Friday, October 17, 1997
Longing for success
FOOTBALL: The ex-Beaver coach finds his place with the
Bruins
By Vytas Mazeika
Daily Bruin Staff
Success always makes a job more enjoyable.
In the case of UCLA defensive coordinator Rocky Long, the
opportunity to leave a rather mediocre Oregon State team to become
part of the Bruin coaching staff and perhaps make his job more
pleasant presented itself in March 1996.
Bob Toledo, named at the time as the successor to Terry Donahue,
was looking for someone to implement a new defensive philosophy and
approached Long for the position.
"When I got the job here the offense (did) pretty much the
things I was going to do," Toledo said. "Defensively we had
athletes, but we didn’t have a lot of size. So I wanted to get a
guy who was going to attack, and I hired (Long)."
During his five-year tenure at Oregon State, Long developed a
quick, attacking defensive scheme which turned out to be very
productive. His 1995 Beaver defense ranked third overall in the
Pac-10. But Oregon State never got on track, and the team lost more
games than it won.
"At the time that I was in Oregon State we had gone through five
seasons of frustration," Long said. "We hadn’t won many games and
this was an opportunity to go to a place that has a great football
tradition and a great football program. So I thought it was an
opportunity I couldn’t turn down."
In 1996, his first season with UCLA, the team was never able to
win more than a single game in a row. The defense performed above
expectations and ranked third in the Pac-10 against the run (23d in
the nation). The Bruins failed to qualify for a bowl game with
their 5-6 record.
This season, though, is a different story. Long and the No. 17
Bruins are having a four-game winning streak. The defense ranks
among the top in the nation in turnover differential (18) after six
games.
Long’s aggressive style of defense has made the 1997 Bruins both
more exciting and more productive. This chaotic system is so
effective that even after Long’s departure from the Beavers, the
same scheme is still used at Oregon State.
"I think that one of (Long’s) influences with the guys that were
here with him is that this has been an aggressive, hard playing
defense," Oregon State head coach Mike Riley said. "I always
appreciated that about (Long’s) defenses. Our system is different,
but the nature of what we want out of the play with pressure and
aggression is the same."
Even the players like the system. Senior linebacker Brian
Willmer, who led the team in 1996 with 102 tackles, recognizes the
danger in running an aggressive defense. Long’s motivational
abilities and discipline has created an attitude within the
defensive players – a winning attitude.
"One of the biggest things (Long) has brought is an intensity
for the players," Willmer said. "Making everybody run to the ball.
Regardless of how far we are from the ball, you have to turn around
and run for the ball. He brought in a new mind frame to the
defense. … The guys enjoy playing (the aggressive defense). I
enjoy playing it. We all enjoy playing for Coach Long."
As long as the Bruins keep winning, everyone in Westwood will
enjoy Saturdays – but no one will have a bigger smile than
Long.