Fired Karl Dorrell decides he won’t coach UCLA in Las Vegas Bowl against BYU on Dec. 22

 

LOS ANGELES (AP) -Ousted UCLA football coach Karl Dorrell has decided not to coach the Bruins when they play BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl.
Defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker will serve as interim coach for the Dec. 22 game.
When UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero fired Dorrell on Monday, Guerrero told Dorrell he could coach the team in the Dec. 22 game if he wished.
“I appreciate the opportunity to coach in the bowl game, but I have decided it is in the best interests of the program for me to decline that opportunity,” Dorrell said Tuesday. “The game should be about the players, especially the seniors.
“While I would love to take the field with these young men one last time, I felt that my situation would take the focus away from our players and their efforts and that’s the last thing I would want to do.”
Dorrell, UCLA’s coach for five years, was fired after the Bruins finished the regular season 6-6, with the final loss a 24-7 defeat by rival Southern California last weekend. He finished with a 35-27 record during his five years in the job, his first as a head coach.
The game against BYU (10-2) will be a rematch. UCLA beat the Cougars 27-17 on Sept. 8 at the Rose Bowl.