Karl Dorrell’s firing set off a whirlwind of uncertainty in the UCLA football program.
Former defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker is the man who will have to sort it all out.
Walker was named interim head coach by athletic director Dan Guerrero Tuesday after Dorrell decided not to coach UCLA in the Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 22 against BYU.
Now it is Walker who will have to deal with the uncertainty of the team’s recruits and prepare the current players for the bowl game.
And Walker says that’s all that he can worry about for now, despite the fact UCLA wants him to stay on the football staff and might even consider him as a candidate to replace Dorrell.
“I’d be lying to you if I said I wasn’t interested (in the head coaching position), but it’s not a focus right now,” Walker said in a phone interview Tuesday. “I’m being really sincere. It’s not a focus at all.”
There are 22 high school seniors committed to playing for UCLA next season as part of what is considered one of the best recruiting classes in the country by to various recruiting Web sites. Making sure those players don’t de-commit and choose different schools is one of Walker’s top priorities.
“Right now we don’t have a head coach, and I’m sure (the recruits) are concerned,” Walker said. “But these are some very good kids that come from some very good families. … They’re going to hang with us through this process.”
Walker also said that he has talked with Guerrero about the head coaching position but hasn’t had an interview.
At his press conference Monday, Guerrero said he hopes to retain some of the current assistants on next year’s staff.
“I personally believe that some semblance of continuity is important, so as we move through this transition, I will strongly encourage the successful coach to interview these individuals and give them an opportunity to be retained so that we might, in fact, be able to have some positive continuity as we move through this,” Guerrero said.
Walker said he had talked to Dorrell after the announcement Monday but did not want to speak about the conversation.
“I’d like to keep that private,” Walker said. “He is my friend, and I feel for him.”
When he was an NFL assistant coach, Walker faced similar situations where he had to wait to see if he would keep his job after the head coach was fired. He said that, from those situations, he has learned to “take things one day at a time.”
As for the upcoming game against the Cougars, Walker said that the team will practice this weekend and then take finals week off. After that, they will begin their game preparation.
The game will be a rematch of a Sept. 8 contest the Bruins won, 27-17. BYU threw for 391 yards in the game, but Walker said he is especially interested in what the Cougars did in their final games of the season.
“I think what we’re going to have to do defensively is see how they played their last three games if there was dramatic improvement from the time that they played us,” Walker said. “I’m really anxious to see where they are right now.”
As for the offensive side of the ball, Walker said offensive coordinator Jay Norvell will handle the play-calling duties.
“Being a defensive coach, I’ll have some ideals,” Walker said. “But it’s still (Norvell’s) offense, and he deserves to do what he’s been doing.”
Walker had no comment on who the Bruins will start at quarterback.