Donahue Turns Down Falcons’ Offer, Will Stay at UCLA

He looked freshly scrubbed as usual, but there also appeared to be a layer of fatigue on Terry Donahue’s boyish face as the UCLA football coach, past and present, told why he is staying put, instead of becoming the Atlanta Falcons’ coach of the future.

Donahue turned down a five-year, $3-million deal to coach in the National Football League Friday and will instead return for a 12th season, and perhaps more, at UCLA.

Was there any doubt?

“I’m not surprised at all,” UCLA Athletic Director Peter Dalis said.

Safety James Washington, who had bet friends that Donahue would stay and won $50, said: “I didn’t want to have to break in a new coach.”

Assistant Coach Bob Field found another reason to be glad.

“It’s great to be employed,” he said.

Yet for others, there had been at least semi-serious doubt about Donahue. Would he stay or would he go? One of the doubters was cornerback Darryl Henley, who had made up his mind that the whole thing was truly a matter of value.

“If it had been me, I’d have taken the money and run,” Henley said.

But Donahue did not do that, although he admitted that passing up a chance to build an NFL program had been tough. For him, though, it was more a third-hour decision than an 11th-hour one.

“When I went to bed Thursday night, I kind of knew what I wanted to do,” Donahue said. “Then, I woke up about 3 a.m. and BOOM! I knew that was it.”

What it was, is that he’s staying at UCLA. And so ended one of the most intriguing two-day periods in Bruin football history, when figuring out which way Donahue would turn at the last moment was about as easy as getting him on the phone, which was impossible.

“I took it off the hook,” he said, explaining that he needed time to think without interruption. And, hey, maybe even a chance to sleep.

“It’s been an intense and difficult 48-hour period,” Donahue told a large group of reporters at a news conference Friday on the UCLA campus.

“For the last 48 hours, I’ve had a chance to look inside myself. Finally, the decision was to stay at UCLA, keep smiling, have fun and be in college football.

“It was the answer that was the right answer.”

Yes, but could there be another?

“I look good in blue,” he said.

In the end, Donahue liked where he was better than where he could be. Donahue called the Falcon offer “very attractive” and “a fine opportunity,” yet he telephoned Dalis around 7 a.m. and said he was staying.

Donahue also telephoned the Falcons and gave them the news, which as it turns out, already seems to have blown some ill will across Atlanta.

According to a report in the Atlanta Journal, former UCLA and Philadelphia Coach Dick Vermeil, who recommended Donahue, criticized the Falcon front office for not offering enough money, for coming in too low with Donahue at first and thereby failing to make Donahue an offer he couldn’t refuse.

The other side, Falcon President Rankin Smith Jr. and Executive Vice President Taylor Smith, have so far masked their disappointment. But privately they are believed to be quite upset with Vermeil, who turned down the coaching job himself and then recommended someone who turned out to be too entrenched to move.

Donahue said the Smiths took his news calmly when he telephoned them Friday morning.

“They were extremely gracious and they said they understood,” Donahue said. “They realized it would be real hard for me to leave California and UCLA.”

Meanwhile, on the UCLA campus, only good will was in evidence. “Excited,” “delighted” and “grateful” were once again in the Bruin football glossary.

Donahue, who spoke the words in the news conference, sounded as though he was certain he had made the correct decision. The group of university officials and students who ringed the back of the room needed no convincing.

Donahue said there are still challenges for him coaching college football at UCLA. He said he is eager for a new practice facility to be built and looks forward to competing for a national championship.

By rejecting the Falcons, Donahue turned down a chance to become a millionaire, but he said again that the money was never that big an issue with him.

“If I had gone to Atlanta, people would have said (I) did it for the money,” Donahue said. “That would not have been true. I lead a comfortable life. The appeal was the chance at the NFL.”

Donahue said he had been made a unique offer from the Smiths that included control over the hiring and firing in the football operation. While Donahue found this part of the deal attractive, he still turned it down with the knowledge that he may never again get the same chance from another NFL team.

“The entry-level income, the authority and the quality of ownership probably won’t be matched again for me,” Donahue said. “I had to realize that and it became part of my decision.”

Now that Donahue is sticking around, Dalis said there could be something extra in Donahue’s paycheck. How much extra?

“Small, a modest increase, token,” Dalis said.

It didn’t matter to Donahue, who said he was satisfied with his deal at UCLA anyway, a five-year rollover contract worth an estimated $200,000 to $250,000 annually. He also said it wasn’t that difficult choosing his current deal at UCLA over what the Falcons were offering.

“I never did do well with math,” he said. “I got my decimal points and zeros confused.

“I couldn’t have gone wrong either way. I just had to decide which one I wanted.”

That decision, while it was still being formed, was alternately upsetting and comforting to some, especially Dalis.

Dalis on Tuesday: “My gut feeling is that he’s going to stay.”

Yet by Thursday, Dalis’ stomach told him something different. Donahue was a goner. He could tell by the sound of his voice over the phone.

“Yes, but I was only mirroring what he was going through,” Dalis said. “Way down deep, I thought he would stay because he’s been a Bruin, both boy and man.”

But will Donahue always, always be a Bruin? Will he never, ever be in the NFL?

“Like the man said, you never say never,” Donahue said.

“You never know where life leads you. You just walk down that path. I turned this way and went to UCLA.”

Donahue said he anticipates losing Homer Smith, his offensive coordinator, to the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs. Smith was interviewed Thursday by new Kansas City Coach Frank Gansz, who coached on Smith’s staff as an assistant in 1974 when Smith was head coach at Army.

If Smith leaves, he will be the second UCLA assistant to go, joining running back coach Norm Andersen, who left by mutual agreement with Donahue.

Donahue said the Bruins do not have an interest in ex-Purdue quarterback Jeff George, who has said he will transfer to another school where he will have three years of eligibility remaining.

“He has not contacted us, but we are not pursuing Jeff George,” Donahue said.

Miami (Fla.) is thought to have the inside track for George, who was heavily recruited by UCLA before he decided on Purdue.