FOR BRUINS, HOME IS WHERE THE RECRUITING IS SIGNING AREA'S TOP FOOTBALL TALENT A PRIORITY.

Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer

By the time the sun rose one day last week, UCLA football coach Karl Dorrell was 30 minutes into his drive for a 7 a.m. meeting at Palm Springs High.

Also last week, Dorrell was in Los Angeles at Dorsey, Crenshaw and Narbonne high schools for more meetings with high school coaches. Another day is spent in San Fernando Valley, with stops at Crespi of Encino and Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks, among others.

It is part of a two-week, all-out blitz package orchestrated by UCLA's new recruiting coordinator, Eric Bieniemy, in an effort to wrestle defending national champion USC for control of Southern California's fertile football ground.

``Our job now is to take care of our backyard,'' said Bieniemy, who also is UCLA's running backs coach. ``If you cannot take care of your backyard, it puts us in a situation where we're competing against these kids (on the field). The sad part is some of these kids are pretty darn good, and they come back and they play very, very angry against you. And you don't want that.

``Our job, right now, is to focus on home. We'll branch out later. There will be kids that come from outside of state, but 90 percent of our team is going to come from Southern California. We're not recruiting as much nationally as in the past.''

UCLA has 10 non-binding verbal commitments from high school juniors for its 2006 recruiting class, and eight are from the region. In Dorrell's first three recruiting classes, 40 percent of the players came from outside the area.

The decision for Dorrell to visit so many campuses is being hailed by high school coaches. The Bruins are recruiting several Notre Dame players, and Knights coach Kevin Rooney said this was the first time Dorrell has been on campus.

``(Dorrell) said he wanted to recruit locally more,'' Rooney said. ``Yeah, it's important to see him there. It's important for the head coach to come.''

During the spring recruiting period, which allows schools to be on the road for four weeks between April 15 and May 31, Dorrell spent two weeks visiting area schools. In the past, Dorrell, at most, spent a week recruiting locally.

Less than a week after defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator Don Johnson left for the Chicago Bears in February, Bieniemy, 35, a former All-America tailback at Colorado, was named to the position.

``This is a great first step,'' Los Angeles Jordan High coach Elijah Asante said. ``Having Eric Bieniemy as the recruiting coordinator is the best thing Karl Dorrell has done. E.B. is going to get down on it. He's going to get grimy. He's going to battle.''

Already with a reputation as a top recruiter during four years as an assistant at Colorado and UCLA, Bieniemy now has influence on the whole process. In collaboration with Dorrell and other staff members, Bieniemy began implementing the major philosophical change shortly after he was named recruiting coordinator in February. Six weeks earlier, he turned down an assistant's position at Texas.

``(Bieniemy's approach) has enhanced everyone else,'' Dorrell said. ``The passion he has on the football field has definitely transferred to this area, and everybody understands the importance of what he's stressing. It makes everyone want to do their jobs even better because of what Eric's passion is about recruiting.''

UCLA has long been criticized for not recruiting the inner city, which is often hammered home by discussion of how well USC recruits that area. During the winter, UCLA signed three players from Crenshaw, and Bieniemy said that is only the start.

Asante agreed, and said evidence came earlier this week when Bieniemy came to Jordan to inquire about running back/safety Ricky Thenarse, who is being recruited by USC and has an offer from Nebraska.

``Pete Carroll comes to the Watts Coffee House and eats grits and bacon,'' Asante said. ``When he does that, it's just that much more respect for that program. If he knows it's not beneath him to come here, then everyone else knows it, and sees it. The kids see it.

``UCLA is starting to catch up. They're doing a good job. The next step is for coach Dorrell to come here.''

As part of Bieniemy's more aggressive approach, he has made UCLA's coaches more accessible to high school coaches and recruits. He also stressed more evaluation via videotape, which leads to identifying potential recruits earlier. In turn, that would lead UCLA to offer kids scholarships earlier in the recruiting process while establishing relationships more quickly.

``I think they're far more conscious of what's going on locally than in the past,'' Narbonne assistant Craig Armstrong said. ``I would say it's very important for Southern California, (with it) being a hotbed for talent. With recruiters coming from all over the country to get kids out of here, and then you have two major universities in UCLA and USC right here ... you've got to keep the top kids home.''

But the most important thing, according to high school coaches, is Dorrell becoming more visible. It's also something Bieniemy heard while out recruiting the past two years.

``We think, as a staff, that is very, very important,'' Bieniemy said. ``He needs to be seen. On top of that, the (high school) coaches need to have an opportunity to meet with him, visit with him, and see Karl Dorrell the person, not just the coach.''

Brian Dohn, [phone]

brian.dohn(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo:

(color) Eric Bieniemy's recruiting plan since taking over as UCLA's coordinator is to recruit better locally.

Doug Benc/Getty Images

Box:

STAYING LOCAL