B1G New Additions Offseason Thread

[CatsbyAZ]

Forceful quotes from a UCLA Bruins fan blog: "This week, it became clear that Chip Kelly’s flirtation with returning to the NFL as an offensive coordinator was not merely a back-channel discussion, but an open process, with multiple NFL reporters, including Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, reporting that Kelly was not only a candidate for the open offensive coordinator job for the Washington Commanders, but that Kelly had actually interviewed twice for the offensive coordinator position with the Las Vegas Raiders."

"Embarrassing doesn’t really begin to describe the state of this football program. In three months, UCLA has 1) allowed its sitting defensive coordinator to be poached by its main rival (unprecedented) for what has actually turned out to be a demotion, since D’Anton Lynn is a co-defensive coordinator at USC, 2) signed the worst recruiting class in school history (unprecedented), and 3) watched as its head coach interviews for demotions (unprecedented). This is, from a program hierarchy standpoint, probably the lowest UCLA has been in modern history."

"Chip Kelly’s program is dead. The recruiting has gone belly-up, which is something to see given that it was already the worst recruiting program in modern UCLA history. There is minimal NIL funding, certainly nothing that’ll allow UCLA to compete in the Big Ten. And yet, thanks in large part to a failure of leadership and vision from Martin Jarmond and Gene Block, Kelly remains the head coach – when he doesn’t even want to be."

"...he’s [Kelly] been reported to have interviewed for the Raiders OC job, we’ve heard and it’s since been corroborated that he’s linked to Dan Quinn as his potential OC with the Commanders, and beyond that, we even heard earlier this offseason that he was talking to Kirk Ferentz about the Iowa OC job."

Whole article is worth the read:


https://twitter.com/BruinReport/status/1753801279141543991

[MarqHusker]

Why didn't we resuscitate Fearless' Welcome to the BiG thread from 2011?

[FearlessF]

cause the 4 PAC schools can't hold a candle to the Nebraska Cornhuskers!

obviously

[FearlessF]

[847badgerfan]

That's... something.

Who would want that job these days?

[FearlessF]

a former star running back

it will pay well for a few years

[Hawkinole]

a former star running back

it will pay well for a few years

It will pay even better if a big buyout was negotiated.

[Mdot21]

UCLA just seems like a job that is almost impossible to turn around. probably why Chip was like "fk this shit, I'm going to Ohio State to be the OC".

[FearlessF]

the right guy can turn it around

Chip finally figured out he wasn't the right guy

probably not head coach material

smart to take an OC position where he can succeed

[Mdot21]

the right guy can turn it around

Chip finally figured out he wasn't the right guy

probably not head coach material

smart to take an OC position where he can succeed

Yeah I don't think anyone can turn that UCLA sinking ship around. Only going to be harder for anyone to do that with the jump up in competition to the B1G. 

Chip's move to Ohio State screams he wants out of CFB imo. He's going to a loaded situation- where it's set up for success- and if he has smashing success this year at Ohio State- he's probably off to be an NFL OC in '25. Chip hated recruiting way before the portal and NIL. Now he really fcking can't stand it. He wants out of CFB imo.

[OrangeAfroMan]

This is sort of why the PAC died.

A P5 HC just accepted a demotion to another school.  He sought it out.  That's fucked up.
And I don't hear the shrieking that would be happening elsewhere.

Out west, they just...don't....care.  Not nearly as much, anyway.  

[CatsbyAZ]

I'm with Mdot on this - UCLA is starting to look like a lost cause at this point. Like they're becoming Cal not really emphasizing or caring about football anymore. Both from a fan support and institutional support perspective.

Thinking back to just 10 years ago, Jim Mora Jr was fielding legitimately strong Bruins teams, stringing together top 15 finishes before it all went unnecessarily downhill. Under Jim Mora Jr they were achieving what Rick Nueheisal promised - beating USC, signing top 10/15 recruiting classes, sending a ton of players to the NFL, filling the Rose Bowl for home games, and contending in the Pac 12 for conference championships. But even Mora's best teams couldn't get past the Stanford buzz saw and the good times didn't last long. Short as they were (2 to 4 seasons) UCLA felt like what they should always be given their built in advantages.

Fast forward to now and the UCLA job very much appears scaled back. Chip Kelly's past three seasons of 8 and 9 wins feels like the ceiling. Rose Bowl attendance is pathetic. Local sports media barely covers the Bruins. UCLA's very international student body isn't inclined to football. And aside from a few avid fan blogs and their aging portions of alumni who came of age under coach Terry Donahue's Rose Bowl seasons, there is minimal fan support.

UCLA football is not the job it was 40, 25, or even 10 years ago.

[FearlessF]

and some idiot thought they deserved a spot in the B1G

[Cincydawg]

So, what happens with the playoff now slotting SIX conference champions as auto bids?