Editorial: New contracts long overdue for coaches

UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero recently offered two- or
three-year contracts to all of UCLA’s Olympic sports coaches,
a gesture that shows faith in UCLA’s less glamorous, but
highly successful sports programs.

UCLA was long overdue in restructuring contracts for these
coaches. Until a few days ago only the football, men’s and
women’s basketball and women’s volleyball coaches had
multi-year deals at one of the country’s top sports
universities. Meanwhile, other schools’ Olympic sports
coaches held a small recruiting advantage over UCLA: prospective
athletes could be comforted knowing their coach would not be
leaving anytime soon.

But more than anything, the new contracts reflect
Guerrero’s appreciation for all teams here ““ not
just the ones that will draw the crowds and land the television
contracts. Guerrero, who was hired as athletic director in spring
of 2002 and himself played baseball while he was a student at UCLA,
has quickly developed a warm relationship with many Olympic sports
coaches (and perhaps a cooler one with two former big sport
coaches).

While he was athletic director at UC Irvine, Guerrero’s
Olympic sports coaches held multi-year contracts. Now at UCLA,
Guerrero attends a variety of UCLA sporting events, not just
basketball and football games.

The appreciation many Olympic sports coaches have for Guerrero
is evident. Al Scates, a legend in the volleyball world who has won
23 national championships and signed 41 consecutive one-year
contracts at UCLA, expressed his appreciation for the contract
offer. Women’s soccer coach Jillian Ellis ““ who coached
at five universities before UCLA, which all offered multi-year
deals ““ called the offer “a show of faith.” Billy
Martin, entering his 11th year as the men’s tennis coach,
said the offer provides more stability for him and his family.

At UCLA in particular, a healthy and open relationship between
the athletic director and the Olympic sport coaches is vital
““ it’s these programs that have been the success of
UCLA’s athletic department recently. UCLA’s football
and basketball teams together have won just one national
championship since John Wooden left UCLA in 1975. In the last few
years, the two programs have not reached expectations, and at
times, have been downright embarrassing. They’ve been plagued
by scandals ““ players used handicapped parking placards, met
with agents, failed to report arrests to coaches, and found
themselves in academic trouble.

Clearly UCLA must offer big, lucrative deals to its football and
basketball coaches if the Bruins hope to be at all competitive
““ and Guerrero has done that. But there was no reason
UCLA’s other coaches shouldn’t have also been given
more than a one-year deal.

Though they’ve also endured their fair share of scandal,
UCLA’s Olympic sports, for the most part, have been more
successful in their athletic achievement than football and
basketball have been. Men’s soccer, softball, gymnastics and
women’s water polo won NCAA championships last year. During
the 2001-2002 school year, gymnastics, women’s indoor track
and both water polo teams won championships.

UCLA’s Olympic sports coaches are some of the best in the
country and they deserve top treatment. Guerrero’s offers are
long-overdue for UCLA coaches who have been given too little
attention for too long.