UCLA’s Rick Neuheisel hits the (military) recruiting trail

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UCLA’s Rick Neuheisel has not been allowed to officially leave campus for recruiting visits, per NCAA rules grounding head coaches at this time of year. He does, however, have his bags packed.

Neuheisel will be part of the 2009 Armed Forces Entertainment college football ‘Coaches Tour’ that will travel to Europe and the Middle East. Now, if he just happens to find a 6-foot-5, 300-pound made-of-granite soldier during the May 27-June 4 tour, that’s just USO (Unique Signing Opportunity).

Of course, if such a find is out there, Neuheisel will still face some formidable recruiting competition. Ohio State’s Jim Tressel, Texas’ Mack Brown, Wake Forest’s Jim Grobe, Mississippi’s Houston Nutt and Air Force’s Troy Calhoun are also on the tour. Those five had winning records and went to a bowl game last season, finishing with a combined record of 47-18.

UCLA, in Neuheisel’s first season, finished 4-8. On the ‘boot camp scale,’ that would rate a drop-and-give-me-20.

-- Chris Foster