HART COACH MAKES RARE BAD MOVE FOR TEAM BY SHUNNING UCLA.Byline: STEVE DILBECK When you have a family, you naturally want to protect it. Steer it down the proper road, keep if from those you fear would bring it harm. Mike Herrington is the football coach at Hart High School Hart High School may refer to:
The wrongdoer? UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX , or more specifically, Bruins coach Karl Dorrell Karl Dorrell (born December 18, 1963 in Alameda, California) is the first black head coach in the history of the UCLA Bruins college football team, a position he took on December 18, 2002. . Herrington is so upset with Dorrell over his handling of ex-Hart quarterback Matt Moore and his firing of UCLA assistant coach Gary Bernardi - whose son, Joe, is a junior All-Southern Section center at Hart - he is threatening to ban all UCLA football coaches from recruiting on campus. This is worse than cutting your nose off to spite your face, because it isn't his face. In a misguided effort to protect his family, Herrington would end up being the one harming his players. A coach should be doing everything within his power to get as many of his kids scholarships as possible. He should butter up every recruiter he meets, send out video, fliers, limos, learn their double-secret handshakes. I have three young boys, and if by some miracle of heredity heredity, transmission from generation to generation through the process of reproduction in plants and animals of factors which cause the offspring to resemble their parents. That like begets like has been a maxim since ancient times. on the wife's side they become athletic enough to be recruited by UCLA and their high school coach makes it more difficult, he's going to know my outrage. There is no question Hart is a special program, Herrington a special coach. Hart has won five Southern Section titles in six years. But this all feels too personal, too much like hurt feelings, almost petty. Herrington figures he's protecting future recruits from the bum rap he believes Moore received at UCLA. ``We're not too happy with the Matt Moore situation,'' Herrington said. ``I was more unhappy that coach Dorrell let Gary Bernardi go.'' Herrington expects to lose Joe Bernardi when his father finds a new job, likely in another area. Moore won the starting quarterback job with the Bruins this summer and was injured in·jure tr.v. in·jured, in·jur·ing, in·jures 1. To cause physical harm to; hurt. 2. To cause damage to; impair. 3. in the first quarter of the opening game. UCLA was on a four- game winning streak Noun 1. winning streak - a streak of wins streak, run - an unbroken series of events; "had a streak of bad luck"; "Nicklaus had a run of birdies" when Dorrell benched Drew Olson Drew Olson (born April 6, 1983 in San Francisco, California) is a former starting quarterback for the University of California, Los Angeles football team, where he broke many of UCLA's passing records. and started Moore against Arizona State. After a 20-13 victory against ASU ASU Arizona State University (Tempe, AZ) ASU Appalachian State University ASU Arkansas State University ASU Angelo State University ASU Alabama State University ASU Australian Services Union , the Bruins lost their next two games. Moore played poorly and was benched. Before the Silicon Valley Classic, Moore announced he was transferring. What is there to be so upset about? Moore got his chance and didn't get it done. He threw two touchdowns and six interceptions. ``Yeah, he didn't play well when he got to start,'' Herrington said. ``But there are other underlining un·der·lin·ing n. 1. The act of drawing a line under; underscoring. 2. Emphasis or stress, as in instruction or argument. factors. There are things in families that don't need to be out in public.'' Herrington denies he advised Moore to transfer. There are currently two other ex-Hart players at UCLA, fullback Pat Norton and walk-on receiver Chris Steck. Herrington said Norton faced a similar dilemma last year and elected to remain at UCLA. This year he became the starting fullback. Herrington said he doesn't tell his kids which school to attend. Yet if Herrington - also the Hart athletic director Athletic director (commonly, "athletics director") is a position at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, which oversees the work of the coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic - goes through with his threat, he is telling his players they should not go to UCLA. It's the unspoken message. Maybe that's the only major scholarship that recruit gets. He deserves every opportunity to receive it, and the coach should do nothing to discourage it. Most recruits never will play in the NFL NFL abbr. National Football League NFL (US) n abbr (= National Football League) → Fußball-Nationalliga , but they might go on to UCLA to become a teacher or doctor. UCLA's program might be down right now, but it remains one of the finest schools in the country. It's well respected academically. It's a beautiful campus in an incredible area. You encourage a relationship with this program, not threaten it. Herrington said since his comments hit the local papers last week, he has personally heard no negative reaction. Not from school administrators, parents, students or players. ``With the Matt Moore situation, right now there aren't a lot of parents that are big UCLA fans around here,'' he said. Herrington said his anger is directed less at UCLA than Dorrell. ``It's probably more at coach Dorrell than anything,'' he said. ``But he's a Division I, big-time college coach. I'm just a little ol' high school coach. So what's it matter to him?'' Dorrell was on a recruiting trip Tuesday in Kansas and was unavailable for comment. How does this end? ``I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. ,'' Herrington said. ``(UCLA) coaches will have to come up and talk to me.'' It should end with cooler heads and wiser decisions. With each player having every opportunity. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: HERRINGTON |
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