Dump Karl Dorrell, UCLA Football Head Coach

October 31, 2006

Open Letter To Dan Guerrero, UCLA Director of Athletics

Dear Dan:

We students, alumna/ae, faculty, donors, boosters and fans of UCLA and it’s athletic programs strongly believe it is time for you to replace Karl Dorrell as Head Coach of our football program. We make this appeal to you after careful consideration of his achievements and of the short- and long-term consequences of making such a change.

Karl Dorrell changed the character of the football program and cleaned up many of the off-the-field issues that disgraced our community in years past. He has set a great example for future teams in this regard, and for that we are grateful. As you know, our football program requires more than just those achievements.

On the field, Karl Dorrell has led our Bruins to unacceptable results. When you hired Karl four years ago you said at the press conference that you expected our football team to win Pac-10 championships, compete in BCS bowl games and to beat Southern Cal. After nearly four years, Karl Dorrell has achieved none of those goals. In fact, he has had the worst start in his first 3 years than any UCLA coach since Edwin “Babe” Horrell during WWII, and he has a worse record than Bob Toledo, who was fired. However, coach Dorrell’s achievements are more deeply disappointing than those failures (please refer to the list following this letter).

We understand that our displeasure with the coach, however, could be viewed as nothing more the expected grumbling of an unrealistic, unreasonable or overcritical few. This is not the case, and the implications as you know are much more significant. You have already witnessed both in person and on the balance sheet the measured effect our displeasure has had on the football program, the athletic department’s budget and the budget of the university in general. Attendance at home games is down considerably, viewership on television has suffered similarly, and donors and boosters are calling for a group-wide effort at withholding donations to your department and its programs, the Athletic Fund, and the university. Many have already stopped giving. There is also a call for students, alumna/ae and fans to boycott the remaining games at home, which would further negatively affect your department’s revenues.

The cumulative negative effect on your department’s bottom line, as you know, affects your ability to provide the best resources and support to all UCLA athletic programs, something you promised you would provide not just days ago in answer to a reporter’s question.* As our athletic programs close in on our 100th national championship this point could not be more salient. Karl Dorrell is costing UCLA far more than what we are paying him.

What we all want is a football program worthy of the pride and excellence of our community. Karl Dorrell the coach does not meet that standard. We would like to have a football program run by an experienced and proven winning head coach so that we can achieve the goals you set. We know of many candidates that fit our needs (Butch Davis, Bobby Petrino, Rich Rodriguez, Steve Kragthorpe to name a few). We do not accept the premise that UCLA football is a training ground for unproven or inexperienced head coaches.

In closing, we would like to offer you our support in taking this difficult step. You have restored excellence in our basketball and baseball programs by hiring Ben Howland and John Savage. We have every confidence that you can do the same with our beloved football program.

Karl Dorrell’s Record (as of 10/31/06)

1. No wins against Southern Cal.
2. No wins on the road against teams with a winning record. He is 0-9.
3. No big game wins.
4. No Pac-10 championships.
5. No BCS bowl games.
6. Worst starting 3 year record of any UCLA football coach since WW2, including Bob Toledo who was fired.
7. Worse winning percentage than Bob Toledo, who was fired.
8. 3-10 against ranked teams.
9. 1-6 against top 10 teams.
10. Only 3 conference wins against teams over .500
11. 16-13 in the Pac-10
13. Embarrassing losses to Wyoming, Fresno State, Arizona, Southern Cal.
14. Revolving door for assistant coaches.
15. 80% of Bruins fans polled on Bruinsnation.com disapprove of the job KD is doing.

*Kevin Pearson, Press-Enterprise.com, Oct. 30, 2006