Some at UCLA look across town with deep-rooted animosity -- and a dash of envy -- toward the USC football program.
Rick Neuheisel, on the other hand, apparently sees a blueprint for success. UCLA's new head football coach continued to follow a familiar and proven plan by enticing Norm Chow to join his staff.
Chow, 61, who was introduced as UCLA's offensive coordinator today, spent four seasons running USC's offense for Pete Carroll. During that span, the Trojans won two national titles and had two Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks.
DeWayne Walker, UCLA's defensive coordinator, was the first coach Carroll hired for his USC staff when he became coach of the Trojans in 2001, and keeping Walker on the Bruins' staff was Neuheisel's first priority when he became UCLA's head coach earlier this month.
"Our goal is for us to get where they are," Neuheisel said about USC during a teleconference today to introduce Chow. "We want to be one of the elite college football programs."
Chances of that will improve if Chow produces offensive shows similar to those he directed at USC -- and at North Carolina State and Brigham Young before that.
Both Chow and Walker also interviewed for the Bruins' head coach job, but Neuheisel predicted they would work well together. "This is going to be an ego-less thing," he said. "We're partners in a start-up company."
Chow, who was fired as offensive coordinator by the Tennessee Titans last week, will have control of the offense, an issue that is believed to have caused some friction with Carroll at USC, where Chow received the credit for the Trojans' offensive success.
"Norm is offensive coordinator," Neuheisel said. "He will call the plays and I will be an ally."
Said Chow: "I have never been one who needs power control. 'Coordinate' is a word that means a lot. You need everyone's input.
"On Saturday afternoons, we're not going to have a round-table discussion every time there is a call to be made. But the decisions will be made on Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday collectively."
Chow inherits an offense that was hurt by injuries the last half of the 2007 season, though it suffered from inertia and inconsistency through the first six games. The Bruins ranked 101 out of 119 major college teams in passing offense and 92nd in scoring.
