Composure, both on the field and off of it, is what defensive coordinator Bob Field is all about. Never one to lose his cool on the sidelines, throw his headset, scream at his players or swear at the media, Field is more the cerebral, silent type. Perpetually seeming to sport the blue shorts and white polo shirt of a UCLA coach, Field is more likely to admit he could have taught his players better than to chastise the athletes for making him look bad. That's the kind of story you expect to hear about coach Field, or about anyone who has been working at the same public school for 21 years. While he noted that he didn't consider the change as either a promotion or a demotion, it is obvious Field feels he is back where he belongs.
Field has far too much composure for that.
But ask him if he is happy to be back and expect a one word answer. That doesn't mean the security of our jobs, just the very competitive nature of the coaches. This season the coaches have no choice but to be competitive, because at 2-3 going into Saturday's matchup with Oregon, the team does not seem to be. With the team off to its worst start in years, due in part to the defense giving up some big plays at bad times, it would seem to be impossible to avoid the same media pressure that hastened Aliotti's departure. As long as football has been played and will be played, there are going to be critics out there.