Advertisement
UCLA Sports

UCLA assistants depart before Cactus Bowl against Kansas State

UCLA defenders hit Oregon running back Darrian Felix and force a fumble during the first half on Oct. 21.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Los Angeles Times staff writer Ben Bolch
By Ben Bolch
Staff WriterFollow
Share

UCLA linebackers coach Scott White and defensive backs coach Demetrice Martin have vacated their assistant jobs more than two weeks before the Bruins’ Cactus Bowl game against Kansas State, according to a person familiar with the situation not authorized to disclose the information publicly.

The reason for the departures was the recent hiring of Don Pellum to coach linebackers and Paul Rhoads to coach defensive backs, the person said. With Pellum and Rhoads starting to recruit for the Bruins, the team needed to shed staff to stay within the maximum allotment of nine assistants.

White and Martin have been paid through their contracts. The assistants had initially been expected to remain in their roles through the Dec. 26 bowl game at Chase Field in Phoenix even though they would not be part of coach Chip Kelly’s new staff.

Advertisement

Graduate assistants Dalton Hilliard and Kyle Weiss are expected to fill in for White and Martin during preparations for the bowl game.

ben.bolch@latimes.com

Follow Ben Bolch on Twitter @latbbolch

More to Read

UCLA Sports
Ben Bolch

Ben Bolch has been a Los Angeles Times staff writer since 1999. He is serving his second stint as the UCLA beat writer, which seems fitting since he has covered almost every sports beat except hockey and horse racing. Bolch is also the author of the recently released book “100 Things UCLA Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.” He previously covered UCLA basketball from 2010-11 before going on to cover the NBA and the Clippers for five years. He happily traded in gobs of hotel points and airline miles to return to cover UCLA basketball and football in the summer of 2016. Bolch was once selected by NBA TV’s “The Starters” as the “Worst of the Week” after questioning their celebrity journalism-style questions at an NBA All-Star game and considers it one of his finer moments.

More From the Los Angeles Times

Advertisement