Well, again Joe. They will lose way more than $9m keeping this guy on. But this all just confirms they will follow the Donut Dan's financial mismanagement philosophy and culture of the Athletic Dept. And with this mismanagement, no, rosy days are NOT AHEAD. Losing teams with red ink everywhere you look. So, if they retain Kelly, they will never be in the black, at least the football program won't be and they will never win anything, that is a 100% guarantee. 4-8 at best next season and the following season will be worse. In addition, my guess is attendance will continue to fall until Mater Dei/St John Bosco crowds will exceed what UCLA gets at the Rose Bowl. What's that, about 6,000-7,000 tops!
Why would he not be happy, gleeful to lead the UCLA athletic director by his nose, and have the entire administration wrapped around his finger tip ?!?? This is cunning at its very best and most brilliant moment. To all the up and coming NCAA coaches, you would do well if you can study the Kelly book hard and emulate him as much as possible. I am impressed. I truly am.
What's the simple math putting 15-20,000 extra butts in seats for 6 games at an average $100 per ticket and another 25-50% for concessions and parking? For at least the past 3 years I've questioned UCLA's head-count at games. Realize the entertainment/sports world has changed, but I remember when the Bowl was filled with a legitimate 70-75,000 for good PAC 12 games and 75-85,000 for big intersectionals with Nebraska, Oklahoma, Notre Dame... to say nothing about games with the ketchup and mustard guys.
I think BRO's reporting is strong projection as Pierson has hated Kelly for a very long time. You can't always will things into effect no matter how often you report it.
Joe, thank you for your very concise detailed description of Kelly's buyout. If you had previously covered it in a prior published article, I missed it. All I had found previously was Ben Bolch's terribly vague writeup of Kelly's buyout terms in the LA Times back in March 2023.
Out of curiosity, do you have a complete copy of his contract? Is it available for public consumption? I'd love to read the fine print to see the actual payout terms as it applies to the dispersal of funds. What are the conditions and the terms? Is the payout reduced if and when Chip obtains specific employment elsewhere? If so, are types of jobs are included in the pre-conditions? Is the buyout paid in a lump-sum or over time? There could be things that help mitigate the financial impact of giving Chip his walking papers.
But in the broader scheme of things, there's very likely no urgency within the university to give Kelly the heave-ho. UCLA can simply maintain the status quo while continuing to straddle the line between good football and bad football, with the primary focus on fixing the balance sheet before addressing other concerns.
There's no doubt that no matter what the state of UCLA football might be in 2024, the Rose Bowl will be packed every game next season for a new set of conference opponents, especially the historically great programs. Ohio State, Michigan, Iowa, Nebraska, even bottom feeders like Indiana and Northwestern will likely fill the stands for at least 2 seasons. But at some point in time, the buzz will wear off and it probably lines up with the expiration of Kelly's contract.
The Make Bruin Football Great Again movement will have to wait.
So, here's the 2024 schedule with the (so far) 2023 W/L. Who's for doping the 2024 season out over the next several months and see how close we can come to firm prediction? I'll bet if we keep this gong through the end of Spring FD next year, we'll have a decent idea how well or badly the Chipmeister will do.
..not to sound like a broken record but here goes: wonder what Kellster added to the AD debt with his gastronomic catering service to for the FB team in his early years? This was for the FB team ONLY and not for the other sports. The costs were obscene and this bloated anal pore stuck it to the AD budget and, I am sure, cost the minor and women's sports a great deal in terms of foregone opportunities and possible NCAA championships.
While I am proud of the kids whomping the daylights out of the Toe Jams Saturday, I am sure the warm fuzzy glow will wear off when some of our boys hit the transport portal out and D'Anton Lynn lands a luscious gig in the pro ranks or at another college. There's a yawning crevasses just crying out to be filled over on Figueroa Blvd and them boys ain't shy about shelling out the Benjamins!
What is the point in firing Chip now? Seriously, what is the point? Are we going to replace him with someone better? No, we are not. We cannot afford to. He could be 0-12 and it would make more sense to wait until we get money from the Big 10 deal.
Jarmond put us in a position (twice with two extensions) where we really can’t get rid of Chip. So, how much does it cost us to get rid of Jarmond? Maybe that’s the better deal now!
Appreciate the harsh dose of fiscal reality but don't buy it. If Chip were let go and we promoted from within the impact financially could be muted. Lynn would be the HC with only a modest increase to his current salary. After what he's done with the same guys on D, he's earned it and we can not under any circumstances afford him to get picked up by another program. Without him, UCLA wins only maybe 3 games this year. With Chip's 6-23 record against winning teams, he should be toast despite Bruin tradition that if you beat SC all is forgiven. I think once more cards come out of the deck and we lose to Cal and/or in the bowl game, we will clearly see that change needs to happen. However, if Chip wins both in Lavinesque style, all bets are off.
Indeed, if you were the highest paid state employee in California and simply did just enough to retain your job status for 6 years (and still counting, apparently), you'd be the happiest man (or woman) in the world too. Coach Wooden set a high standard for excellence with the basketball program at UCLA, so now mediocrity is totally unacceptable. Unfortunately, the same can't be said of the football program. Only 1 national championship (1954) and 1 Heismann winner (Gary Beban,1967) throughout its entire history. No elite pedigree like at U$C, so mediocrity has been allowed to flourish by the UCLA administration until they're forced by others to act. Next season should be interesting.
If not now, when? Is the following acceptable measure: Only 7 wins against teams finishing with winning records against 21 losses? Only 4 power 5 wins this year? Only once in the end zone in three of the last four games, including against ASU and Cal team at HOME that have horrible defenses? Lack of even incremental progress in Dante Moore's development from a supposed QB and offensive guru? Worst red-zone production in the power 5? Lack of recruiting, glaringly the worst two kickers in the power 5? Dwindling attendance and enthusiasm? What more does one need?
If there is more, it's just that Chip's judgment is also suspect. He said we had depth at every position this year. He said that we had three or four QBs who could be starters- that in his judgment, our QB room was the most talented in the country. It was also Chip who said when he came in that he would build an offensive line---now, he's built what is one of the worst pass blocking lines in power 5 football.
Not looking for a home run hire, just a marked improvement. Someone we can all get behind. Now that Jonathan Smith is gone, don't tell me we can't get AZ head coach Jedd Fisch. He's done an amazing job and I think would provide an upgrade and one that win or lose, we'd know he'd give us his all and can both recruit and motivate. He's not the shiny hire that we need to steer clear from, but clearly a substantial upgrade and one the Bruin family, alums and fans could get behind. Of course, that's if Fisch would even come back after being essentially let go.
We need a fresh start. If all else fails, I have no problem with promoting Lynn to HC and letting him decide who he wants to hire as an OC.
Well, again Joe. They will lose way more than $9m keeping this guy on. But this all just confirms they will follow the Donut Dan's financial mismanagement philosophy and culture of the Athletic Dept. And with this mismanagement, no, rosy days are NOT AHEAD. Losing teams with red ink everywhere you look. So, if they retain Kelly, they will never be in the black, at least the football program won't be and they will never win anything, that is a 100% guarantee. 4-8 at best next season and the following season will be worse. In addition, my guess is attendance will continue to fall until Mater Dei/St John Bosco crowds will exceed what UCLA gets at the Rose Bowl. What's that, about 6,000-7,000 tops!
Why would he not be happy, gleeful to lead the UCLA athletic director by his nose, and have the entire administration wrapped around his finger tip ?!?? This is cunning at its very best and most brilliant moment. To all the up and coming NCAA coaches, you would do well if you can study the Kelly book hard and emulate him as much as possible. I am impressed. I truly am.
What's the simple math putting 15-20,000 extra butts in seats for 6 games at an average $100 per ticket and another 25-50% for concessions and parking? For at least the past 3 years I've questioned UCLA's head-count at games. Realize the entertainment/sports world has changed, but I remember when the Bowl was filled with a legitimate 70-75,000 for good PAC 12 games and 75-85,000 for big intersectionals with Nebraska, Oklahoma, Notre Dame... to say nothing about games with the ketchup and mustard guys.
DTR led a game winning drive for the Browns today against the Steelers
I think BRO's reporting is strong projection as Pierson has hated Kelly for a very long time. You can't always will things into effect no matter how often you report it.
Joe, thank you for your very concise detailed description of Kelly's buyout. If you had previously covered it in a prior published article, I missed it. All I had found previously was Ben Bolch's terribly vague writeup of Kelly's buyout terms in the LA Times back in March 2023.
Out of curiosity, do you have a complete copy of his contract? Is it available for public consumption? I'd love to read the fine print to see the actual payout terms as it applies to the dispersal of funds. What are the conditions and the terms? Is the payout reduced if and when Chip obtains specific employment elsewhere? If so, are types of jobs are included in the pre-conditions? Is the buyout paid in a lump-sum or over time? There could be things that help mitigate the financial impact of giving Chip his walking papers.
But in the broader scheme of things, there's very likely no urgency within the university to give Kelly the heave-ho. UCLA can simply maintain the status quo while continuing to straddle the line between good football and bad football, with the primary focus on fixing the balance sheet before addressing other concerns.
There's no doubt that no matter what the state of UCLA football might be in 2024, the Rose Bowl will be packed every game next season for a new set of conference opponents, especially the historically great programs. Ohio State, Michigan, Iowa, Nebraska, even bottom feeders like Indiana and Northwestern will likely fill the stands for at least 2 seasons. But at some point in time, the buzz will wear off and it probably lines up with the expiration of Kelly's contract.
The Make Bruin Football Great Again movement will have to wait.
So, here's the 2024 schedule with the (so far) 2023 W/L. Who's for doping the 2024 season out over the next several months and see how close we can come to firm prediction? I'll bet if we keep this gong through the end of Spring FD next year, we'll have a decent idea how well or badly the Chipmeister will do.
DATE OPPONENT LOCATION 2023
08/31/2024 Hawai'i Honolulu, HI 4-8
09/14/2024 Indiana Rose Bowl 3-8
09/21/2024 LSU Baton Rouge, LA 8-3
09/18/2024 Oregon Rose Bowl 10-1
10/05/2024 Penn State University Park, PA 9-2
10/12/2024 Minnesota Rose Bowl 5-6
10/19/2024 Rutgers Piscataway, NJ 6-5
11/02/2024 Nebraska Lincoln, NE 5-6
11/09/2024 Iowa Rose Bowl 9-2
11/16/2024 Washington Seattle, WA 11-0
11/23/2024 USC Rose Bowl 7-5
11/30/2024 Fresno State Rose Bowl 8-3
..not to sound like a broken record but here goes: wonder what Kellster added to the AD debt with his gastronomic catering service to for the FB team in his early years? This was for the FB team ONLY and not for the other sports. The costs were obscene and this bloated anal pore stuck it to the AD budget and, I am sure, cost the minor and women's sports a great deal in terms of foregone opportunities and possible NCAA championships.
While I am proud of the kids whomping the daylights out of the Toe Jams Saturday, I am sure the warm fuzzy glow will wear off when some of our boys hit the transport portal out and D'Anton Lynn lands a luscious gig in the pro ranks or at another college. There's a yawning crevasses just crying out to be filled over on Figueroa Blvd and them boys ain't shy about shelling out the Benjamins!
Bottom line is our top brass is not passionate or committed to building a nationally relevant football program. JMO
What is the point in firing Chip now? Seriously, what is the point? Are we going to replace him with someone better? No, we are not. We cannot afford to. He could be 0-12 and it would make more sense to wait until we get money from the Big 10 deal.
Jarmond put us in a position (twice with two extensions) where we really can’t get rid of Chip. So, how much does it cost us to get rid of Jarmond? Maybe that’s the better deal now!
Appreciate the harsh dose of fiscal reality but don't buy it. If Chip were let go and we promoted from within the impact financially could be muted. Lynn would be the HC with only a modest increase to his current salary. After what he's done with the same guys on D, he's earned it and we can not under any circumstances afford him to get picked up by another program. Without him, UCLA wins only maybe 3 games this year. With Chip's 6-23 record against winning teams, he should be toast despite Bruin tradition that if you beat SC all is forgiven. I think once more cards come out of the deck and we lose to Cal and/or in the bowl game, we will clearly see that change needs to happen. However, if Chip wins both in Lavinesque style, all bets are off.
Indeed, if you were the highest paid state employee in California and simply did just enough to retain your job status for 6 years (and still counting, apparently), you'd be the happiest man (or woman) in the world too. Coach Wooden set a high standard for excellence with the basketball program at UCLA, so now mediocrity is totally unacceptable. Unfortunately, the same can't be said of the football program. Only 1 national championship (1954) and 1 Heismann winner (Gary Beban,1967) throughout its entire history. No elite pedigree like at U$C, so mediocrity has been allowed to flourish by the UCLA administration until they're forced by others to act. Next season should be interesting.
If not now, when? Is the following acceptable measure: Only 7 wins against teams finishing with winning records against 21 losses? Only 4 power 5 wins this year? Only once in the end zone in three of the last four games, including against ASU and Cal team at HOME that have horrible defenses? Lack of even incremental progress in Dante Moore's development from a supposed QB and offensive guru? Worst red-zone production in the power 5? Lack of recruiting, glaringly the worst two kickers in the power 5? Dwindling attendance and enthusiasm? What more does one need?
If there is more, it's just that Chip's judgment is also suspect. He said we had depth at every position this year. He said that we had three or four QBs who could be starters- that in his judgment, our QB room was the most talented in the country. It was also Chip who said when he came in that he would build an offensive line---now, he's built what is one of the worst pass blocking lines in power 5 football.
Not looking for a home run hire, just a marked improvement. Someone we can all get behind. Now that Jonathan Smith is gone, don't tell me we can't get AZ head coach Jedd Fisch. He's done an amazing job and I think would provide an upgrade and one that win or lose, we'd know he'd give us his all and can both recruit and motivate. He's not the shiny hire that we need to steer clear from, but clearly a substantial upgrade and one the Bruin family, alums and fans could get behind. Of course, that's if Fisch would even come back after being essentially let go.
We need a fresh start. If all else fails, I have no problem with promoting Lynn to HC and letting him decide who he wants to hire as an OC.