Odds Aren’t in Favor of Bruin Assistants

When UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero flicked his finger and toppled Bob Toledo, eight more dominoes fell.

The lives of the UCLA assistant coaches are in turmoil and their futures in limbo, yet they are doing their best to prepare the Bruins for the Las Vegas Bowl.

From his home in Westlake Village where he agonizes over not being able to coach the Bruins on Christmas Day, Toledo has talked frequently to his assistants since being dismissed Dec. 9.

“People want the head coach fired but don’t realize it affects so many other families,” he said.

“It’s sad.”

Even the most vocal Toledo-basher sympathizes with the assistants, several of whom have young children. But none of the coaches are wallowing in self-pity.

“It’s the nature of coaching,” said Phil Snow, the defensive coordinator. “We all knew what we were in for when we got into this profession.”

Their contracts, worth from $80,000 to $151,000 a year, extend only through June and they will get not a penny of severance pay. Most would like to stay under Karl Dorrell, the Denver Bronco receivers coach who was hired by UCLA last week.

At most, however, only one or two will get his wish.

So they ride along as headless horsemen, continuing to recruit for future UCLA teams they will not be part of, continuing to coach a team that is no longer theirs.

A football game awaits, and that’s good enough for now.

“Every coach has put in a full day, every day, working really hard on the game plan,” interim Coach Ed Kezirian said.

“These guys care about the kids and aren’t slacking off at all.”

At game’s end, their attention will turn to finding employment. Many plan to meet with Dorrell. Most are expected to attend the national coaches’ convention in January, a marketplace for unemployed assistants.

“There’s a big network of coaches,” receivers coach Ron Caragher said.

“But it’s highly competitive. There are more coaches than there are openings.”

If players could supply references, the Bruin assistants would be hired immediately.

“We have a great staff, guys who know the game and really care about us as people,” senior tight end Mike Seidman said. “I wish everybody could know how much they mean to the players.”

Most assistants are anonymous even in the best of times.

Their fortunes are inextricably linked to the head coach, who hired them or retained them from a previous regime.

A look at each:

* Phil Snow, defensive coordinator, two years: Until the arrival of Snow, Toledo changed defensive coordinators the way most men change ties.

Snow, who turned 47 on Sunday, made an immediate impact last season. The Bruin defense, led by veterans Robert Thomas, Kenyon Coleman and Marques Anderson, ranked at the top of the Pacific-10 Conference.

This season, the defense again was strong until the last two games, when the Bruins surrendered 100 points in losses to USC and Washington State.

Snow, who turned down an offer from Illinois to take the UCLA job, lives in Simi Valley with his wife, Debbie, and two sons, ages 13 and 11. Previously he was defensive coordinator at Arizona State for nine years, and in 1994 was on the same staff as Dorrell.

“I’m going to ride this out and take my time,” said Snow, who has aspirations of becoming a head coach. “The first thought is to jump at the first thing that comes up, but I’m not sure I’ll do that.”

* Kelly Skipper, offensive coordinator, five years: Skipper’s father, Jim, has coached in the college ranks and in the NFL, XFL and USFL. He currently is an assistant with the Carolina Panthers.

So although his only previous stop besides NFL internships was a seven-year stint at Fresno State, no assistant should have been more prepared for the prospect of a new job than Skipper, 35.

“I went through this kind of adjustment many times growing up, and I understand this is how the business goes,” he said. “But every time our family moved, my dad always made it better.”

Now the challenge is his. Skipper’s wife, Mary, is due with their second child Jan. 8.

* Gary Bernardi, tight ends/recruiting, nine years: A holdover from the Terry Donahue era, Bernardi held together Bruin recruiting in the three-week period between Donahue’s retirement and the hiring of Toledo.

He has tried to do the same the last two weeks.

“I’m recruiting as if I’m still here,” he said.

Bernardi, 48, who coached at Arizona and USC during a 21-year Division I career, wants to survive this coaching change as well. He has a wife, Leigh, and three children.”I’ve invested a lot here,” he said. “I like the players. I want to stay. It would be good for my family.”

* Ron Caragher, receivers/kickers, nine years: Well-liked by Guerrero and a former UCLA teammate of Dorrell, Caragher is a good bet to keep his job.

“I’ll express an interest in staying,” he said. “I do have peace of mind that things will work out. This is a great university. I came to this school to be part of something special, to establish continuity and build the program.”

Caragher is married to former Bruin tennis player Wendy Ouwendijk and the couple has three sons under the age of 7.

“I love UCLA and want to stay, but at the same time it’s one man’s opinion,” he said, referring to Dorrell. “Does he want me or not?”

* Mark Dove, linebackers, seven years: Dove came in with Toledo and figures he’s going out with him too.

“I have no interest in staying,” he said. “If somebody wants to talk to me I’ll listen, but I don’t want to be a holdover coach. I’ve been here seven years and the quality of my work is apparent.”

Dove, 52, and his wife, Julia, have two grown sons.

“It’s a big country and I’m mobile,” he said.

“I love coaching and I’ve been doing it for 30 years.

“But I’m at that stage where I have choices outside football too.”

* Don Johnson, defensive linemen, three years: This has been a tough year for Johnson. His son Duane died in an auto accident in February that also took the life of San Diego Padre outfielder Mike Darr, a lifelong friend of the Johnson family.

Johnson spent five years at Nevada before coming to UCLA, but otherwise has always worked in Southern California.

His name has surfaced as a candidate for the head coaching position at Whittier College, but he said he has no interest.

“This is very tough on all the coaches and their families,” he said. “I’m taking it a day at a time and finishing my job here.”

Johnson, 48, and his wife, Deborah, have three grown children.

* R. Todd Littlejohn, cornerbacks, two years: Littlejohn, 37, and his wife, Toi-Yan, are expecting their third child in the spring, and the uncertainty is etched on his normally boyish face.

He was hired by Snow, leaving a position at San Jose State. He has also coached at Utah State, in the Arena Football League and at several small colleges.

“I’ve tried to establish myself here and work hard and gain the trust of my coordinator,” he said.

“I’m willing to move anywhere. This is a tough time to have a baby on the way.”

* John Pearce, quarterbacks, four years: The upbeat, paternal Pearce, 55, plans to return to Texas with his wife, Jaime, and spend time with his three grandchildren.

After two decades as a head coach at small colleges and high schools, Pearce was hired at Texas A&M; in 1989 by Toledo, the offensive coordinator. Their friendship grew and Pearce remains his closest ally at UCLA.

“I wouldn’t trade a moment of my time at UCLA,” he said. “A new coach needs to do what he wants to do, and I understand that.”

* Mark Weber, offensive line, six years: Weber will be remembered for fiercely defending his linemen from criticism and for having them write letters of appreciation to family and friends before games.

But as far as he’s concerned, the memories can wait -- he’d like to stay.

“This is a great place to recruit to, a great place to coach, a great place to live,” he said.

Weber, 45, lives in Simi Valley with his wife, Kathryn, and two daughters.

“My reasons for wanting to stay are the same as the other coaches,” he said. “We’ve put our heart and soul into these kids. And this is going to be a very good football team for years to come.”