The UCLA Bruins football program is ready to move on from the Rick Neuheisel era. Their main target is a popular one every season when college football head coach vacancies open up. According to Chris Foster of the Los Angeles Times, UCLA is targeting Chris Petersen, the long-term successful head coach of the Boise St. Broncos.
People close to the UCLA program said Boise State's Petersen is atop the Bruins' wish list and Guerrero was expected to soon head to Idaho packing an offer that would pay more than $3 million per season.
Plans to renovate the Bruins' practice facility and a commitment of about $2 million for assistant coaches are expected to be part of the package.
Petersen has a long track record of success at Boise, but has turned down previous offers to coach at bigger programs. It'd be interesting if Petersen was targeted and took the offer this time around. You'd have to figure he has to be tired of having to play at a mid-major where perfection is demanded. Boise has two one-loss seasons and is probably making consecutive bowl trips to the Poinsettia Bowl.
Additionally, past coaches who have left Boise (Dirk Koetter, Dan Hawkins) have had minimal success elsewhere at big programs. It'd be a pretty big risk for Petersen to leave Boise, because the program seems pretty set to win for years to come.
To discuss UCLA football, head to Bruins Nation.