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Neuheisel Takes Over UCLA Program

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The Associated Press

Published: December 30, 2007

Updated: 12/30/2007 12:33 am

LOS ANGELES - Rick Neuheisel is returning to college coaching at the school where he first found fame and success.

Neuheisel, a quarterback who was the MVP in UCLA's 1984 Rose Bowl victory and later served as a Bruins assistant under Terry Donahue, was hired Saturday as his alma mater's 16th coach.

His five-year contract is for $1.25 million annually, plus incentives.

Neuheisel, 46, succeeds Karl Dorrell, who was fired Dec. 3 after five seasons on the job. Dorrell, who caught two of Neuheisel's scoring passes in UCLA's 45-9 victory against Illinois in the 1984 Rose Bowl, had no head coaching experience before taking the Bruins' job.

Neuheisel spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach for the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, and will conclude his duties with them when they face Pittsburgh today.

He had a 66-30 record as a head coach at Colorado from 1995 to 1998 and Washington from 1999 to 2002. He hasn't been in the college game since Washington fired him in 2003 for participating in a betting pool on the NCAA basketball tournament. He sued for wrongful termination from Washington and settled in March 2005 with UW and the NCAA for $4.5 million.

Colorado was placed on two years of probation by the NCAA for infractions committed while he was the Buffaloes' coach. All were deemed secondary violations and most involved improper contact with recruits.

Neuheisel said he took full responsibility for his past errors in judgment, and assured UCLA officials that he'd learned from his mistakes.

"They have my complete, unequivocal promise that this will never happen again," he said.

ZOOK HONORED: Illinois coach Ron Zook won the Liberty Mutual coach of the year award for leading one of the best turnarounds in college football. The Illini went 9-3 and earned a trip to the Rose Bowl a year after going 2-10.

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