Friendship Is Resumed

Rick Neuheisel, the former UCLA quarterback and assistant, and Terry Donahue, the former UCLA coach, have apparently buried the hatchet, and not in each other’s back.

“Terry and I have kind of rekindled our relationship, and I’m very thankful for it,” said Neuheisel, who brings his Washington Huskies to the Rose Bowl on Saturday in hopes of moving a step closer to the Rose Bowl game Jan. 1.

Hard feelings emerged in 1994 when Donahue picked a Texas A&M; assistant named Bob Toledo to be his offensive coordinator over Neuheisel, the quarterback coach. Neuheisel left for Colorado and his sister publicly ripped Donahue.

That mood lasted for years, after Donahue had left UCLA, after Toledo had succeeded him as coach, and after Neuheisel had spent one season as an assistant at Colorado and then got the top job there. A chance meeting changed that.

“We ran into each other in the airport in Dallas,” Neuheisel said. “I was recruiting and he was considering the Cowboy job and he was on his way back to Orange County, where he makes his home now, and I was on my way there to recruit. We had a great conversation. As I told him, I wanted to thank him for all the opportunities.

“I know there was some stuff that happened that neither one of us had any control over that made it seem a little bit strained at time, but I owed him a great deal for my opportunities and I wanted him to know that. I guess like a son wants his father to be proud of him, that’s how I kind of wanted him to be toward me. It’s been good and I’m thankful for that.”

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DeShaun Foster continues to regain strength in his bothersome right ankle and could play a prominent role against Washington, but the Bruins plan to stay with Keith Brown as the starting tailback. Part of the reason is that it is the final home game for Brown, a senior.