The UCLA football team is down one coach as it has been reported that outside linebacking coach and special teams coordinator Roy Manning has left Westwood for a position with Oklahoma.
On the same day that is was announced that UCLA football‘s leading rusher from 2018, Joshua Kelley, is returning, it has been reported that the Bruins will be losing a coach as Roy Manning has been lured away by Oklahoma.
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The news broke on Tuesday afternoon as Manning will be leaving Westwood for Norman to take over as the Sooners’ defensive backs coach. Manning spent one season with UCLA, serving as the OLB coach and special teams coordinator under DC Jerry Azzinaro.
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It is a bittersweet separation as Manning was a very high energy individual who flooded social media with his daily affirmations and positivity. For all intents and purposes, he was the face of the Bruins.
Unfortunately, what Manning did with his position groups and recruiting (or more accurately, what he did not do) left a lot to be desired.
Though the Bruins were plagued by injuries, they failed to get a consistent pass rush going as the season progressed. Things were even worse when it came to special teams as the Bruins had several forgettable, blunder-filled moments which cost them several games.
This is the second shakeup among the coaching staff this offseason. Before the holidays, head coach Chip Kelly announced that offensive line coach, Justin Frye, was promoted to offensive coordinator.
There is no early word on who Kelly will hire to replace Manning but it raises questions about how the defensive coaching staff will evolve. Will they have another coach solely dedicated to the outside linebackers and the pass rush (or will LB coach Don Pellum assimilate the OLBs into his duties)? Will they have another special teams coordinator or will Kelly had that on his own?
Stay with Go Joe Bruin as we follow these events as we head towards National Signing Day and Practice.