Bruins Throw It to Dorrell

The next time UCLA falls behind in a football game, the players need only look to their coach for inspiration. In what those close to the situation believe was a dramatic upset Wednesday, Karl Dorrell was named Bruin football coach.

The Denver Bronco assistant nosed out New Orleans Saint assistant Mike Riley, an older, more experienced candidate who was the favorite of Athletic Director Dan Guerrero until the waning hours of the nine-day search.

Dorrell, a former UCLA receiver, had the endorsement of a large and impressive group of former players. But in the end, the support meant less than Dorrell’s forcefully making his case to Chancellor Albert Carnesale in a three-hour interview Tuesday.

The chancellor, sources said, was impressed by Dorrell’s clear vision to elevate UCLA to the upper echelon of football programs. And Carnesale took note when Dorrell alluded to UCLA’s rich tradition of ground-breaking African American athletes, from Jackie Robinson to Arthur Ashe.

Guerrero listened as well, and by midafternoon had offered Dorrell a rollover contract of $700,000 a year for six to seven years. Two hours later -- and on his 39th birthday -- Dorrell accepted and the Bruins had their 15th coach and first of African American heritage. He becomes the fourth current African-American Division I-A football coach and only the 18th ever.

“It has always been a dream of mine to someday return to campus as the head coach at this great university,” Dorrell said. “I can’t wait to get started.”

Dorrell will be introduced at a news conference at UCLA at noon today. He is expected to return to Denver for the Broncos’ game against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, then turn his attention to his new team. He is not expected to coach the Bruins in the Las Vegas Bowl on Christmas Day.

“Karl Dorrell is an outstanding fit for UCLA,” Guerrero said. “Everyone with whom I spoke held Karl in high regard.

“Karl is a man of high principles who I feel is well-suited to the college game. The fact that he enjoyed an outstanding career as a Bruin player gives him an appreciation for what a special place UCLA is.”

Dorrell inherits a team that is 7-5 despite playing 22 freshmen, including three at quarterback. Bob Toledo had a 49-32 record but off-the-field incidents involving player conduct and losses to rival USC the last four years triggered his firing.

The selection of Dorrell is designed to knife away those memories as well as bring longtime loyal Bruins back into the fold. Those who have known him as a player and through his career as an offensive coordinator at Colorado and Washington were overjoyed at his selection.

“I’m thrilled to death and proud as a peacock,” said Terry Donahue, the Bruin coach from 1976 to ’95. Dorrell played in 1982, ‘83, ’85 and ‘86, made 108 receptions and was part of three Rose Bowl championship teams under Donahue.

“I couldn’t imagine a better candidate,” Donahue said.

“I knew Karl was in consideration and I am very happy for Karl and his family and the Bruins and the UCLA family.”

Riley, who turned down an offer from Alabama last week and expressed his desire for the UCLA opening, said he was disappointed. Kansas City Chief assistant Greg Robinson, the third candidate who interviewed with Carnesale, could not be reached for comment.

UCLA told Riley that he was impressive in his interview. Dorrell simply was deemed a better choice.

“They told me there were [no red flags],” Riley said. “That was good to hear.”

Most Bruin players and their parents don’t know much about Dorrell, but they are excited nonetheless.

“I’m really anxious to meet him and I think the rest of the guys are too,” freshman tailback Tyler Ebell said. “It’s great he’s from UCLA. I think schools like to keep it in the family, and he’ll know what it’s like to be here.”

Said sophomore cornerback Matt Ware: “I heard that he was a real fierce competitor and student of the game. Having a guy who played as a Bruin is exciting to me.”

Ware’s parents, Bernard and Julie, are UCLA graduates who quietly pulled for Dorrell once his name surfaced as a candidate to replace Toledo, who was fired Dec. 9 after seven seasons.

“I hope people support him and are not too critical in the early stages,” Bernard Ware said. “Let him get his recruiting and his staff together and let him get his feet underneath him.

“UCLA is the school of [African American Nobel Peace Prize winner] Ralph Bunche, Arthur Ashe, Jackie Robinson and Rafer Johnson. And this is one more step in that succession. We should be a school that steps out and gives opportunities to African Americans, and I’m excited about that too.”

Dorrell joins Tyrone Willingham of Notre Dame, Fitz Hill of San Jose State and Tony Samuel of New Mexico State as African American Division I-A football coaches. But those who know Dorrell say his skin color is secondary to his excellence as a coach and as a person.

“I don’t think UCLA could have picked a better man for the job,” Bronco receiver Ed McCaffrey said. “I really think he’s helped me as a wide receiver. When he came to the Broncos, I was already a veteran and Rod Smith and I were interested in how he could help us. He broke down film and analyzed defenses and I can honestly say he really made our jobs easier.

“I also saw the way he was able to motivate and teach the young receivers. He’s very dedicated to his job, very patient with his players and relates to all kinds of people. He gets people to play their best, which leads me to believe he would be a great head coach.”

UCLA’s recruiting efforts, hampered by the uncertainty, should pick up. Dorrell first will try to solidify the intentions of prospects who have committed to UCLA and then turn his attention to bringing in new talent.

Because Dorrell has no head coaching experience, he does not have the stable of assistant coaches that Riley could have tapped. Colorado assistant John Embree, Washington assistant Steve Axman and Bronco assistant Brian Pariani are strong possibilities to join the Bruin staff.

After his interview Tuesday, Dorrell said he had made discreet calls to prospective assistants.

“He knows how to build a staff effectively, and it will be well thought out,” said Tom Ramsey, a former Bruin quarterback. “He will be disciplined in his approach and very thorough.”

As a player, Dorrell developed a reputation as being self-motivated and highly disciplined. He sometimes was a loner who preferred working out to partying. He and his wife, Kim, have two children, 7 and 4 years old.

“I knew if people would just look at Karl, they would be very impressed,” said Michael Young, a Bronco official who played with Dorrell at UCLA. “He has such a clean track record and so much ability.

“Dan Guerrero did the smart thing, not the safe thing. He is sending a message that this is a new era in athletics at UCLA.”

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Times staff writer T.J. Simers contributed to this report.

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

The Coach

* Karl Dorrell, 39, earned his bachelor’s degree from UCLA in 1986, and completed his playing career ranked second in school history in receptions (108) and fourth in receiving yards (1,517).

NFL Job

* For three years the Denver Broncos’ assistant coach in charge of wide receivers.

Last College Job

* Spent the 1999 season as offensive coordinator and wide receiver coach at Washington.

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On the Job

Dorrell becomes the fourth African American football coach in Division I-A. With number of seasons and record at current school:

Tyrone Willingham

Notre Dame

First season: 10-2

Fitz Hill

San Jose State

Second season: 9-16

Tony Samuel

New Mexico State

Sixth season: 26-42

NOTE--There are 117 Division I-A football schools.

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UCLA Coaching Records

*--* Coach Years W L T Pct Fred W. Cozens 1919 2 6 0 250 Harry Trotter 1920-1922 2 13 1 156 James Cline 1923-1924 2 10 3 233 William H. Spaulding 1925-1938 72 51 8 580 Edwin C. “Babe” Horrell 1939-1944 24 31 6 443 Bert LaBrucherie 1945-1948 23 16 0 590 Henry R. “Red” Sanders 1949-1957 66 19 1 773 George W. Dickerson 1958 1 2 0 333 William F. “Bill” Barnes 1958-1964 31 34 3 478 Tommy Prothro 1965-1970 41 18 3 685 Pepper Rodgers 1971-1973 19 12 1 609 Dick Vermeil 1974-1975 15 5 3 717 Terry Donahue 1976-1995 151 74 8 665 Bob Toledo 1996-2002 49 32 0 605 Total 498 323 37 607

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