Whistle Blowers

It happened in the first extra period in what would become a two-overtime USC-UCLA thriller in November 1996 at the Rose Bowl, the Trojans having just moved ahead on a field goal by Adam Abrams and the Bruins preparing to send Bjorn Merten out for a 40-yarder to keep the score tied.

On the sideline, Coach Bob Toledo called Merten over, draped his arm around his kicker before the critical moment and spoke.

About trout.

Trout fishing, actually. Toledo had predicted a similar situation back in fall camp, saying there would come a time when a game would be on the line and the tension would be high--and the two would speak of their shared passion. So there they were, in their private huddle on the floor of a frenzied stadium, talking about rainbows and brookies.

They laughed, recalling Toledo’s preseason statement. Play resumed. Merten converted to force a second overtime. UCLA won it there.

So ended the first season of Toledo as head coach, with a moment that so well illustrates the man.

He calls trick plays about once a week, usually with a positive outcome, but has a personality that excludes deception. Asked to describe his coaching style, he waited until the second listing to say fun, right after discipline and right before understanding and communication. He has no problem acknowledging that’s higher than most coaches at top-level programs would put it.

“Probably,” Toledo said. “But I think that’s important.”

So do his players, who have repaid him by performing on offense in a way that doesn’t allow critics to say the Bruins are a team of gimmicks. They are, instead, a powerful unit because of the system employed by the man who came to UCLA as offensive coordinator and had the same job in previous stints at Texas A&M; and Oregon. He has a personality that is attractive to blue-chip high school seniors, putting in place a recruiting trail to perpetuate the current successes.

“I think he’s unique,” said Al Borges, Toledo’s friend and offensive coordinator. “He’s not afraid to say what he thinks. I think he’s got a lot more personality than most guys. I think that’s obvious.”

It’s an openness that best defines Toledo’s coaching style.

He talks trout and runs trick plays and while at Oregon started a tradition of telling a joke at each Friday night team meeting with the offense; many of those jokes cannot be repeated here. So he will be fun.

He rips his own coaches--most recent case in point defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti--verbally trashes opposing players who talk his team down, notes when his star quarterback is not throwing well even as the star quarterback runs up Heisman numbers and says otherwise, and names names when a player has a terrible game just as he would praise a fine performance. So he will be honest.

He gambles and gets feisty and publicly challenges his charges and, not to be forgotten, generates tremendous results. So he stands as the coach of the Pacific 10 Conference champions, with at least a trip to the Rose Bowl already guaranteed, and battles to be on the sideline for the bowl game to decide the national title.

“If you don’t like your coach, you won’t want to win for him,” guard Andy Meyers said. “ ‘Who cares? Let him get fired.’

“We all like Coach Toledo. He’s the head coach of a Division I college football team. Yet he’s so blue collar. He’s so down there with the guys.”

Said kicker Chris Sailer, “The best way I can say it is, he’s really personable. He’s kind of like one of the guys. He’s a guy you want to win for. Everyone loves his style. You want to win for a guy who does so many great things for you.”

Toledo barely needs a breath to consider the meaning of the words.

“I think that it is a compliment,” he said. “I know a lot of players who don’t care for their head coaches.”

This one keeps the bulletin board up to date for them, either literally or by verbal posting in a team meeting. That way, players are sure to realize who is saying what about them, which can come across as a petty act for a coach or the means for motivation. And since the Bruins have won 19 games in a row, the longest active streak in the nation . . .

“This is me,” Toledo said. “What you see is what you get.”

A winning coach. A man who has earned respect.

Also, a trout fisherman.