PERSONAL REASONS UCLA'S DORRELL TURNED DOWN AN NFL JOB OFFER FROM USC'S CARROLL IN NEW ENGLAND.

Byline: BRIAN DOHN Staff Writer

UCLA coach Karl Dorrell views Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan as a mentor, but it nearly ended up being rival USC coach Pete Carroll playing that role.

When Carroll was an NFL head coach with the New England Patriots, he offered Dorrell a job on his staff, that Dorrell turned down for personal reasons.

In a series USC has dominated recently with seven straight wins, the Carroll-Dorrell past provides an interesting undercurrent to Saturday's clash between UCLA and the second-ranked Trojans, who likely will reach the BCS title game with a win, at the Rose Bowl.

``I interviewed a bunch of guys and Karl was one of the guys,'' Carroll said. ``He came highly recommended with really good references, and he wasn't willing to take it.''

Carroll's offer to Dorrell to become New England's wide receivers coach came during Dorrell's second stint as an assistant coach at the University of Colorado, where he was working under former UCLA quarterback and former Bruins teammate Rick Neuheisel.

``Believe me, I was really excited about the opportunity,'' Dorrell said. ``I'd heard about (Carroll) as a coach, coming up through the ranks and what he's done in his career. Going back to interview, and the opportunity to coach in the NFL, all those things, came up and were very, very positive, because I knew that was what I wanted to do some day, coach in the NFL.''

However, Dorrell had already lived the typical nomadic life of an assistant college coach, moving six times during an eight-year span. So he elected to remain in the Boulder, Colo., area.

Dorrell was in the midst of a four-year run as the Buffaloes' offensive coordinator and had just gone through a span in which he left Colorado to coach at Arizona State in 1994, only to return to Colorado in 1995.

``It would have almost been moving three times in three years,'' Dorrell said. ``It was more of a personal thing. It had nothing about what he was building with the Patriots, nothing like that. It just wasn't the right time for me.''

Carroll coached the Patriots from 1997-99.

``I like him, but the decision, when it came down to it, it wasn't the right fit for me at that time with my family,'' Dorrell said. ``It was more a personal issue than a professional issue.''

Following the 1998 season, Dorrell left Colorado and followed Neuheisel to the University of Washington. A year later Dorrell left for the NFL, where he joined Mike Shanahan's staff in Denver as a wide receivers coach. He remained in Denver for three seasons.

When Dorrell was named UCLA's coach after the 2002 season, he said he received a congratulatory phone call from Carroll. Dorrell described their relationship as ``cordial.''

In three meetings, Carroll has been anything but friendly to the Bruins on the field. The Trojans beat UCLA by a combined 142-65, including last season's 66-19 thumping in which the Bruins, and their coaching staff, were completely humiliated.

``I think there is a part of Pete that remembers Karl not taking the job, and that's why he wants to beat him so badly for it,'' said one former UCLA assistant, who requested anonymity. ``That's what I believe, and you could see it.''

Dorrell said he does not believe any animosity exists between he and Carroll.

``I don't think so,'' Dorrell said. ``He's never expressed anything to me about it.''

UCLA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker, who worked with Carroll at USC, was also a member of Carroll's staff in New England when Dorrell was interviewed. Walker said he didn't believe Carroll felt any personal bitterness toward Dorrell for not accepting the job in New England.

``Karl's always had a great reputation,'' Walker said. ``The thing you have to understand about Pete is he'll compete in a dice contest. It doesn't matter. Pete wants to win.

``I'll say this: Do you think me being in powder blue makes a difference? If you're not with him, you're against him, and that's his competitive nature. He's competing. Whether he's playing basketball or whatever, he's competing. I think that's what makes him a special football coach.''

Staff writer Scott Wolf contributed

CAPTION(S):

3 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- color) KARL DORRELL

(2 -- color) PETE CARROLL

(3) USC coach Pete Carroll and UCLA coach Karl Dorrell speak after their 2003 game at the Coliseum. USC won 47-22.

Todd Warshaw/Getty Images

Box:

No. 2 USC at UCLA