Axman Not Among Finalists

Offensive coordinator Steve Axman will have to wait a little longer before becoming a college head coach again after learning that he hadn’t made the final cut for the job at Texas El Paso.

“They told me that they have narrowed the search down to two people and that I wasn’t one of them,” Axman said Tuesday after UCLA’s two-hour workout.

“Yes, I’m disappointed because I believe that [UTEP] is a good fit for me. I really like what [UTEP Athletic Director] Bob Stull has done with the program. I still want to be a head coach.”

Axman interviewed with Texas El Paso officials about replacing Gary Nord, who was fired by the Miners after compiling a 14-34 record in four seasons.

Axman, in his first season with the Bruins in his second stint at UCLA, was head coach at Northern Arizona in 1990-97.

Former Hawaii and Arizona coach Dick Tomey is considered the leading candidate for the UTEP position. Tomey is an assistant with the San Francisco 49ers.

*

One of the best things about playing in a bowl game is the quality practice time teams get because of winter break. Without classes to worry about, young programs such as UCLA’s can get better looks at players who did not play much during the regular season.

At the end of every drill, first-year Coach Karl Dorrell spent at least five plays working with redshirt players and other seldom-used Bruins. It’s been like training camp in December.

“The coaches have not been letting up,” said sophomore tight end Marcedes Lewis, who made a couple of impressive catches. “They have been coaching us hard. They expect us to respond like football players now. It really feels like camp. It’s not two-a-days but we are going as hard as we did in camp.”

Dorrell said, “For our young kids, this bowl is important to get that extra time to get them into the flow of what we do in all of our systems.” According to Dorrell, the Bruins are also getting a recruiting boost as they prepare for the Silicon Valley Classic against Fresno State on Dec. 30.

“Kids get a chance to come visit the campus and see who is actually in your program,” Dorrell said. “When you are able to practice and able to bring recruits around your team, they can kind of measure up and see how they can fit to possibly help the program.”

*

Free safety Ben Emanuel, who injured a groin in the first quarter against USC, is questionable for the Silicon Valley Classic. Cornerback Matt Clark and defensive end Dave Ball have missed practice time because of flu.