With the internet rumor mill beginning to swirl once again — it is almost December now — head coach DeWayne Walker's name has come up as a possible replacement for Rick Neuheisel at UCLA.
For a report from ESPN click here, for one from Athlon sports click here.
I asked Walker about UCLA following Aggie practice on Tuesday and here's what he had to say:
“I'm focusing on (this Saturday's opponent) Utah State. It's flattering to see your name with the likes of Chris Peterson, Tom Cable, these guys. That part's flattering. But I haven't heard from anybody. I love UCLA, I have a history there, but to me I'm focusing on Utah State. If there's no phone calls — if they're not calling you they're calling somebody else. That's not really my focus until it happens or if it happens.”
For the record, I don't think Walker would be a serious candidate for the job just because his win totals at New Mexico State just aren't there at this point. They're just moving forward.
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5 comments:
Oh please UCLA will hire a winner not a wannabe.
If UCLA can't get Peterson, which I don't think he would leave BSU, I think they would give serious consideration to Walker. Win totals probably don't play a big role in his candidacy because "WHO COULD WIN AT NMSU???". He's made solid progress and is on the right trajectory. I think UCLA would view him as an up-and-coming coach. Tell me a coach who could come to NMSU and win right away? Tony Samuel, the coach before Hal Mumme, led his 2002 team to a 7-5 record, but was let go in 2005. He went on to coach a DIII team in Missouri and has been winning ever since, even receiving the DIII Coach of the Year award.
I would be happy for Coach Walker to be able to go home to LA and coach UCLA.
I like Coach Walker, and what he is doing. But seriously, who in their right mind at UCLA would hire a guy who hasn't had a winning record in any year of being a head coach, who hasn't taken a team to a bowl game, and whose team has been a solid resident, until after the start of this year, on ESPN's bottom 10.
This speculation of UCLA going after Walker is laughable. Period.
I'm sure his name will come up but, the way USC has been dominating UCLA. UCLA needs to hit a grand slam.
It's not a knock on CDW. He's a good coach but, I think he's going to get passed for the UCLA job once again.
Once he gets NMSU to a bowl game (I think it will be next year)the job offers will come.
Jefe
Although I don't think UCLA will end up going with Walker, we need to find a way to keep Coach Walker when future opportunies come for him. Anybody who has followed the Aggies this last decade knows that Mumme drove this program right into the ground. Walker has done well to get some better players and instill offensive and defensive discipline to keep us in games. We wear down late in games because we lack talent and depth on the front lines. This is not Walker's fault as the D-Line took some major hits before a ball was ever snapped.
A reasonable goal for NMSU is to model itself after La Tech. Never a powerhouse, but solid most years and competitive outside of WAC play. With the relatively low talent pool and having to drag recruits away from Texas and California schools, any NMSU coach will have difficulty winning in the area.
If I had any say (which I don't and that is a good thing), I would keep Walker as long as he was willing to stay.
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