Two under the radar candidates to become the next head coach at UCLA

Here is a look at two under the radar candidates.

Another candidate with ties to UCLA is Brent Brennan, the head coach of Arizona, who was a player for the Bruins. He led San Jose State to several bowl appearances throughout his tenure there. His stock has increased since he arrived in Arizona and got off to a terrific start for the 2025 season.

As seen below, it was reported that he interviewed for the UCLA job after Chip Kelly left to become the offensive coordinator at Ohio State.

Brent Brennan's qualifications as possibly the next head football coach for UCLA are rooted in his experience as a student athlete at UCLA and track record, particularly at San José State, a program with limited resources in the state of California.

Proven Program Builder: Brennan spent seven seasons as the head coach at San José State, a program that had a history of not winning many football games. He became the first head coach in the school's history to lead them to three bowl games in four years and to back-to-back winning seasons since the early 1990s.

West Coast/California Ties: As a former UCLA player and a coach with significant experience in California and the West Coast as a head and assistant coach (San José State, Oregon State, Cal Poly, etc.), Brennan has a deep understanding of the recruiting landscape in the region.

Experience as both a player and a coach at multiple levels: Brennan's career spans various roles, from a high school assistant to a graduate assistant at multiple schools, an assistant coach, and a head coach. This breadth of experience could be a valuable asset for him and his ability to led UCLA as their next coach.

He is a look at the second under the radar candidate.

Former Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald could be a candidate because of his vast experience in the Big Ten. Fitzgerald's name has rarely come up in coaching searches, but that may change. During his lengthy and prosperous career at Northwestern, he was renowned for his capacity to forge a solid culture and contend with fewer resources. His familiarity with the Big Ten might be a big help to UCLA.

It appears by multiple reports that Fitzgerald has cleared his name of wrong doing when he was the head coach at Northwestern and it appears he won a signifcant fininacal settlement against the university.

Pat Fitzgerald's qualifications to be the next UCLA head football coach is apparent with his extensive experience and track record at Northwestern, a university with a strong academic reputation, similar to UCLA.

Proven Head Coaching Record: Fitzgerald served as the head football coach at Northwestern for 17 seasons, becoming one of the longest-tenured coaches in college football at the time. During his tenure, he amassed an impressive 110-101 record for a Big Ten time without a ton of athletic resources, making him the winningest coach in the program's history. He led Northwestern to 10 bowl game appearances in a 13-season span (2008-2020) and led the Wildcats to five bowl victories. He also guided the Wildcats to two Big Ten West Division titles in 2018 and 2020.

Big Ten Coaching Experience: With UCLA now in the Big Ten, Fitzgerald's long history and success within that conference are a significant asset for a football program at UCLA looking for a proven coach who can win in the Big Ten. He understands the landscape, competition, and recruiting environment of the Big Ten.

Program Building he is familiar with: Fitzgerald took over a program that was not traditionally a football powerhouse and built it into a somewhat consistent winner in the Big Ten. His ability to create a winning culture and sustain success with limited resources demonstrates a skill set that could be valuable for a program like UCLA, which has similar challenges as Northwestern.