UCLA HC Rick Neuheisel Is Talking Smack to Pete Carroll

UCLA Head Coach Rick Neuheisel’s mouth is writing checks that former HC Karl Dorrel’s recruits can’t cash. Neuheisel was filmed talking to boosters the other day and he decided to wake up the six thousand pound cross town rival when he told the crowd that he was going to get back at USC Head Coach Pete Carroll.

The story starts off with the Pac-10 coaches meeting. Apparently, Neuheisel wants to rescind a rule that doesn’t allow anyone on the sidelines during games that is under 18 years old. Neuheisel wants his own sons, who are currently under age, to be next to him on the sidelines next season. He asked the other coaches to help him change the rule. Everyone agreed to do it….except Pete Carroll. The vote went 9 for and 1 against.

That’s where the story takes the twist. No one would have ever known about it. The vote passed anyway, and Rick could have his sons on the sidelines now. If the story ended there, UCLA might not loose on November 28, 2009 by a more than thirty points at most.

But Neuheisel used this story about Carroll to try and fire up the boosters to get behind him and the program next season. Wrong move.

Before trying to take on the gargantuan USC program and their Saint-Like Head Coach, Neuheisel should first improve on his first season record of 4 wins, 8 losses going 3-6 in the conference. Win ten games first, then he can start a public smack talk session with the Titan next door.

I have always liked Rick Neuheisel, and have always said that he got an unbelievable raw deal when he was the head coach up at Washington. Neuheisel got fired after it was found out that he participated in a March Madness bracket. The NCAA frowns against coaches entering into anything to do with gambling, even if it’s not the sport they are themselves involved in. Flash forward to 2009 March Madness, and ESPN does round the clock coverage on U.S. President Barack Obama’s own college basketball bracket. All of a sudden, its an everyday occurrence that isn’t so frowned upon.

Rick should take some advice, if you want to start talking smack to other head coaches, pick one that you can beat, say Washington or Washington State. I know that Rick has the utmost respect for everything that Pete Carroll has accomplished at USC. He prefaced his comments by saying that. I also know that there isn’t a more upstanding or more likable head coach in college football than Neuheisel. He just needs to pick his battles a little better.

And I’m sure that that lesson will be more than learned after the end of the fourth quarter on November 28 after USC takes UCLA out to the woodshed.


Here's the speech.