The UCLA football team has had issues with their coaching staff the last few seasons, but with Chip Kelly, the team has a staff of highly experienced individuals which should bring a lot of success to Westwood.
One of the issues former UCLA football coach Jim Mora had was the inconsistency in the hiring and promotion of several coaches. Like any program, coaches come and go and the man in charge has to deal with it accordingly.
RELATED: 2018 Game Previews – Cincinnati | Oklahoma | Fresno State
It was good for the first few years, but things started to come undone in the latter seasons. One instance was when former defensive coordinator Lou Spanos left for the NFL. Though it is natural for coaches to jump to the pros, this started a chain reaction that Mora would have liked to do without.
Instead of looking for another DC with experience, Mora promoted linebacker and special teams coach Jeff Ulbrich. Ulbrich was a fantastic position coach and thrived with special teams as he was named Special Teams Coordinator of the Year in 2013. Unfortunately, he did not have what it takes to be a DC. It got worse as he was not long for the position, leaving after only one season. That was awkward in and of itself, but his departure left initial and long-last effects.
The timing was bad as this occurred around signing day in 2015. Because of this, one of the top linebackers in the country, Roquan Smith (the #8 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft), decided against his commitment to UCLA and opted for Georgia where he had a fantastic college career.
With Ulbrich’s departure, Mora once again had to make a coaching change which started out well, but ended with one of the worse run defenses in country. The hiring of Tom Bradley was a big one, though it brought some controversy as he was the former defensive coordinator at Penn State during the time that all the madness with Jerry Sandusky arose. Though he was cleared of any wrong doing, he did a great job in his first season, but that unraveled quickly.
Mora also promoted another coach from within. Scott White, who up until that point had a role with defensive quality control, never coached a position group at a major university. This proved faulty as the linebackers have had issues with depth and talent the last few seasons.
Ultimately, as we all know, this did not turn out well.
Why the coaching situation will bring success to the Bruins (cont.)
So now we look at what new UCLA coach Chip Kelly is doing and it is what one should expect of a top-tier coach.
More from Go Joe Bruin
- UCLA Football: It’s time for the nation to meet Dante Moore
- UCLA Football: Where are they ranked heading into week 4
- UCLA Football: Position battle breakdown for Utah showdown
- UCLA vs. Utah: Location, time, prediction, and more
- UCLA Football: Highlights from Chip Kelly’s appearance on the Jim Rome Show
When Kelly was hired back in November, he took his time putting his staff together. One thing he wanted to do was evaluate the current UCLA staff as well as look elsewhere for the best coaches to fit his system.
Originally, DeShaun Foster (RB), Jimmie Dougherty (WR) and Hank Fraley (OL) were kept on after their increased production with their position groups in 2017, though Fraley ultimately opted for a job with the Detroit Lions. Former DL coach Angus McClure was also kept on though he was moved to tight ends. He has also left the program as he was offered a position with Nevada.
To fill those spots, Kelly hired Derek Sage (TE) from Washington State who worked with Kelly at New Hampshire as a graduate assistant. Justin Frye (OL) came in from Boston College where he spent 11 years as the OL coach and run game coordinator.
On the defensive side, Kelly loaded up on coaching talent. His first was Jerry Azzinaro who takes over for Bradley as DC. Azzinaro has been coaching in Division I and the NFL since 1992, mostly as a DC and DL coach. This man has a lot of experience and was a solid choice, but that is only the beginning.
Why the coaching situation will bring success to the Bruins (cont.)
Kelly has also brought in Vince Oghobaase (DL), Don Pellum (LB), Paul Rhoads (DB) and Roy Manning (ST/OLB). Oghobaase, though young, brings a certain fire to the team as his mantra of “more violence” was a theme for the defense during spring. He was a grad assistant with Ohio State and coached the DL with San Francisco 49ers, so he knows what it takes to coach high-level football.
Related Story: UCLA Football: 10 bold predictions for the 2018 season
Pellum has been coaching LBs since 1993, so he is another coach that has a ton of experience and should get this position group up to speed and in better shape than they have been in the past few seasons. Rhoads has been a head coach, defensive coordinator and position coach in Division I football since 1995, so he has experience across the board. Though he takes a lesser role, when you think of how this brain trust is coming together, it was a fantastic hire and one he should thrive in. As for Manning, he is also young, but he brings a lot of energy to the team which fans are already feeling, especially with his daily twitter affirmations.
It’s a great day to BE ALIVE! #4sUp! pic.twitter.com/FmoGunmV8w
— Roy Manning (@CoachRoyM) June 4, 2018
So we are already seeing a difference with what this coaching staff is becoming and with Kelly, it seems as though he will always look for the best option, unlike Mora who often gave jobs to his friends and those in his inner circle.
Kelly has built something solid thus far and if a coach decides to leave for another gig, promoting one of his coaches should not be an issue because of the amount of experience they each possess.
Many wonder if Kelly will be successful in his first year with UCLA. That should not be the focus as it is an adjustment period, though many expect him to raise the bar in his first season.
Next: The 30 Greatest UCLA Football Players of All-Time
But really, what many should pay attention to is how good this team will be in years 2, 3, 4, etc. There is a lot going on right now and it is shaping into something special. Kelly did not come to UCLA to simply accept another job. He came to win and that is evident in how he has started to build this team.