The UCLA football team announced Monday it has filled its last
remaining coaching vacancy with the hiring of Dino Babers as wide
receivers specialist. Last season Babers served as the running
backs coach for the University of Pittsburgh, after spending two
years at Texas A&M as the offensive coordinator and
quarterbacks coach. “Dino has coached in most of the major
conferences and brings 17 years of full-time coaching experience to
our staff,” coach Karl Dorrell said in a statement. “He
has worked with all of the skill positions, giving him a great feel
for all aspects of an offense. Most of his experience is at the
wide receiver position, and that’s where we will use
him.” With the addition of Babers, last season’s
receivers coach Jon Embree will switch to help the tight ends
““ a position at which he played and coached during his tenure
at Colorado. The football staff will now have four coaches who have
offensive coordinating experience, a position that has yet to be
solidified in the off-season: Babers, Dorrell, offensive line coach
Tom Cable and current offensive coordinator Steve Axman. While
Axman has remained both coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Dorrell
has hinted that changes could be made. Dorrell also announced that
defensive line coach Don Johnson will assume the duties of
recruiting coordinator, taking over for the recently fired Gary
Bernardi.
PREP QUARTERBACK VERBALLY COMMITS: Last Friday,
UCLA secured a verbal commitment from quarterback Pat Cowan of St.
John Bosco High, giving the Bruins a desperately needed prep
quarterback. Prior to Cowan’s commitment, UCLA had missed out
on many more highly regarded prep quarterback prospects, including
Matt Tuiasosopo, Rocky Hinds and Erik Ainge. All had originally
expressed interest in coming to Westwood, but eventually decided
against it. Left with few other options, the Bruins turned their
attention to Cowan, the younger brother of current Bruin freshman
receiver Joe Cowan. The 6-foot-4, 197-pound senior chose UCLA over
Idaho and Sacramento State, and cancelled his scheduled recruiting
visit to Arizona after committing to the Bruins. Starting only in
his senior season, Cowan led Bosco to a 7-4 record, completing 92
of 197 passes for 1,101 yards and five touchdowns. While
Cowan’s commitment will give the Bruins needed depth at
quarterback, his potential will most likely be realized in the long
term. Current starter Drew Olson still has two years of eligibility
left, and UCLA has already received a verbal commitment from junior
college transfer David Koral.