Life as UCLA’s interim football coach is ever-changing and never boring.
Tim Skipper has coached only one game overseeing the Bruins, and yet finds himself with a new defensive and offensive play-caller just two and a half weeks after settling into his Wasserman Football Center office.
“When there’s an interim coach, I mean, it’s not like everything’s just going great, right?” Skipper said Wednesday. “So you have to adapt and overcome.”
Wednesday was another day of adjustment, with tight ends coach Jerry Neuheisel – who swiftly took over offensive play-calling duties after offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri and the Bruins mutually parted ways Tuesday night – doing it all on the Drake Stadium practice field to help prepare UCLA (0-4) for its Saturday meeting with No. 7 Penn State.
Just Tuesday, tight end Hudson Habermehl spoke of how Sunseri’s consistency and enthusiasm encouraged him to keep driving despite the team’s winless start. Habermehl’s position coach now replaces Sunseri in respect to offensive strategy.
Neuheisel, the former backup quarterback who once took UCLA to lofty heights in 2014 in leading the Bruins past Texas in Arlington at Jerry’s World, is now the Jerry in control of the playbook. The Bruins’ longest-tenured coach – with seven consecutive years (eight total) on staff – covered his wide receivers as if he was the defensive back Wednesday morning, mimicked taking carries from his quarterbacks and kept enthusiasm at a high during his first practice leading the offense.
Skipper said Neuheisel, the son of former UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel, would take over coaching quarterbacks from Sunseri, and numerous coaches would step in to help coach tight ends going forward.
The Bruins’ interim coach said it was his decision to make Jerry Neuheisel the offensive play-caller going forward.
“I think him being a coach’s kid, he’s dealt with stuff from the other side as a kid,” Skipper said. “So I think, man, all of the experiences from his life is going to pay off for right now, for all of us involved.”
The Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday night that UCLA would be bringing in former Bruins offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone as an offensive analyst to assist for the remainder of the season. Mazzone, who called plays for UCLA under former head coach Jim Mora from 2012-15, helped develop Bruins quarterbacks Josh Rosen and Brett Hundley during their years in Westwood.
“Yeah, that’s still being worked out, so I can’t really publicly talk about it,” Skipper said of Mazzone. But (it’s) definitely something that we’re trying to get worked out.”
Despite all of the personnel changes off the field, UCLA has remained unscathed in respect to the 30-day transfer portal window or redshirt status following the fourth game of the season.
As of Wednesday, all Bruins were accounted for, according to a UCLA football spokesperson.
Wide receiver Jadyn Marshall, who hasn’t played since Week 1, and defensive back Croix Stewart, who hasn’t played since Week 2, are the glaring absences from practice, however, after appearing and then disappearing from status reports this season.
Skipper said the duo, along with linebacker Ben Perry, are still on the roster.