SMQB: Thanks, Coach Skip!
Now, the wait begins....
Let’s start today by checking out yesterday’s postgame interviews.
You really have to hand it to Tim Skipper. Here’s a guy who found himself in a position he hadn’t planned on being in. He took over what was through the first three weeks of the season one of the worst teams, if not the worst, in college football. Despite that, he maintained the same degree of optimism each and every week.
Even after coaching what looks like his final game for the Bruins, the dude was still relentlessly positive. I don’t know what’s next for him, and he probably doesn’t either right now, but any school which hires him will be better for it.
To be sure, he wasn’t very successful at UCLA, at least not in terms of wins and losses. The team lost twice as many games under his tutelage than they won, but you have to remember that, three games in, winning a game didn’t look possible, much less three. He inherited a roster which Chip Kelly left devoid of top talent.
As an aside, my favorite rumor on X.com from the last 24 hours claims that Ole Miss is going to hire Chip to replace Kiffin. If that even becomes a thing, Rebel fans should, well, rebel. He’s a charlatan. He came to UCLA talking about three ships: friendships, relationships, and championships. He won no championships. He built no relationships with donors, season ticketholders or fans. And as far as I can tell, he has few friendships left in Westwood now.
But, I digress. Tim Skipper inherited a roster missing top talent. To his credit, he found a way to get three wins out of them. He deserves a chance somewhere to actually build a program. James Madison might have an opening soon, regardless of where Bob Chesney goes in 2026.
Yesterday, he got his team to a lead at halftime and they managed to cover the 21.5-point spread. While moral victories are garbage, the fact of the matter is that I think Skipper probably met Coach Wooden’s definition of success. This team became the best they were capable of becoming under Skipper. Of course, we could discuss that for years, and probably will. What probably isn’t debatable is that Skipper was the antithesis of what UCLA had with DeShaun Foster as head coach.
In his postgame interview, Skipper said:
“I’m proud of the guys. They fought their tails off. We wanted to win this battle for LA. We attacked the moment. We had good practices all week and I really feel like they gave their all. So, I’m proud of that.”
This team did give their all for Coach Skip. It’s unfortunate that Chip Kelly allowed the talent to get so depleted that a season like this one was possible.
That said, it’s downright criminal that athletic director Martin Jarmond allowed Kelly to do that. It’s downright criminal that he refused to fire a head coach who was openly interviewing for jobs anywhere and everywhere. If UCLA administrators like Gene Block tied his hands, they’re responsible, too.
This cannot be allowed to happen again.
Nico Iamaleava and Keanu Williams were the players who spoke after the game. Nico explained what it was like to keep working hard with the guys on the team. He said:
“I think that just shows the characters [sic] of our team and they didn’t have to show up after the way the season was going. So, I think that just shows their character and we all bought into what coach Skip had and it was a great learning year for us and we’ll be back.”
Meanwhile, Williams summed up things this way:
“It hurts. You know what I mean? Because he put in a lot. He got put in a situation this year that he didn’t want to be put in and he did his absolute best of what he could do and he took advantage of the situation. And I just think that that we didn’t win this one. It hurts for the whole locker room, not only for just us, but for him, too.”
I don’t know when or where Tim Skipper will get an opportunity to be hired to improve a program, but I’m sure he will get a chance somewhere. And, that school will be lucky to have a man like him. While he won’t go down as UCLA’s winningest coach, he has earned a lot respect for getting the most out of this year’s team.
Thanks, Coach Skip!
Now, let’s move on to the business at hand.
Already this morning, the Coaching Carousel is spinning.
While nothing official has been announced, there are various reports that LSU is expected to hire Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin as early as today. If those reports are to be believed, Kiffin was hoping to continue coaching the Rebels in the CFP, but Ole Miss leaders seem to have scoffed at the idea of giving a departing head coach who is heading to an SEC school additional access to their players.
In other news, USF coach Alex Golesh is headed to Auburn on a six-year deal, according to ESPN. Meanwhile, other reports are saying that Memphis head coach Ryan Silverfield is headed to Arkansas and Florida is finalizing a deal to hire Tulane’s Jon Sumrall.
Finally, one of the schools from yesterday’s James Madison-Coastal Carolina game is now looking for head coach.
No. Bob Chesney hasn’t announced he is leaving JMU. At least, not yet. Rather, the bowl-eligible Chanticleers have fired Tim Beck after three seasons.
To be sure, UCLA is on the West Coast. So, I didn’t expect to wake up to any news this morning, but as I write this, it seems like the Bruins are taking their sweet time in making a hire since there’s still no announcement.
What does that mean exactly?
Well, it means either the new head coach isn’t ready to announce it yet because he wants to keep coaching his current team or UCLA hasn’t hired anyone yet. Which is more likely?
Your guess is as good as mine.
But my advice is to take internet rumors with multiple grains of salt. Maybe even an entire shaker full of it. Until UCLA makes an announcement, anything can change.
Do you remember the search to replace Steve Alford? It looked like Rick Barnes was on his way to Westwood until paying his buyout became an issue. Then, he wasn’t.
And, of course, when John Wooden was hired, he was considering UCLA and Minnesota, but a snowstorm knocked out the phone lines in Minnesota. The call from the Golden Gophers finally came, but by then, Wooden had committed to become the Bruins’ basketball coach, and the rest is literally history.
All this is to say that the conventional wisdom and rumors can say, literally, anything. But until either the coach or the school makes an announcement, don’t believe the hype.
It’s easy to want to believe it. Heaven knows, I would love to believe the current rumors that the Bruins are about to hire Bob Chesney, but, to quote my favorite 20th Century philosopher Lawrence Peter Berra, it ain’t over ‘til it’s over.
Go Bruins.
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It is being reported this morning that Chesney to UCLA is a done deal.
For anyone who hasn't heard Chesney, here's his postgame presser from yesterday. I think he sounds refreshingly candid.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCa1BCmuLhY