UCLA coach reportedly will be fired today

Monday, Dec. 9, 2002 | 10:21 a.m.

UCLA football coach Bob Toledo, following four disappointing years when the Bruins went 24-22, will be fired early this week, the Long Beach Press-Telegram reported this week.

"It's 110 percent that Toledo is gone," said an anonymous source quoted by the Press-Telegram.

The announcement was expected as early as today, when Toledo was scheduled to meet with Athletic Director Dan Guerrero.

Toledo, 54, has been in charge of the Bruins since 1996. His teams have gone 49-34, including a victory over Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl and two losses to Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl.

But the Bruins have dropped four straight games to crosstown rival Southern California, including a 52-21 loss on Nov. 23. The Bruins finished the regular season with another lopsided loss, 48-27, to Washington State on Saturday.

With a 7-5 record, UCLA was passed over by the Holiday Bowl and the Sun Bowl, and will be playing Christmas Day against New Mexico in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Toledo has defended his performance in several published interviews, saying he believes losing his job would be unfair.