UCLA Football Thread

[nate]

Sounds like Mora is staying and the Mazzones are gone

[nando714]

Which nfl team did mora turn down this time?

[Lou]

southern cal just gave Helton, who lost 3 of the last 4 games,a 5 year contract.

[AngelsLongBall]

southern cal just gave Helton, who lost 3 of the last 4 games,a 5 year contract.

Excuse me, sir?  This is the UCLA Football thread.  Board policy dictates we please stay on topic.  There is an entire thread in this forum about your referenced esteemed university

[mtangelsfan]

southern cal just gave Helton, who lost 3 of the last 4 games,a 5 year contract.

 

I miss Craig.

[nate]

My guess is the only job Mora wanted was the Chargers and they kept McCoy...  Now the word is Mora has no interest in leaving.

 

There are a few EEs that are due to enroll tomorrow so the announcement could just be to convince them everything is good.  

[nando714]

In other words no interest from nfl owners/ GM's. He's trying to bolt but no one wants him.

Edited January 5, 2016 by nando714

[nate]

Touche

[AngelsLongBall]

My guess is the only job Mora wanted was the Chargers and they kept McCoy...  Now the word is Mora has no interest in leaving.

 

There are a few EEs that are due to enroll tomorrow so the announcement could just be to convince them everything is good.  

PMS blowing smoke yesterday about him being the next LA Rams coach. 

[nate]

I think he wants to stay in So Cal because of his kids and his parents so I would think if any of the teams wanted him in So Cal he would probably bolt.  I don't know why any NFL team would want him at this point though.

[Tank]

PMS blowing smoke yesterday about him being the next LA Rams coach. 

 

the next rams coach has pms? what?

[nate]

Mazzones headed to aTm.  Hallelujah!!!

[nando714]

Mazzones headed to aTm. Hallelujah!!!

J-Chosen for qb/qb coach/oc

[nate]

Lol.

I wonder if KP might get promoted

[nate]

It is happening...

 

UCLA's top choice for OC - Lane Kiffin.

 

They will also try to interview Pep Hamilton and consider a Co-OC of Kennedy Pola and Marquise Tui.

 

Edit:  BRO has a different take

 

KENNEDY POLAMALU | UCLA RUNNING BACKS COACH | AGE 52

 

Kennedy Polamalu

 BIO: Kennedy Polamalu, who has been with the Bruins for two seasons, has established himself through the college and pro ranks largely as one of the premier running backs coaches in the country. He was previously the offensive coordinator for USC from 2010 to 2012, though that stint came under an offensive head coach in Lane Kiffin who likely took a good portion of the play-calling duties on his shoulders. Polamalu handled much of the game planning and preparation leading into the Nebraska game this season for the Bruins..

 

WHY POLAMALU IS A CANDIDATE   Polamalu might be the most universally well-respected assistant coach on the UCLA staff. He is a very experienced assistant, with over 20 years of coaching experience, and certainly has the respect of virtually every player on the UCLA team. At different points this year, he coached running backs, offensive line, special teams, and was essentially the offensive coordinator heading into the bowl game, so he's not the typical position coach who lacks versatility outside of his area of expertise.

 

MARQUES TUIASOSOPO | USC ASSISTANT COACH | AGE 36

 

Marques Tuiasosopo

 BIO: Marques Tuiasosopo was a UCLA assistant coach under Jim Mora during Mora's first year in Westwood and then joined Steve Sarkisian's staff in Washington as the quarterbacks coach for the 2013 season. When Sark took the USC job in 2014, Tuiasosopo came with him, and he's currently an assistant coach under Clay Helton at USC. Tuiasosopo, obviously, was a star quarterback in his college days and went on to play 8 years in the NFL.

 

WHY TUIASOSOPO IS A CANDIDATE   When Tuiasosopo was at UCLA, the thinking was that he was being groomed to be Noel Mazzone's successor at offensive coordinator, particularly if Mazzone left for another opportunity after a year or two. Many we've spoken to have great respect for Tuiasosopo's football acumen, and he would have instant credibility with Josh Rosen by virtue of his impressive background. Tuiasosopo has coached both quarterbacks and tight ends now, and has also developed a reputation as an excellent recruiter. We could also absolutely see a scenario where Tuiasosopo and Polamalu split the OC duties, with Tuiasosopo taking the quarterbacks job.

 

RIP SCHERER | UCLA ASSISTANT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR | AGE 63

 

Rip Scherer

 BIO: Rip Scherer, the current UCLA assistant athletic director for football, is a longtime college and NFL coach, with stints as an offensive coordinator stretching all the way back to the early 1980s with Georgia Tech. He has been an offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech, Alabama, Arizona, Southern Miss, and Kansas, as well as the head coach at Memphis and James Madison. He also has a good deal of experience as a quarterbacks coach going all the way back to the 1970s. He was most recently an assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach for Colorado in 2011 and 2012.

 

WHY SCHERER IS A CANDIDATE   Scherer is respected in coaching circles for his football acumen, and he has been around the program for a few years now, which has given him real familiarity with the other coaches and the personnel on the team. He has a great deal of experience as both an offensive coordinator and as a quarterbacks coach, which would, again, allow UCLA to hire another coach to be a full-time special teams coach or some other position on staff. We've heard Scherer would like to get back into full-time coaching after spending the last two years as an administrator. Even if not as OC, keep an eye on Rip for the quarterbacks job.

 

LANE KIFFIN | ALABAMA OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR | AGE 40

 

Lane Kiffin

 BIO: Lane Kiffin, the current Alabama offensive coordinator, should be very familiar to UCLA fans. Kiffin spent two years as the offensive coordinator at USC under Pete Carroll before head coaching stints at Oakland and Tennessee. He went back to USC as the head coach from 2010 to 2013, before being fired on the LAX tarmac after a disastrous trip to Arizona State. Kiffin was a college quarterback, and is thought to be a good offensive mind, if not the world's best head coach.

 

WHY KIFFIN IS A CANDIDATE   Back in 2013, when asked about Kiffin following Kiffin's firing at USC, Jim Mora said he could absolutely foresee hiring Kiffin if the situation were right. Mora and Kiffin, by all accounts, were somewhat friendly, and have known each other for some time. For Kiffin, it might make some degree of sense to return to Los Angeles, where he first really began his professional career. He is still coaching right now, though, as Alabama is in the midst of the College Football Playoffs, but his stock has certainly risen thanks to an excellent offensive showing against Michigan State last week. It will likely be somewhat difficult to pry him from Alabama, though, given that Kiffin is likely going to be a head coach again sooner rather than later.

 

GREG KNAPP | DENVER BRONCOS QB COACH | AGE 52

 

Greg Knapp

 BIO: Greg Knapp, who is actually a Southern California native, is a well-traveled offensive coordinator with 10 years of experience as an NFL offensive coordinator, with additional experience as a quarterback position coach. He coached in college at Sacramento State, but his last 20 years of coaching experience have come in the NFL. He was Jim Mora's offensive coordinator during Mora's tenure in Atlanta as the head coach of the Falcons.

 

WHY KNAPP IS A CANDIDATE   We haven't heard Knapp's name mentioned yet, but it makes sense for him to be considered. Knapp is very much a known quantity for Jim Mora, with the two having worked together extensively in the past, both with the Falcons and prior to that with the 49ers. Knapp also has experience as a quarterbacks coach, which would mean that he could probably handle both the offensive coordinator and quarterback coaching duties, freeing up another spot on the coaching staff for a dedicated special teams coach or a tight ends coach. 

 

PEP HAMILTON | FORMER INDIANAPOLIS COLTS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR | AGE 41

 

Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports

 BIO: Pep Hamilton was fired by the Indianapolis Colts in November of this season after an ineffective start to the season offensively. He was the OC for three years in Indianapolis, and prior to that was the offensive coordinator for Stanford in 2011 and 2012. He is a former college quarterback and has extensive experience mentoring that position at the college level. His last college pupil was Andrew Luck.

 

WHY HAMILTON IS A CANDIDATE   Again, we haven't heard Hamilton's name mentioned yet, but it makes sense logically so we're throwing him in the fray. He has NFL experience as both a position coach and coordinator, which should bring him credibility for Mora, and he helped to mentor Luck, which should bring him credibility with Josh Rosen. His offense at Stanford was very much a continuation of the offense run by Jim Harbaugh and David Shaw, so it remains to be seen what kind of additional stamp he'd put on an offense if given free rein. One can bet with his Stanford and NFL experience, though, it would look more like a traditional, pro-style offense.

Edited January 8, 2016 by nate

[mtangelsfan]

LMAO

[mtangelsfan]

I'm pretty sure I went to high school with Greg Knapp.

[nate]

That is cool.

 

The whole Kiffin idea scares the shit out of me, if Mora does bolt to the NFL next year, I could totally see Kiffin being the man that takes over as HC.

 

I doubt it happens though, Kiffin gets paid a ton at 'bama and has a chance to win a NC every year, why leave that?  Plus he fails up all the time, I am sure he will be the next president of the US or something.

[halobob]

Tui is my vote.  I don't see why Kiffin would leave Bama for the same position at UCLA so I'm not too worried about that.

[nate]

Now the rumors are that Pola OC, Tui QB Coach, Rip Scherer TE coach.

[Tank]

[nando714]

I'm a tui fan. He's cool.

[Hollyw00d]

Tuiasosopo

[nate]

KP is the new OC and Tui the new QB coach.

 

Rip Scherer is the new Tight Ends coach.  Sounds like Bruins are going to move to more of a pro style offense.  Makes sense with the personnel they have.

Edited January 10, 2016 by nate

[nate]

Tui is official.  Wonder if they will announce at half time of the basketball game tonight.