UCLA Unlocked: The case for the Bruins’ football coaching vacancy as a top job
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Imagine a job that would allow you to live in one of the world’s best climates.
You would get to work in a building that’s been described as iconic, magical and one of a kind.
You could hand select a workforce from a talent pool that’s among the best in the nation.
Your employer doesn’t skimp on free food, providing scrumptious fare such as coffee-braised brisket and pork chops smothered in candied apples and onions.
If you wanted to move operations for a couple of weeks to, say, Costa Mesa, your boss would be willing to pick up the tab for lodging, meals and transportation. That boss would also be willing to spend nearly $3 million on new fields that allowed your players to practice on both grass and artificial turf.
You would have to produce, of course, but nothing crazy. While other places would expect best-in-class results almost immediately, you could sustain a long, lucrative career here by occasionally doing something special while usually being slightly above average.
At a time when many are asking why top candidates would want to fill UCLA’s football coaching vacancy with so many other Power Four conference openings available, it’s time to consider a counterpoint.
Why wouldn’t they want the UCLA job?
Sure, there are some potential drawbacks.
A few other schools with openings will be willing to pay more, including Louisiana State after the Tigers fired Brian Kelly on Sunday. Many have better infrastructure for name, image and likeness endeavors, not to mention a higher degree of competence inside their respective athletic departments. Most have more passionate fan bases.
But let’s stop acting like taking the UCLA job is akin to going to work for Spirit Airlines.
ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg ranked UCLA last in attractiveness among the seven Power Four openings, before LSU increased that number to eight Sunday, placing the Bruins behind Penn State, Florida, Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech, Arkansas and Stanford. To make his case, Rittenberg assessed the schools in five areas: recent/historical on-field performance, access to the College Football Playoff, roster-building/access to talent, university leadership and financial support.
There’s no quibbling with Penn State and Florida — and now LSU — being the best open jobs. Oklahoma State? It’s probably better than UCLA, given its resources, rabid fan base and recent success.
But no amount of analytics is going to tell me that Virginia Tech, Arkansas and Stanford are more desirable jobs than UCLA. First, let’s admit that all four schools have been equally pitiful over the last decade with the exception of Stanford and Virginia Tech each winning 10 games in 2016.
While Virginia Tech’s administration recently made a massive financial commitment to football and Arkansas has Walmart and Tyson Foods money flowing into its coffers, UCLA has shown since the hiring of Chip Kelly that it’s going to invest the necessary resources to compete at a top level.
The Bruins will also have an easier path to the CFP playing in the Big Ten than Virginia Tech or Stanford — which both compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference — with comparable success given a stronger conference that will earn more playoff bids in most years.
Nobody in this group has access to better high school talent than UCLA does in Southern California, and the Bruins have been big winners in the transfer portal (though that advantage has lessened in recent years as the team has been increasingly outbid for top players).
When it comes to university leadership, new UCLA chancellor Julio Frenk has a demonstrated commitment to winning in football going back to his time at Miami. And for all his flaws, including the problematic hiring of coach DeShaun Foster, athletic director Martin Jarmond assembled a winning team for his search committee that includes sports industry heavyweights Bob Myers, Adam Peters and Casey Wasserman.
The Bruins are going to be able to pay a competitive salary and support their new coach with a decent pool for assistants. What happens next is going to be largely up to whomever takes the job.
UCLA’s new coach must relentlessly recruit and rally a donor base that’s been severely beaten down over the last decade, receiving diminishing returns on their investment. That’s why it’s going to be essential to hire not just a football savant but also someone who is charismatic and engaging with donors, recruits and the media.
UCLA won’t demand CFP appearances under Jarmond — the athletic director essentially said as much at a dinner with donors in 2021 — so there’s going to need to be a massive inner drive to elevate a program that hasn’t won 10 games since coach Jim Mora had things rolling in 2014.
Make the right hire, and it’s not hard to imagine a rejuvenated UCLA filling the Rose Bowl based on all the built-in advantages that the Bruins can offer their new coach.
Why UCLA? Why not?
Football report card
UCLA’s 56-6 loss to Indiana felt like going into a midterm with confidence . . . only to realize your teacher gave you 15 minutes to write a two-page essay.
Quarterbacks: C-. Even accounting for the offensive line issues, this was not Nico Iamaleava at his best. There were too many inaccurate throws and a curious lack of usage in the run game.
Running backs: D. This was a major regression with the exception of some scrappy late running by Anthony Frias II.
Wide receivers/tight ends: D. Nobody did anything meaningful against an elite secondary.
Offensive line: F. The absence of guard Eugene Brooks had a cascading effect for a group that struggled across the board.
Defensive line: C. Keanu Williams tipped a pass, leading to an interception, but otherwise there wasn’t much to get excited about.
Linebackers: B. Jalen Woods made the Bruins’ only tackle for loss and JonJon Vaughns turned in another yeoman’s effort with a team-leading 13 tackles.
Defensive backs: B-. Interceptions by Scooter Jackson and Key Lawrence were highlights. Four pass interference penalties were lowlights.
Special teams: B+. Mateen Bhaghani would surely trade in being the only Bruin to score points for a more competitive game.
Coaching: B-. Taking nothing away from the truly admirable job that Tim Skipper and his staff have done, Indiana’s Curt Cignetti showed everyone what being elite looks like.
Olympic sports spotlight: Men’s soccer
This was something that you don’t see very often.
Spanish forward Sergi Solans Ormo made taking down Rutgers as easy as 1-2-3 on Friday at Wallis Annenberg Stadium, scoring three goals on the way to the Bruins’ 5-2 victory over the Scarlet Knights.
It was the first hat trick for UCLA since Milan Iloski secured one in 2019 against San Diego State, and only the 28th time in the history of a proud program that a Bruin had scored three goals or more in a game.
Junior forward Oliver Roche added two goals and sophomore defender Philip Naef had four assists for UCLA, giving the Bruins (4-6-4 overall, 4-3-2) a happy sendoff on senior night.
Naef found Solans Ormo with a crossing pass that Solans Ormo fired past the goalkeeper in the 39th minute for the game’s first goal. Later, after Rutgers had forged a 2-2 tie, Solans Ormo scored two goals in as many minutes in the second half to help the Bruins pull away.
UCLA next plays at Omaha at 11 a.m. PDT Saturday in a game that will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Opinion time
Does quarterback Nico Iamaleava need another college season before heading to the NFL?
Yes, he has more to prove
No, he’s ready to move on
Click here to vote in our survey.
Poll results
We asked “Can UCLA keep its fun ride in football going with an upset of Indiana on the road?”
After 551 responses
No, 66.8%
Yes, 33.2%
In case you missed it
UCLA reverts to its early-season, mistake-riddled form in drubbing by No. 2 Indiana
‘It’s part of the movie.’ Adversity made UCLA tailback Anthony Frias II’s success sweeter
UCLA quarterback Pierce Clarkson might avoid charges in his legal proceeding
Have something Bruin?
Do you have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future UCLA newsletter? Email me at ben.bolch@latimes.com, and follow me on X @latbbolch. To order an autographed copy of my book, “100 Things UCLA Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die,” send me an email. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
