Chow

Utah offensive coordinator Norm Chow will face his former employer when UCLA plays the Utes on Saturday. Chow was the Bruins' offensive coordinator last season but was indifferent about playing against a past paycheck. "I am too old for all that," Chow said. "It's another game that these guys have to win to be bowl-eligible, and I'm serious about that. " Utah, like UCLA, is 5-4, one victory shy of bowl eligibility. This is the third time this season that he has faced a former team.

USC's Pacific 12 Conference game against Utah on Saturday will be a reunion of sorts at the Coliseum. Several key members of a former USC staff that helped guide the Trojans to their first three Bowl Championship Series bowl games, the 2003 and 2004 Associated Press national titles and the now-vacated 2004 BCS title will be on opposite sidelines. USC Coach Lane Kiffin was the Trojans' passing game coordinator and receivers coach in 2004, when USC was undefeated and trounced Oklahoma in the BCS title game.

UCLA will be paying former offensive coordinator Norm Chow $500,000 while he is coaching at Utah this year, according to information obtained by The Times through a public-records request. That was UCLA's buyout to entice Chow to resign in January after he was removed as offensive coordinator. He would have been reassigned to another position on staff had he not resigned. As Utah's offensive coordinator, Chow has a two-year, $550,000 contract, making him the Utes' highest-paid assistant.

Here's what I don't get. One year ago UCLA Coach Rick Neuheisel and Athletic Director Dan Guerrero get together and agree to extend, that's extend , Norm Chow's contract. So what changes in the next 10 months or so? Guerrero says he had extensive conversations with Neuheisel about Chow's contract status a year ago, and that Neuheisel "was convinced it was the appropriate thing to do. [Neuheisel] was very satisfied with the way things were going. " But things didn't go well for the Bruins.

UCLA made dramatic changes to its football coaching staff Saturday, firing Norm Chow as offensive coordinator and hiring Mike Johnson to replace him. Chow, 64, was hired as offensive coordinator at Utah on Saturday afternoon. He chose to negotiate a buyout to a contract extension that would have paid him $1 million over the next two seasons rather than remain at UCLA and be demoted to a lesser coaching position. "We reached a mutual agreement on terms of separation. The agreement allowed for a smooth transition that was satisfactory for both parties and amicable," UCLA spokesman Marc Dellins said.

The Arizona grandtwins have turned 1 and Emma is walking, so she'll undoubtedly be going to USC one day. Rylee , meanwhile, is still crawling, which is what prompted me to call on Rick Neuheisel on Tuesday. Neuheisel begins Year 4 at UCLA. His program is still looking to take its first big step, but now is seemingly mired in its own mess. Rylee can certainly relate to that. This mess is Neuheisel's own making as well, and frankly I'm surprised it's taking him so long to clean it up. UCLA had a better shot of beating USC than Norm Chow remaining as the Bruins' offensive coordinator, but here everyone sits waiting for Neuheisel to make it official.

Mike Johnson has reached an agreement in principle to become an assistant coach at UCLA, according to a person inside the program who was not at liberty to speak on the matter. Johnson, who spent the last two seasons as an assistant with the San Francisco 49ers, could be in place by the end of the week. His duties have yet to be defined, but with Norm Chow's status unclear, he could take over the offensive coordinator spot. Johnson has been a wide receiver and quarterback coach in the NFL and at Oregon State.

Norm Chow's contract situation at UCLA could delay Coach Rick Neuheisel's attempts to reshape his staff. Although Neuheisel has zeroed in on a new offensive coordinator, he still must shed himself of Chow, his offensive coordinator for the last three seasons. Neuheisel and former San Francisco assistant Mike Johnson have been in talks. UCLA spokesman Marc Dellins said Wednesday that no one had been offered a job. Chow's situation probably will need to be resolved first.

Norm Chow appears to be out as UCLA's offensive coordinator, but whether the coach will remain with the Bruins or leave the program hasn't been determined. Mike Johnson, most recently the offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers, appears set to take a similar position with UCLA, according a person inside the Bruins football program who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. UCLA spokesman Marc Dellins said Wednesday that Johnson had not been hired. But a person in the program with knowledge of the situation said head Coach Rick Neuheisel had interviewed Johnson and they had been talking.

UCLA Coach Rick Neuheisel began reshaping his football program Saturday, firing defensive coordinator Chuck Bullough and wide receivers coach Reggie Moore, and said that more changes are coming after the Bruins' 4-8 season. Whether that means more firings or a "reshuffling" of the offensive staff remains to be seen. Neuheisel said he was "evaluating" the situation, leaving the status of offensive coordinator Norm Chow undetermined. Neuheisel said there would be no more dismissals of defensive coaches, but "there are certain other things I want to continue to consider.