continued mediocrity), then Chip Alford followed suit by also expending minimal effort to remain the HC until he found his escape route to Ohio State, leaving behind a dumpster fire and having the last laugh at Martin ("Read the Room") Guerrero, who himself failed to land the AD job at Ohio State. In any case, I'll certainly be rooting for new HC DSF to succeed in removing the tarps from the Rose Bowl and at least surpassing the lousy 10-21 record that Chip Alford proudly attained during his first 3 seasons at UCLA.
Hiring is hard. I’ve done it. I’ve had people who interviewed well, looked great on paper and had strong references who didn’t come close to working out. And yes, UCLA has a pattern that this fits into. We all read about Tony White and Tommy Rees. Both sounded promising and both may have succeeded. Or not. Sometimes the unknown quantity gets a bit more leeway than the guy in house. I was excited when both Neuheisel and Kelly were hired, only to be disappointed in the end. One can cite examples of coordinators that became head coaches and succeeded. And, also ones that failed. There have been position coaches that did both as well. I’d guess the odds would generally favor a coordinator over a position coach. My expectations were already lowered prior to this decision, whether it was Rees, White or Foster. I’m too old to be as certain as some.
Ok... I disagree with the analysis of DeShaun... So I will be entirely unoriginal 🤣 and repost my comment from the earlier announcement post today...
DeShaun knows the OC and LA neighborhoods for recruiting and he has a natural rapport with young players. He embraces NIL as much as I hate it, but it's good that he does. He embraces recruiting. He is a developer of players. They love and respect him. He was nominated for the Broyles award. He loves UCLA and brings authentic passion to the program. He is a skilled positions coach but also served assist head coach. He may not have the coordinator experience but I believe he will put people in positions to succeed.
If I am wrong on the above then I will accept my errors. But in the meantime, I will love and support DeShaun and I will be rooting for him each step of the way 💙💛
And I will add this... some things a resume can't possibly reveal...
I think we are all pulling for DeSean. I don’t pretend to know how he will do. He is inheriting a bit of a mess. I imagine he will put everything he has in to succeeding. Looking at next year’s schedule, 4-5 wins is my prediction. If he surpasses that, it will be an outstanding job.
I think if he get 4-5 wins he is probably doing a pretty good job. The way this program was left, it was headed for 1-11. That's the deal, expectations will be very low, hence if he gets to 4-5 wins maybe even 6-6, everyone will be pleased with that, which is of course sad to say, but again it is what Jelly 2.0 Jarmond and Chipster (OG) left. I will be very disappointed if the new Chancellor retains Jelly 2.0, but knowing how UCLA does things, they really don't punish poor performance or ineptitude.
I was disappointed to hear this news. I was hoping for somone with successful HC experience. Deshaun Foster is an easy guy to get behind, though. No new head coach cares if he was not the first choice, so congratulations to Deshaun! I agree about the bad news parts. Add to that, if a sitting head coach had been hired, that would open another 30-day transfer portal to possibly help the team with players following the new coach.
I know it's the usual way, but I'm not convinced that Coordinator experience is always needed before being in the Head Coach position. It's a sad tale, but more recent Bruin's HC hires have been three previous Head Coaches with Coordinator experience, and a position coach. What we need is a good coach, and we will see about that.
Let's hope Deshaun can hold on to key team members. As of now, the team lacks at four coaching positions with three coaches having left: Offensive Coordinator, QB Coach, Tight Ends Coach, and Running Back Coach. This probably means both new hires and reassignments which Deshaun will be in charge of. Stood-up this late in the cycle, it may be just as well not to have to assemble a complete new coaching staff. I think we can all hope that Foster values "continuity" less than Jarmond does. It's not a complete tear down (that's what Chip did both arriving and leaving), but it is an opportunity to change directions.
Assistant coaches were always in the shadows with the Chipster. Maybe now they will feel a little more significant with this opportunity. We do have some good coaches, and the room is not yet filled out.
You feel disappointed way too soon. This con artist coach left the program in shambles, smoldering ruins and at a critical time when NCAA teams are finalizing their rosters for spring training, pending on the outcomes of national signing period. The coaching staff is intact. Who else top notch could still be available at such an inconvenient moment ? It is sad and true if indeed you think it is still possible for a good catch. It also is sad and true if others would echo that mindset too.
Henry, perhaps unrealistically, I was hoping for a proven coach to be hired. So, initially disappointed because of my expectations. Otherwise, I now have high hopes for Foster—higher than if Kelly had stayed, for sure. Any coach coming into the "smoldering ruins" at this late date would face a challenging situation, and DeShaun Foster is happy to face that challenge.
I also disagree with those who say that Foster is not ready to be a Head Coach. They don't know that, and neither do I. Every new Head Coach is somewhat of a mystery, even Saban on his first try. We have seen some pretty experienced and successful Head Coaches fail at their next job. So, it's not just the coach; it's also the fit. Inspiring to watch the team greet their new Head Coach, DeShaun Foster!
Your resonse is rational, sensible to me. Let us not prejudge and, most of all, already presume doomsday and seal the fate of our new coach merely the second day of his hiring. It will take time and efforts to dig us out of the horrendous mess Chip Kelly created. I am so sorry Ohio State hires him. This guy has serious character issues too.
I feel like that cartoon character with the dark cloud that follows over his head. We've all been so beaten down by the mediocrity of the program for so long, does anyone really care anymore?
I actually still care a ton. I have been beaten down by far worse things than years of mediocrity in my life. And DeShaun Foster, with all of his non-resume intangibles combined with being a great positions coach, could pave the way for a bright future in our Football program. Nothing is ever guaranteed, but I think DeShaun is a treasure and will become a great HC 💙💛
You bet !!!! DeShaun will restore our program back to respectful level. Excellence hinges on efforts and diligence exerted, plus recruitment. This is a home grown bruin. We trust that he would demonstrate that. Nothing needs to be managed.
I hope you are right, but objectively he's just not ready to take over a Big 10 program. I ask you this question. If after the firing of Alford we were having similar problems (no money to hire a guy like Cronin, bad timing, nobody wants the job, etc.), and we were limited in our selections, and UCLA had gone with Tyus Edney -- a great Bruin with assistant coaching experience at UCLA -- would you reacting the same way? Or would you be asking yourself why did we have to resort to this?
Thank you for reminding everyone about MJ’s utter failure with the gymnastics team. I lost all respect for the man then and he has never earned it back.
Dimitri is right, this is going to be a rough start considering where Chip let the program. I am willing to see if Deshaun can right the ship. Next year will be under .500, no other way around it, but if we can be competitive in those games, that will indicate to me they are moving in the right direction. The real indicator will be next year's recruiting. He needs an OC but having been working under one for years, he should know what to look for in a hire. I am neutral and hopeful with this hire.
Well, he did get an endorsement from someone more important than any of us 🙂 per the Times website, Bosco coach Jason Negro reacted by saying "I think it's a great hire. He and I have had a great relationship. I appreciate the way he recruits. I appreciate his honesty and he knows Los Angeles and Orange counties." Would be nice to keep more Trinity League & SoCal talent at home. Certainly he'll be better than the last guy in promoting the Collective, working the money rooms and the living rooms - since that's the lowest bar possible! - and with strong coordinators he could be a better fit for the modern "CEO model" of a head coach than we suspect.
I checked out the Bruin Report Online commentary and other sources regarding other coaches that may or may not be available at this late date and saw plenty of downside along with upside for each … no west coast experience, culture shock for some from the midwest coming to the insane CA environment, insane living expenses, some whose formerly bright stars are no longer as bright, outright commitments to the teams they are with, others like Foster with no head coaching experience, or only experience with lower caliber leagues (like the Toledo coach). We also need to stop the possible exit of the players we have in the next spring portal slot and I don’t think any of the others has a better shot at doing so than Foster who is extremely popular with the players … and for good reason. His guys have consistently gone to the pros and credit much of their success to Foster’s tutelage. He’s one of the greatest players in UCLA history and his coaching record is tremendous … being nominated by peers and sports writers for being the top assistant coach in NCAA football. I’ve listened to you and others rave about Lincoln Riley for a few years and he had his hind end handed to him last year with a Heisman Trophy quarterback. I’m sure you are hurting recruiting dramatically with your insistent and chronic negativity and it is wearisome. Maybe Jarmond and his interview team learned a lot more in their interviews than you give them credit for. Also, remember Bob Toledo won 20 games in a row and was run out of town shortly after.
I live in Georgia (formerly from Westwood) and I heard some Alabama fans criticizing Nick Saban before he retired for “losing his touch”. He only had the 2nd best recruiting rating in the country with 3-5 star guys and 20 or so 4-stars). The same went for Coach Wooden after seven straight national championships, a man who me and my friends in Jr. high occasionally swept the floors in the old men’s gym to remove the wrestler’s chalk dust before basketball practice.
Also, if the team struggles next year, like USC did this year, I suggest you lay off and please break the monotonous, grinding negativity.
Straight up if a player decides not to come to UCLA because he read an article on TheMightyBruin.com then you let me know, because you have found the needle in the haystack.
I'm not here to write sunshine and rainbow articles. I'm here to be as realistic as possible. I like Foster a lot but I don't see a viable path for him forward, most of which is not his fault, and I wrote as such.
(As for Riley, yeah, they got beat by UCLA. What did they do after? They went and hired UCLA's defensive coordinator, their best remaining defensive players, and revamped the defensive staff. Riley actually wants to win, unlike the UCLA admin.)
Wait, wait, wait...so the steady decline in our recruiting to the point where we now have the last place class in the B1G Ten and the worst class in U.C.L.A. Football history was because of you, Dimitri, and not because Chip was lazy, unprofessional, unengaged, and too picky? Dang.....
Somehow before the ink has dried from Foster’s pen, he is somehow responsible for Chip Kelly’s poor high school recruiting? Stick to what I wrote about Foster’s comparison with the other potentials. From my perspective, I think it was a pretty good choice. By the way, internet comments from the news media like BRO and you guys do make a difference. Yours just happens to be consistently negative.
Some comments regarding Foster and recruiting may not take certain things into account. Clearly, Chip didn’t prioritize high school recruiting. That attitude can actually demotivate recruiters. DeShaun will likely take a different approach. The view changes with a new position. I don’t think his past performance under a HC that didn’t like recruiting is indicative of what Foster will do as the man in charge.
I've always said, what does says about TD's development of players. Remember the Dallas Cowboys of the 90's were the UCLA NFL Alumni Assoc. Jimmy Johnson with alot of TD's players, not Miami's, winning NFL titles. Why didn't we win Nattys with those players?
Those were very good years considering the overall history of Bruin football, but can't disagree that perhaps Terry should have taken them even further.
nobody. And that's why UCLA should have either sucked it up and paid Kelly's buyout in December and then hired someone with experience, or convinced him to stay 1 more season so we could get the hire right next season. By not firing him, but making it clear he was going to be fired, we invited him to leave at the worst possible time and leave UCLA in the worst possible position. Incompetence.
Yeah, they should have fired him, but it was Kelly who walked out on his contract. Kelly isn't the first coach to know that he was on the hot seat ahead of a season. I'm still pissed at Kelly making highly public inquiries while still employed as the Bruin's coach. He was going to quit, but used UCLA by waiting until his next job was secured before pulling the cord.
You nailed it, Peter. I wasn't personally angry at Darrell or Neu or Mora when they left. I think they sincerely did the best they could and I hoped they'd find success after U.C.L.A.
The way Chip handled these last 2 months, I hope he tanks tOSU, gets drummed out of town, and is never heard from again. F that dude.
sadly, he's probably a great hire for OSU. He objective an elite play caller and now he doesn't need to worry about the other duties of a HC. Just has to sit there and call plays with OSU's loaded roster.
You said what I wish I could have the chance to tell him in person, perhaps inches away from his face. Yeap ! Chances are he really might mess up Ohio State, be fired by their AD and return to New Hampshire a lonely, broken obese man. After all, there is only so much he can con people out of his brief moment of fame at Oregon.
Doing what he did is pretty much beyond the pale. Don't know that I have seen quite what he did before. Yes, they were totally unprepared, but they should have expected that? They should have fired him, but I think we can blame Kelly for the last part.
It’s the same old penny pinching UCLA Athletic Department. I hope Deshaun Foster does great, I think we are all rooting for him. Nonetheless, I get the impression that Jarmond is in a similar situation that I was when I had just graduated UCLA. I worked, paid the bills, and took care of the household- however, I had to ask my old man for permission and it was him who made the final decisions around the house.
I think judgement is still out on Jarmond, but it seems like he can not really do as he pleases and it’s someone above him calling the shots and he is just executing them and taking the hits for them. I might be wrong, but nothing in this hire shouts out imaginative and prepared. It’s just another patch on the wheel to just keep the truck moving.
This is probably giving Jarmond way to much of an undeserved benefit of the doubt, but I wonder if in addition to the buy out issues that the reason he didn't fire Chip was that he wanted to wait for the next Chancellor to see if they would be more invested in athletics.
We'll see. At least he's not a hackneyed retread like Kelly and Mora. And who knows, the players seem to like him and that's gotta help. As to Jarmond I still say the jury is out, he gets no help in fact active hindrance from Block who could not care less about the Athletic Department.
I was seriously touched when I saw the athletes jumping out of their minds at the presser.
I am neutral in regards to the hiring of Foster as HC. Let's see how that plays out. But point made that has been made clear awhile ago, the UCLA brass does not care about it's football program.
Perhaps when Block is gone, the new brass will... at least that's on the near horizon as a possibility...
Why should we have confidence that the folks who hired Block will hire someone better as his successor?
In your word, hopium.
Well, I never said "confident" but perhaps and possible - which is different than "he's going to be chancellor for the next decade so by definition there won't be a change in attitude" no?
I suppose this time around we can't blame (or credit) Wasserman and Aikman for the HC selection. The so-called "Be quick, don't hurry" hiring process seemed more like "Be real quick and hurry up because you're out of time and options".
I think what is being missed here is that we drew from an extremely small pool of candidates. The pool was made even smaller by the donors unwillingness to pony up to let Jarmond make a decision. I have no doubt that based on the small pool of candidates Foster is a fine choice. But it's just really disappointing -- perhaps not surprising -- that we were contained in the way we were from truly hiring the best available head football coach.
The bad timing of it all, the rushed hiring process, the small pool of potential candidates, the lack of donor money, the poor recruiting, lack of NIL, and so on, are all just symptoms of the bigger problem--the inept UCLA administration. They took the lazy way out by extending Chip Alford's contract and maintaining the status quo (i.e., continued mediocrity), then Chip Alford followed suit by also expending minimal effort to remain the HC until he found his escape route to Ohio State, leaving behind a dumpster fire and having the last laugh at Martin ("Read the Room") Guerrero, who himself failed to land the AD job at Ohio State. In any case, I'll certainly be rooting for new HC DSF to succeed in removing the tarps from the Rose Bowl and at least surpassing the lousy 10-21 record that Chip Alford proudly attained during his first 3 seasons at UCLA.
Great article!
Hiring is hard. I’ve done it. I’ve had people who interviewed well, looked great on paper and had strong references who didn’t come close to working out. And yes, UCLA has a pattern that this fits into. We all read about Tony White and Tommy Rees. Both sounded promising and both may have succeeded. Or not. Sometimes the unknown quantity gets a bit more leeway than the guy in house. I was excited when both Neuheisel and Kelly were hired, only to be disappointed in the end. One can cite examples of coordinators that became head coaches and succeeded. And, also ones that failed. There have been position coaches that did both as well. I’d guess the odds would generally favor a coordinator over a position coach. My expectations were already lowered prior to this decision, whether it was Rees, White or Foster. I’m too old to be as certain as some.
Ok... I disagree with the analysis of DeShaun... So I will be entirely unoriginal 🤣 and repost my comment from the earlier announcement post today...
DeShaun knows the OC and LA neighborhoods for recruiting and he has a natural rapport with young players. He embraces NIL as much as I hate it, but it's good that he does. He embraces recruiting. He is a developer of players. They love and respect him. He was nominated for the Broyles award. He loves UCLA and brings authentic passion to the program. He is a skilled positions coach but also served assist head coach. He may not have the coordinator experience but I believe he will put people in positions to succeed.
If I am wrong on the above then I will accept my errors. But in the meantime, I will love and support DeShaun and I will be rooting for him each step of the way 💙💛
And I will add this... some things a resume can't possibly reveal...
https://twitter.com/UCLAFootball/status/1757135040100897046
I think we are all pulling for DeSean. I don’t pretend to know how he will do. He is inheriting a bit of a mess. I imagine he will put everything he has in to succeeding. Looking at next year’s schedule, 4-5 wins is my prediction. If he surpasses that, it will be an outstanding job.
I think if he get 4-5 wins he is probably doing a pretty good job. The way this program was left, it was headed for 1-11. That's the deal, expectations will be very low, hence if he gets to 4-5 wins maybe even 6-6, everyone will be pleased with that, which is of course sad to say, but again it is what Jelly 2.0 Jarmond and Chipster (OG) left. I will be very disappointed if the new Chancellor retains Jelly 2.0, but knowing how UCLA does things, they really don't punish poor performance or ineptitude.
I was disappointed to hear this news. I was hoping for somone with successful HC experience. Deshaun Foster is an easy guy to get behind, though. No new head coach cares if he was not the first choice, so congratulations to Deshaun! I agree about the bad news parts. Add to that, if a sitting head coach had been hired, that would open another 30-day transfer portal to possibly help the team with players following the new coach.
I know it's the usual way, but I'm not convinced that Coordinator experience is always needed before being in the Head Coach position. It's a sad tale, but more recent Bruin's HC hires have been three previous Head Coaches with Coordinator experience, and a position coach. What we need is a good coach, and we will see about that.
Let's hope Deshaun can hold on to key team members. As of now, the team lacks at four coaching positions with three coaches having left: Offensive Coordinator, QB Coach, Tight Ends Coach, and Running Back Coach. This probably means both new hires and reassignments which Deshaun will be in charge of. Stood-up this late in the cycle, it may be just as well not to have to assemble a complete new coaching staff. I think we can all hope that Foster values "continuity" less than Jarmond does. It's not a complete tear down (that's what Chip did both arriving and leaving), but it is an opportunity to change directions.
Assistant coaches were always in the shadows with the Chipster. Maybe now they will feel a little more significant with this opportunity. We do have some good coaches, and the room is not yet filled out.
what's sad (and true) about your first two sentences is that someone with successful HC experience was never a possibility.
You feel disappointed way too soon. This con artist coach left the program in shambles, smoldering ruins and at a critical time when NCAA teams are finalizing their rosters for spring training, pending on the outcomes of national signing period. The coaching staff is intact. Who else top notch could still be available at such an inconvenient moment ? It is sad and true if indeed you think it is still possible for a good catch. It also is sad and true if others would echo that mindset too.
Henry, perhaps unrealistically, I was hoping for a proven coach to be hired. So, initially disappointed because of my expectations. Otherwise, I now have high hopes for Foster—higher than if Kelly had stayed, for sure. Any coach coming into the "smoldering ruins" at this late date would face a challenging situation, and DeShaun Foster is happy to face that challenge.
I also disagree with those who say that Foster is not ready to be a Head Coach. They don't know that, and neither do I. Every new Head Coach is somewhat of a mystery, even Saban on his first try. We have seen some pretty experienced and successful Head Coaches fail at their next job. So, it's not just the coach; it's also the fit. Inspiring to watch the team greet their new Head Coach, DeShaun Foster!
Your resonse is rational, sensible to me. Let us not prejudge and, most of all, already presume doomsday and seal the fate of our new coach merely the second day of his hiring. It will take time and efforts to dig us out of the horrendous mess Chip Kelly created. I am so sorry Ohio State hires him. This guy has serious character issues too.
I feel like that cartoon character with the dark cloud that follows over his head. We've all been so beaten down by the mediocrity of the program for so long, does anyone really care anymore?
I actually still care a ton. I have been beaten down by far worse things than years of mediocrity in my life. And DeShaun Foster, with all of his non-resume intangibles combined with being a great positions coach, could pave the way for a bright future in our Football program. Nothing is ever guaranteed, but I think DeShaun is a treasure and will become a great HC 💙💛
You bet !!!! DeShaun will restore our program back to respectful level. Excellence hinges on efforts and diligence exerted, plus recruitment. This is a home grown bruin. We trust that he would demonstrate that. Nothing needs to be managed.
💯 my friend 💙💛
I hope you are right, but objectively he's just not ready to take over a Big 10 program. I ask you this question. If after the firing of Alford we were having similar problems (no money to hire a guy like Cronin, bad timing, nobody wants the job, etc.), and we were limited in our selections, and UCLA had gone with Tyus Edney -- a great Bruin with assistant coaching experience at UCLA -- would you reacting the same way? Or would you be asking yourself why did we have to resort to this?
hey, we are UCLA. Our expectations need to be managed. We are foolish to ever demand excellence in the hiring decisions of our athletic department.
Especially when we are 3 months behind in the process.
exactly
Thank you for reminding everyone about MJ’s utter failure with the gymnastics team. I lost all respect for the man then and he has never earned it back.
Btw, very few running backs could hit a hole and glide to the outside at full speed like DeShaun Foster!
I completely disagree. This is a great choice and a new day for UCLA.
💯
hopium.
LOL! I still have some more of that stuff from BruinBaskets... :-)
I mean, i'm all for rooting for the guy. He's a great Bruin. But acting like he was our first choice and best available coach is just silly.
I agreed. Somebody seems to enjoy repeating words of despair. What a killjoy ! Can we declare moratorium on it ?!?
Dimitri is right, this is going to be a rough start considering where Chip let the program. I am willing to see if Deshaun can right the ship. Next year will be under .500, no other way around it, but if we can be competitive in those games, that will indicate to me they are moving in the right direction. The real indicator will be next year's recruiting. He needs an OC but having been working under one for years, he should know what to look for in a hire. I am neutral and hopeful with this hire.
Well, he did get an endorsement from someone more important than any of us 🙂 per the Times website, Bosco coach Jason Negro reacted by saying "I think it's a great hire. He and I have had a great relationship. I appreciate the way he recruits. I appreciate his honesty and he knows Los Angeles and Orange counties." Would be nice to keep more Trinity League & SoCal talent at home. Certainly he'll be better than the last guy in promoting the Collective, working the money rooms and the living rooms - since that's the lowest bar possible! - and with strong coordinators he could be a better fit for the modern "CEO model" of a head coach than we suspect.
💯💙💛
Bingo. Strong coordinators. That will be Foster's key to valhalla.
I checked out the Bruin Report Online commentary and other sources regarding other coaches that may or may not be available at this late date and saw plenty of downside along with upside for each … no west coast experience, culture shock for some from the midwest coming to the insane CA environment, insane living expenses, some whose formerly bright stars are no longer as bright, outright commitments to the teams they are with, others like Foster with no head coaching experience, or only experience with lower caliber leagues (like the Toledo coach). We also need to stop the possible exit of the players we have in the next spring portal slot and I don’t think any of the others has a better shot at doing so than Foster who is extremely popular with the players … and for good reason. His guys have consistently gone to the pros and credit much of their success to Foster’s tutelage. He’s one of the greatest players in UCLA history and his coaching record is tremendous … being nominated by peers and sports writers for being the top assistant coach in NCAA football. I’ve listened to you and others rave about Lincoln Riley for a few years and he had his hind end handed to him last year with a Heisman Trophy quarterback. I’m sure you are hurting recruiting dramatically with your insistent and chronic negativity and it is wearisome. Maybe Jarmond and his interview team learned a lot more in their interviews than you give them credit for. Also, remember Bob Toledo won 20 games in a row and was run out of town shortly after.
I live in Georgia (formerly from Westwood) and I heard some Alabama fans criticizing Nick Saban before he retired for “losing his touch”. He only had the 2nd best recruiting rating in the country with 3-5 star guys and 20 or so 4-stars). The same went for Coach Wooden after seven straight national championships, a man who me and my friends in Jr. high occasionally swept the floors in the old men’s gym to remove the wrestler’s chalk dust before basketball practice.
Also, if the team struggles next year, like USC did this year, I suggest you lay off and please break the monotonous, grinding negativity.
Sincerely,
M. Shotwell
Straight up if a player decides not to come to UCLA because he read an article on TheMightyBruin.com then you let me know, because you have found the needle in the haystack.
I'm not here to write sunshine and rainbow articles. I'm here to be as realistic as possible. I like Foster a lot but I don't see a viable path for him forward, most of which is not his fault, and I wrote as such.
(As for Riley, yeah, they got beat by UCLA. What did they do after? They went and hired UCLA's defensive coordinator, their best remaining defensive players, and revamped the defensive staff. Riley actually wants to win, unlike the UCLA admin.)
Wait, wait, wait...so the steady decline in our recruiting to the point where we now have the last place class in the B1G Ten and the worst class in U.C.L.A. Football history was because of you, Dimitri, and not because Chip was lazy, unprofessional, unengaged, and too picky? Dang.....
Dimitri,
Somehow before the ink has dried from Foster’s pen, he is somehow responsible for Chip Kelly’s poor high school recruiting? Stick to what I wrote about Foster’s comparison with the other potentials. From my perspective, I think it was a pretty good choice. By the way, internet comments from the news media like BRO and you guys do make a difference. Yours just happens to be consistently negative.
M. Shotwell
Some comments regarding Foster and recruiting may not take certain things into account. Clearly, Chip didn’t prioritize high school recruiting. That attitude can actually demotivate recruiters. DeShaun will likely take a different approach. The view changes with a new position. I don’t think his past performance under a HC that didn’t like recruiting is indicative of what Foster will do as the man in charge.
All well said, but Bob Toledo won those games with Terry Donahue's recruits.
I've always said, what does says about TD's development of players. Remember the Dallas Cowboys of the 90's were the UCLA NFL Alumni Assoc. Jimmy Johnson with alot of TD's players, not Miami's, winning NFL titles. Why didn't we win Nattys with those players?
Those were very good years considering the overall history of Bruin football, but can't disagree that perhaps Terry should have taken them even further.
LMFAO. This site hurts recruiting! 🤡
Ouch!
Honestly who with head coaching experience did you reasonably expect UCLA to hire?
nobody. And that's why UCLA should have either sucked it up and paid Kelly's buyout in December and then hired someone with experience, or convinced him to stay 1 more season so we could get the hire right next season. By not firing him, but making it clear he was going to be fired, we invited him to leave at the worst possible time and leave UCLA in the worst possible position. Incompetence.
They should have fired him after the ASU debacle. But instead they told him his job was safe. The Athletic Department is incompetent.
Yeah, they should have fired him, but it was Kelly who walked out on his contract. Kelly isn't the first coach to know that he was on the hot seat ahead of a season. I'm still pissed at Kelly making highly public inquiries while still employed as the Bruin's coach. He was going to quit, but used UCLA by waiting until his next job was secured before pulling the cord.
You nailed it, Peter. I wasn't personally angry at Darrell or Neu or Mora when they left. I think they sincerely did the best they could and I hoped they'd find success after U.C.L.A.
The way Chip handled these last 2 months, I hope he tanks tOSU, gets drummed out of town, and is never heard from again. F that dude.
sadly, he's probably a great hire for OSU. He objective an elite play caller and now he doesn't need to worry about the other duties of a HC. Just has to sit there and call plays with OSU's loaded roster.
You said what I wish I could have the chance to tell him in person, perhaps inches away from his face. Yeap ! Chances are he really might mess up Ohio State, be fired by their AD and return to New Hampshire a lonely, broken obese man. After all, there is only so much he can con people out of his brief moment of fame at Oregon.
and they were totally unprepared for it.
Doing what he did is pretty much beyond the pale. Don't know that I have seen quite what he did before. Yes, they were totally unprepared, but they should have expected that? They should have fired him, but I think we can blame Kelly for the last part.
It made Lane Kiffin blush.
But if reports are true that Fisch and Brennan took our calls, that would have really outdone Kelly if they came here.
Weren't you one of those against firing him when we should have and rejoiced at his extension when we were surprised by such move ?
Hopium !
It’s the same old penny pinching UCLA Athletic Department. I hope Deshaun Foster does great, I think we are all rooting for him. Nonetheless, I get the impression that Jarmond is in a similar situation that I was when I had just graduated UCLA. I worked, paid the bills, and took care of the household- however, I had to ask my old man for permission and it was him who made the final decisions around the house.
I think judgement is still out on Jarmond, but it seems like he can not really do as he pleases and it’s someone above him calling the shots and he is just executing them and taking the hits for them. I might be wrong, but nothing in this hire shouts out imaginative and prepared. It’s just another patch on the wheel to just keep the truck moving.
Agreed here. Not that Jarmond hasn’t made huge missteps, but lot of this has Block written all over it.
This is probably giving Jarmond way to much of an undeserved benefit of the doubt, but I wonder if in addition to the buy out issues that the reason he didn't fire Chip was that he wanted to wait for the next Chancellor to see if they would be more invested in athletics.
Or was told by Block that he had to...