As noted by Keith Arnold earlier this afternoon, head coach Rick Neuheisel, speaking on the Dan Patrick radio show, asserted that Norm Chow would remain as UCLA’s offensive coordinator after being courted by Southern Cal for the same job with the Trojans.
This afternoon, the school made Neuheisel’s assertions official.
In twin statements released by UCLA, Chow said he appreciated the interest on the part of Lane Kiffin and the Trojans while Neuheisel said he was “thrilled” the coordinator will remain as a part of his coaching staff.
“I appreciate the interest from USC and Lane Kiffin, but I feel we are building something special here at UCLA and I am excited about our future,” said Chow, who has coached three Heisman Trophy winners during his illustrious career. “We have some outstanding young players in the program and we are working hard on finishing strong in recruiting.”
“We are thrilled that Norm is going to continue as our offensive coordinator,” Neuheisel said. “As Norm said, we are building something special at UCLA and he is certainly a very important part of the package. We have unfimished [sic] business here at UCLA and our coaches and players are very excited about our future. I’m glad Norm wants to finish what he’s started. UCLA is a special place to call home.”
Some reports had USC offering Chow anywhere from $1 million to $1.5 million to leave their cross-town rivals; it’s uncertain what, if any, tweaks UCLA made to Chow’s current contract to help sway him to stay.
Another uncertainty is just where Kiffin and the Trojans will turn for a coordinator. Given the fact that the new coach has already stated he will be the play caller, the pool of candidates could be a rather shallow one.