Neuheisel lets seniors know where he stands

"I hear 'rebuilding' and, as a word, I think of young people coming in trying to get the program restarted," linebacker Kyle Bosworth said. "I don't think that's the case with Coach Neuheisel. I think that he wants to see the seniors in the mind-set that we're the ones that are rebuilding what he needs to be doing here. It is a challenge for us to do well."

Everett and defensive tackle Brigham Harwell will be seniors getting do-overs. Both had seasons ended by injuries, Everett with an ankle injury and Harwell with a knee injury.

They return to a team that downsized expectations, yet goals remain.

While a quick turnaround is hardly unprecedented, it is unusual. Since 1960, Pacific 10 Conference teams coming off losing seasons changed coaches 29 times. Only five had winning records the next season, with the biggest turnaround by California's Jeff Tedford, who took over the remnants of a team that had finished 1-10 in 2001 and went 7-5 in 2002.

"We definitely want to change this subpar UCLA football that has been going on the past couple years," Everett said. "The whole attitude around the football team is totally different. Everyone is working hard, everyone really positive. There are no viruses on the team.

"We're not expected to do anything. We got a whole new coach and coaching staff, so that pretty much means it's supposed to take a couple years to actually be a winning program. I think we're optimistic that we can do it in one year."

And if they can't?

"If UCLA is in the Rose Bowl a couple years from now," Kyle Bosworth said, "I'll feel like we were the inaugural team under this staff that helped make that happen."

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chris.foster@latimes.com