Karl Dorrell
In Dorrell's fifth season at UCLA, with 20 returning starters and a team of his own recruits, hopes were high for the Bruins in 2007. After starting the season with a couple of wins over Stanford and BYU, and achieving a No. 11 Associated Press ranking, however, UCLA stumbled against an injured, winless, and unranked Utah Utes team, 44-6.[6] Four weeks later, Dorrell's Bruins fell again; this time 20-6 to an unranked, winless Notre Dame team.[7] The Bruins did, however, post wins against seemingly more difficult PAC-10 opponents, including a No. 10 Cal team. However; the bad taste of losses to teams the Bruins were favored to beat (including an embarrassing 27-7 loss to Washington State) raised questions about Dorrell's play-calling and ability to motivate his players.
After the Washington State loss, UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero addressed UCLA's inconsistent football performances for the first time, stating "I will be very interested to see how we finish the season. And you can use that." Many took this as a hint that Dorrell's job may be in serious jeopardy.[8]. The Bruins would go on to lose to Arizona and Arizona State by a combined score of 58-47, but surprisingly shut out an Oregon Ducks team that a week earlier lost starting quarterback and Heisman Trophy Candidate Dennis Dixon to a knee injury. Heading into the final game of the regular season against crosstown-rival USC, the Bruins still had an outside chance at a Rose Bowl berth that might have saved Dorrell's job; with a victory over USC and some help from Arizona (with a win over ASU), the Bruins could have been the first-ever five-loss team to play in the Rose Bowl. It wasn't to be, however, and the Bruins finished the 2007 Regular season with a miserable offensive performance in a 24-7 loss to USC and a record of 6-6.
On December 3, 2007, Los Angeles papers and the Associated Press reported that Karl Dorrell was fired during a meeting with athletic director Dan Guerrero.[9] Dorrell was offered the choice, but decided not to coach in the Las Vegas Bowl. Defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker served as interim coach for the game, where UCLA lost to BYU. [10] UCLA selected a former teammate, Rick Neuheisel, as his successor.
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NFL assistant coaching career 2008-present
Dorrell interviewed at Duke University and was a finalist along with eventual hire David Cutcliffe for the head coaching position vacated by Ted Roof.[11] He was also dealt as a candidate for the vacant offensive coordinator position for the Houston Texans.[12] Former Texans offensive coordinator Mike Sherman left for Texas A&M University in November 2007. That position, however, eventually went to Kyle Shanahan.
After rumors that he was a candidate to succeed Mike Heimerdinger as Denver Broncos assistant head coach,[13] Dorrell eventually was hired as wide receivers coach for the Miami Dolphins, after having also interview with the Kansas City Chiefs.[14]
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Coaching record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl | Coaches# | AP° | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UCLA (Pacific-10 Conference) (2003 – 2007) | |||||||||
| 2003 | UCLA | 6–7 | 4–4 | T–5th | L Silicon Valley | — | — | ||
| 2004 | UCLA | 6–6 | 4–4 | T–5th | L Las Vegas | — | — | ||
| 2005 | UCLA | 10–2 | 6–2 | 3rd | W Sun | 13 | 16 | ||
| 2006 | UCLA | 7–6 | 5–4 | 4th | L Emerald | — | — | ||
| 2007* | UCLA | 6–6 | 5–4 | T–4th | — | — | |||
| UCLA: | 35–27 | 24–18 | *Dorrell left before the bowl game. | ||||||
| Total: | 35–27 | ||||||||
| National Championship Conference Title Conference Division Title | |||||||||
| #Rankings from final Coaches Poll of the season. °Rankings from final AP Poll of the season. |
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External links
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Footnotes
- ^ Bill Dwyre. Hail Mary, and in Your Face; When UCLA's Karl Dorrell Pulls in the Jump Ball, USC Knows That It Is in the Wrong Game. Los Angeles Times. Nov 23, 1986 Quote: "Stevens called "Liz No Huddle Max Rebound," a play that would originate from USC's 39-yard line and would end up in the end zone, no time on the clock, the ball in Karl Dorrell's hands and various Trojans strewn about the field, contemplating suicide."
- ^ a b c www.bruinsnation.com, www.bruinzone.com, www.dumpdorrell.com, firekarldorrell.blogspot.com
- ^ UCLA fires football coach Bob Toledo UPI, Dec. 9, 2002
- ^ No. 8 UCLA Rallies Past Stanford In Overtime, 30-27 Associated Press. October 29, 2005
- ^ Recap of the UCLA Bruins-Notre Dame Fighting Irish game on Saturday October 21, 2006 - NCAA Football TOM COYNE, AP Sports Writer October 21, 2006
- ^ Grady throws three touchdowns in Utes' upset of Bruins Associated Press (ESPN web site). September 15, 2007
- ^ Notre Dame takes advantage of UCLA walk-on QB to win first game Associated Press (ESPN web site). October 6, 2007
- ^ Guerrero Turns Up the Pressure on Dorrell Chris Foster (Los Angeles Times). October 30, 2007
- ^ Brian Dohn. UCLA fires coach Dorrell. Los Angeles Daily News. 12/03/2007 11:18:47 AM PST. Quote: During his tenure, UCLA's off-the-field image, which took a beating under coach Bob Toledo, was cleaned up. But on the field too many inconsistent performances did in Dorrell, who was 1-4 against USC, including Saturday's 24-7 loss at the Coliseum.
- ^ Associated Press. Fired Dorrell won't coach UCLA in Las Vegas Bowl. December 4, 2007. Quote: Ousted UCLA football coach Karl Dorrell has decided not to coach the Bruins when they play BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl.
- ^ Dave Hooker - Cutcliffe offered Duke job, expected to accept position. Knoxville News Sentinel & knoxnews.com. December 13, 2007. Quote:there were concerns with Dorrell, who has spent most of his career in the NFL and on the West Coast coaching college football. Dorrell would have to assemble a coaching staff willing to move and prove that he would have adequate recruiting connections along the Eastern seaboard.
- ^ Houston Texans: Ex-UCLA coach on Texans' offensive coordinator list
- ^ Denver Post: Broncos lose Heimerdinger to Titans
- ^ Sun-Sentinel: Dolphins hire two assistant coaches
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Bibliography
- UCLA Bruins Football Media Guide 2007 (PDF edition available at uclabruins.com)
| Preceded by Bob Toledo and Ed Kezirian (interim) |
UCLA Head Football Coach 2003–2007 |
Succeeded by DeWayne Walker (interim) and Rick Neuheisel |
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