Five More Years of Pain

Sorry for the lack of updates over the weekend. I think I'm still in shock that UCLA just gave football coach Karl Dorrell a new five year contract. While some might see the new contract as a sign of committment to the direction of the program, it looks to me like a sign of resignation in their crosstown rivalry against the USC Trojans. While the Bruins did go 10-2 last year, five of those victories required last minute combacks and could have easily been losses. More telling, they were humiliated in their losses, which included a 66-19 drubbing at the hands of USC. In his three seasons as head coach, Dorrell is 0-3 against USC by a combined score of 142-65. Last season was also Dorrell's first winning season as a head coach, so why is he being rewarded now? It can't be to provide stability during recuriting, as Dorrell has also been getting routinely destroyed in the recruiting war- not only losing players to USC, but to Cal as well. High school recruits that want to play in LA would much rather play for an enthusiastic coach like Pete Carroll who has embraced the glitz and glamour of Hollywood than the staid and stoic Dorrell who seems to put a moratorium on fun during gameday.

Before this deal was done, there was some overzealous speculation that "The Old Ball Coach," Steve Spurrier, might be interested in coming to UCLA. Of course most people who follow the Bruins knew that athletic director Dan Guerrero would never pay Spurrier his asking price (I'm sure part of the reason for Dorrell's extension is that like basketball coach Ben Howland, he's willing to take a hometown discount); however the thought of UCLA having the brash, offensive minded Spurrier to counter Pete Carroll's squad was just too tantalizing to resist. Now any hope of a change in direction for UCLA has been destroyed by the announcement of this new contract. I just wonder if the contract was written on a white flag.