Ex-Cougar coach is rallying Bruins

LAS VEGAS — DeWayne Walker is putting his stamp on UCLA football this week.

He's already done so the past two seasons with the defense. But now, it's with the entire team, the big picture. Will it be in time to get him the head-coaching job once UCLA's administration finishes its search for a replacement for fired Karl Dorrell?

Nobody can say.

All Walker can do is try to get the Bruins in a position to defeat BYU. And maybe that will be enough to push him over the edge as the next Big Guy in Westwood.

On Wednesday, during UCLA's first practice in Las Vegas, Walker put the Bruins through a workout that lasted just over an hour and a half. It was spirited and he had his coaches both yell at and praise the squad. Time and time again, Bruin coaches would call out offensive players for not hustling on and off the sideline or out from a huddle break.

Since Dorrell was fired within hours of UCLA learning of their place in the Las Vegas Bowl, Walker has pitched his brand of football to players, some of it behind closed doors, directly to the entire team and then to some individual faces.

What's his game plan as interim head coach?

"Really just tempo and a sense of urgency, that's all," he said. "I'm just trying to get them to play faster, spread the aggressiveness that we try to use on defense across the whole team. Nothing major, just trying to get them excited."

By all accounts, BYU linebacker coach Barry Lamb, who once worked side by side with Walker at BYU, called it last week. UCLA players will play hard for Walker.

It hasn't hurt that Walker left Provo for some big time education in football. He's worked with NFL's Patriots, Redskins and Jets, rubbing shoulders with Pete Carroll, Joe Gibbs and Bill Belichick.

USC's Carroll made Walker his first hire when he got the Trojan job.

"This is a great group of guys," said Walker of the 6-6 Bruin team he's trying to jack up for one last hurrah in Vegas on Saturday. "You can't tell they lost their head coach. He set the foundation. They have responded and they want to win."

Walker said his fondest memories of coaching at BYU were being around LaVell Edwards, Tom Holmoe, Lance Reynolds, Robbie Bosco and Lamb.

"They're great guys, good people."

When told BYU's staff is in his corner for him getting the job, Walker answered, "I'm in their corner too, but I want to beat them."