UCLA Football Coaching Staff: Bruins Add Eric Yarber As WRs Coach, Sal Alosi As Strength Coac

The UCLA Bruins are going to change things up at certain positions as Jim Mora finalizes his new coaching staff. Two of them come at critical places where the program has been weak.

UCLA has gotten almost no production at the receiver position lately, and their passing game has been among the worst in the conference. Receivers have also dropped footballs and can't run proper routes, particularly hamstrung by the Pistol scheme the Bruins have run the past few seasons.

Enter Eric Yarber, who was most recently the wide receivers coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he helped develop Arrellious Benn and Mike Williams into solid players. Yarber is definitely an experienced guy who at least has the credentials to develop Bruins receivers into solid playmakers. Sal Alosi is also the new strength and conditioning coach, and he can help out the Bruins in trying to become a stronger and better team in the trenches.

Angus McClure and Inoke Breckterfield will also move around to different specialties next season.

To discuss Yarber and Alosi as UCLA football head coach, go to Bruins Nation.

2012 UCLA Football Coaching Staff: Jim Mora Names Noel Mazzone Offensive Coordinator, Jeff Ulbrich Special Teams/LB's Coach

Newly hired UCLA Bruins head coach Jim Mora Jr. is busy forming his coaching staff already, announcing on Twitter earlier on Friday the official hiring of Noel Mazzone as the next Bruins offensive coordinator, and Jeff Ulbrich as special teams coach and linebackers coach.

Per Jim Mora Jr. on Twitter:

Welcome Noel Mazzone (Offensive Coordinator) & Jeff Ulbrich (Special Teams/Linebackers) to the coaching staff!

— Jim Mora (@UCLACoachMora) January 6, 2012

Mazzone was previously the offensive coordinator at Arizona State, and has been coaching collegially and professionally since 1980. He's seen stops with Auburn, Ole Miss, Oregon State, and the New York Jets to name a few.

As for Ulbrich, the former San Francisco 49ers linebacker and current special teams assistant with the Seattle Seahawks, this will be only his second coaching job of his career as his playing carrer ending only a few years ago in 2009. He's been with the Seahawks since 2010.

For more on the Bruins, make sure to check out Bruins Nation.

UCLA Football Coaching Staff: Mike Johnson Won't Return, Noel Mazzone Agrees To Join Bruins As Offensive Coordinator

The UCLA Bruins football coaching staff under new coach Jim Mora is beginning to take shape, officially. However, one thing that seems clear is that current interim coach and offensive coordinator Mike Johnson won't be a part of that staff.

Johnson, who will coach the Bruins through the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl on December 31, spoke with Mora late last week. "You've got to see the writing on wall. They hire Noel Mazzone and make him the offensive coordinator, you got to see that," Johnson told Chris Foster of the Los Angeles Times. "Jim and I have been around a long time. He doesn't have to tell me, 'No you're not going to be part of the staff'."

Mazzone, who was the offensive coordinator at Arizona State, hasn't yet been officially added to the Bruins' staff, but Devils Digest reported on Sunday that Mazzone and UCLA had agreed to terms on a contract.

Johnson has been linked to the head coaching position at Akron, his alma mater, though that isn't his only coaching opportunity. "There's a couple things out there that I'm looking at, and probably some time next week I will now," Johnson said after practice on Saturday.

The staff we do know that will officially join Mora in Westwood are:

• Demetrice Martin, Passing Game Coordinator / Defensive Backs
• Adrian Klemm, Running Game Coordinator / Offensive Line
• Inoke Breckterfield, Defensive Line Coach (returning from 2011)
• Marques Tuiasosopo, Tight Ends Coach
• Steve Broussard, Running Backs Coach
  

Martin and Klemm are already helping Mora on the recruiting trail, while Breckterfield and Tuiasosopo are on the UCLA bowl coaching staff. Broussard, like Mazzone, will join UCLA from Arizona State after the Sun Devils' Las Vegas Bowl appearance on December 22.

For more UCLA football news and information, be sure to read Bruins Nation.

UCLA Football: Steve Broussard, Adrian Klemm Accept Assistant Coaching Positions Under Jim Mora, Per Reports

Various sources are reporting that Jim Mora has made a few key assistant coaching hires on Tuesday, recruiting Arizona State wide receiver's coach Steve Broussard and SMU's offensive line coach Adrian Klemm to his new staff at UCLA. Broussard will coach running backs and Klemm will retain offensive line coaching duties at his next job in addition to being the Run Game Coordinator.

Klemm is a three time Super Bowl Champion with the New England Patriots and was named the 2010 RIVALS, FoxSports & Scout.com Conference Recruiter of the year, and the National Non BCS Recruiter of the Year with SMU. 

Broussard too played in the NFL for the Falcons, Bengals and Seahawks, and has coached at Portland State, Washington State, and ASU. 

UCLA New Head Coach Jim Mora Jr. Speaks To Media

Jim Mora Jr. held his introductory press conference at UCLA today. It was his first day on the job, and he seemed anxious to get the ball rolling. The Q&A lasted fewer than 15 minutes, with a brief introductory statement and then a few questions from the crowd. Most of the concerned hinged on trying to figure out exactly what kind of coach the UCLA Bruins had just brought in. 

Mora began by stating his objective: 

"objective is simple. To make Bruin fans proud of their football team"

In what may have been a jab at his predecessor Rick Neuheisel and his campaign declaring the football monopoly in Los Angeles over, he said, "I don't want to stand up here today and make any bold predictions or make outlandish statements." He also conceded the fact that: 

"it's been a tough decade for UCLA football."

UCLA hasn't been awful over the last decade, going 56-57 with their last two coaches. However, that isn't meeting expectations in Los Angeles. Even in the 2005 10-2 season, they lost to USC and we're passed over for the Pac 10's #2 bowl bid, with the Holiday Bowl choosing Oregon and UCLA having to settle for the Sun Bowl. UCLA has only beaten USC once since the turn of the century. 

Still, Mora was high on UCLA football's prospects: 

"I say it's a sleeping giant in college football....I've always felt this was a program that you could build into a special place."

Of course, the first step in building a program is recruiting, and Mora was so excited about it he said he planned to start today. He admitted that "[recruiting] might be what he is most looking forward to the most." He was thrilled with the prospect of touching a young man's life, getting to have that impact. 

For more on Jim Mora, the Bruins, and why Powder Blue is the best shade of blue, visit Bruins Nation.

UCLA Football Coaches: Steve Broussard Joining Jim Mora's Staff From ASU, According To Reports

The UCLA Bruins fanbase may be a little wary about Jim Mora being their new head coach. But Mora might have found a pretty solid hire to start off his reign in Westwood.

Mora has gone to the well and picked up Steve Broussard from the Arizona St. Sun Devils according to Chris Foster of the Los Angeles Times. Broussard has been coaching for ASU for the past two years as their wide receivers coach, and has been perhaps one of their best recruiters, particularly in the Los Angeles region. Broussard gives Mora instant recruiting credentials inside his most critical hotbed for finding the best players in the region.

Broussard has denied the reports.

Broussard has coached in several locations, including Portland State from 2004-2006 and Washington State from 2007-2009 as running backs/special teams coach. If Mora wanted to make a hire that people respected, Broussard leaves a real good first impression.

To discuss the UCLA coaching hire of Broussard, head to Bruins Nation.

UCLA Bruins Officially Hire Jim L. Mora As Football Head Coach

The UCLA Bruins on Saturday made official their hire of Jim L. Mora as their new head football coach, replacing Rick Neuheisel. Mora will be formally introduced in a press conference next week.

"As someone who has been around the game of football my entire life, I have always held the UCLA job in the highest esteem," Mora said in a release. "Given its location and its tradition, UCLA is truly a sleeping giant and I realize that an opportunity of this magnitude doesn't present itself more than once in a career, so I jumped at the chance to be a Bruin."

Mora, 50, spent four years as a head coach in the NFL, compiling a 31-33 record in three seasons with the Atlanta Falcons and one year with the Seattle Seahawks. He was an analyst on NFL Network the last two seasons.

"I am proud to announce today that Jim Mora has accepted the position of head football coach at UCLA," said Bruins athletic director Dan Guerrero. "He has been a head coach at the game's highest level and has clearly demonstrated to me that he is hungry and eager to return to the sidelines."

UCLA Chancellor Gene Block added, "Jim is the kind of coach who understands that every player must succeed not only on the field but also in the classroom. Great athletic programs are made up of great leaders, great athletes and great minds. I can think of no better place for Jim Mora than UCLA, and no better coach for UCLA than Jim Mora."

For more on the Bruins check out Bruins Nation.

Jim Mora To UCLA: National Media Reacts, Views Hiring As A Failure

The UCLA Bruins have found their next head coach in Jim L. Mora in what was a surprising and unexpected hire. While Bruins fans let the hiring sink in over the next few days, the national and local media media are already weighing in on the move. Let's take a look at some of the reaction around Twitter and the message boards:

Stewart Mandel of Sports Illustrated:

Nice work, UCLA. I'm sure Mora will be the next Carroll and not Chan Gailey, Bill Callahan, Al Groh, Mike Sherman, Charlie Weis, et. al.

Some people seemed to miss the sarcasm in my Mora column. UCLA just made the 2nd-worst hire of the offseason. And I can't say I'm surprised.

Bryan Fischer of CBS Sports:

The problem with UCLA the past few years: defense and talent development. Mora hire really only addresses one and just sort of.

Bruins Nation also weighs in:

Jim Mora is no one's top choice. He was not wanted by anyone in college football. If the report dropped late late Friday night is true, he would be taking over a team with talent that should be able to win a weak PAC 12 South next season. We expect him to deliver if the choice has actually been made.

More telling is once again how Chianti Dan blew this chance. This was unlike pass searches; the money was there for a big name. However, we ended up with a guy who had never coached in college and had not been a head coach in years.

Needless to say, it sure does not seem like too many are happy with the hire. Now, Bruins fans have to simply sit and wait and see which direction the program heads in the coming years.

UCLA Bruins To Hire Jim L. Mora As Football Head Coach, According To Reports

After two weeks of searching, the UCLA Bruins found their next head football coach. The Bruins are set to hire former NFL head coach Jim L. Mora on Saturday, according to multiple reports. Mora last coached in 2009, his only season with the Seattle Seahawks after coaching the Atlanta Falcons from 2004 to 2006. Mora was 31-33 in his four seasons as an NFL head coach.

Mora, who has been an analyst on the NFL Network for the last two years, met with UCLA officials twice in the last two weeks per Chris Foster of the Los Angeles Times. As Foster pointed out, Mora is the first coach hired by the Bruins without UCLA ties since Red Foster in 1949.

The Bruins were 21-29 in four seasons under Rick Neuheisel, who as fired on November 28 after the Bruins lost 50-0 to the USC Trojans. Neuheisel coached UCLA in the inaugural Pac-12 Championship Game four days later, a game won by the Oregon Ducks 49-31. UCLA will play in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl on December 31 in San Francisco against the Illinois Fighting Illini, and will be coached on an interim basis by offensive coordinator Mike Johnson.

UCLA's first choice in their head coaching search was Chris Petersen of the Boise St. Broncos, but he decided to stay in Idaho. The Bruins had also expressed interest in Al Golden of the Miami Hurricanes and Kevin Sumlin of the Houston Cougars before deciding on Mora.

Jim Mora Sr., also a longtime NFL head coach, was a UCLA assistant coach in 1974.

For more on the Bruins check out Bruins Nation.

UCLA Football Coaching Search: Bruins Interested in Steve Sarkisian?

According to the Los Angeles Times the UCLA Bruins football program is interested in current Washington Huskies head coach Steve Sarkisian for the same position, though would likely be a very long shot to get him.

Washington football Coach Steve Sarkisian, a former assistant coach at USC, has been approached by UCLA, according to people familiar with the situation who are not authorized to speak publicly on the subject.

Sarkisian signed a contract extension back in January with Washington that paid him $2.25 million for the 2011 season and would up rise to $2.85 by 2015. The deal also has $2.5-million buyout if Sarkisian left during the first two years of the contract that the Huskies would have to fork over as well.

UCLA likely doesn’t have the money or infrastructure to draw him away from Washington, especially with a $250 million renovation of UW’s football stadium and facilities in the works.

For more on the Bruins check out Bruins Nation.

UCLA Football Coaching Search: Jim Mora Targeted, Al Golden Not Interested

The UCLA Bruins football team are still looking for a head coach.

According to Chris Foster of the Los Angeles Times, Miami Hurricanes head coach Al Golden was one of the main targets of the UCLA coaching search, but it didn't work out so well. Golden has already been locked in with the U to be their head coach for almost the rest of the decade, and he really didn't want to be the guy for the Bruins.

So who's next on the agenda for the Bruins? Apparently, former NFL head coach Jim Mora.

Mora has struggled in the pros, going 31-33 in the league. After an 11-5 season in his first year with the Atlanta Falcons, he didn't manage another winning season his next three years in the league with the Falcons and the Seahawks. Interestingly for UCLA fans, Mora was replaced by former USC head coach Pete Carroll.

It's hard to see whether the Bruin faithful would be excited about this hire.

To discuss the thought of Mora being UCLA football head coach and Golden not leading the Bruins, head to Bruins Nation.

UCLA Head Coach Search: Al Golden, Kevin Sumlin Latest Targets

In the wake of Rick Neuheisel's firing earlier this week, the UCLA Bruins are already hard at work attempting to find and secure a new head coach to head up their football program.

The latest news in the head coach search is that Miami's Al Golden and Houston's Kevin Sumlin were UCLA's main targets on Saturday, reports Chris Foster of the Los Angeles Times. UCLA's first choice for a new head coach, Chris Petersen, opted to remain at Boise State.

Athletic Director Dan Guerrero flew to Houston on Saturday to personally meet with Sumlin, who is currently the subject of a great many head coach rumors. The Cougars coach was also pursued by ASU before they proved to be well out of the running. Houston is trying to lock up Sumlin with an extension amid rumors swirling that he is on the verge of signing on with Texas A&M.

Golden, the current head coach of the Miami Hurricanes, previously interviewed with UCLA for the job in 2007. He recently signed an extension that runs through 2019, but Foster reports he may be interested in seeking employment elsewhere since Miami's athletic program is under NCAA investigation. The official word is that there have been no talks with Golden, but sources indicate inquiries have been made.

To keep up to date with all UCLA news and information, please visit Bruins Nation.

Chris Petersen Reportedly Turns Down Four Million Dollars To Coach At UCLA

Chris Petersen must really, really love Boise State University. Despite not playing in a BCS conference and being located in one of the more remote areas of the country, Petersen has continually turned down coaching gigs from bigger schools with deep pockets. After a few rumors suggesting he was considering a move to Los Angeles to coach the UCLA Bruins, they were quickly shot down by multiple sources.

We all knew the Bruins were interested in bringing Petersen to town, but no one knew they were this serious. According to the LA Times, the program was preparing to offer the head coach $4 million dollars a season, as well as providing $3 million to fill out his coaching staff.

Boise State Coach Chris Petersen is no longer a candidate for the UCLA football job, according to a person familiar with the situation who was not authorized to speak on the subject. Petersen had been target by UCLA officials after Rick Neuheisel was fired as the Bruins coach Monday.

UCLA offered Petersen a contract that would have paid him nearly $4-million per season, plus nearly $3 million for assistant coaches. Petersen, who has a 71-6 record at Boise State, decided to remain at Boise State because of lifestyle reasons. He has turned down other universities in the past, including a $3-million offer from Stanford last year, for the same reasons.

That's a whole lot of money to turn down. Petersen must really love the city of Boise (or the color blue), which isn't a bad thing at all. With today's wacky world of college coaches always jumping ship for what may seem like a better job, Petersen has stayed true to the Broncos.

UCLA will continue their coaching search and it will likely pick up once the Pac-12 conference championship wraps up. For more on the search, check out Bruins Nation.

Chris Petersen To UCLA? Not So Fast

Boise State Hires Mark Coyle As New AD, Could Affect UCLA Pursuit Of Chris Petersen

The UCLA Bruins have been interested in Chris Petersen of the Boise State Broncos for their soon-to-be vacant football head coaching position. However, there was a wrinkle in those plans on Thursday as Boise State announced the hiring of new athletic director Mark Coyle, who made his priorities clear.

"My number one goal is to keep Chris Petersen at Boise State University," Coyle said during his introductory press conference.

Coyle, 43, had been with the University of Kentucky since 2005 and is reportedly a friend of Petersen. This turn of events hasn't made the folks at Bruins Nation happy, as they feel UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero has "put all his eggs in one basket":

Regardless of whether UCLA hires Chris Petersen or not, it is clear that Dan Guerrero is not capable of leading a multimillion dollar athletic department. He is failing at basic negotiation, setting UCLA for a failed offseason. We are bringing a knife to a gunfight, and unfortunately Guerrero doesn't even have sharp edges.

Petersen still hasn't denied any rumors of feeling to Los Angeles, so it can't be ruled out just yet. It appears he still has a decision to make, and the Bruins are willing to wait to see if he says yes.

To discuss UCLA football, head to Bruins Nation.

Chris Peterson To UCLA: One Bronco Nation Investigates

With the success that the Boise State Broncos have had over the last several seasons it no wonder that coach Chris Petersen has not gotten more attention. With the UCLA Bruins announcing their intent to go after Petersen int he offseason it is no wonder that Boise fans are a little nervous. SB Nation's One Bronco Nation wrote about the situation on Tuesday:

To get things started, the UCLA Bruins are reportedly interested in hiring Petersen to replace Rick Neuheisel, like, yesterday, and to prove how serious they are, Bruin athletic director Dan Guerrero will be traveling to Boise with pockets full of cash to woo Coach Pete away. 

We are currently at Threat Level Fat Chance.

One Bronco Nation does not seem to think there is much of a chance that Petersen will end up in Los Angeles. They cite that he was not very interested the last time the UCLA job came open, and they don't think much else has changed.

Chris Petersen, UCLA Football Head Coaching Candidate

The UCLA Bruins football program is ready to move on from the Rick Neuheisel era. Their main target is a popular one every season when college football head coach vacancies open up. According to Chris Foster of the Los Angeles Times, UCLA is targeting Chris Petersen, the long-term successful head coach of the Boise St. Broncos.

People close to the UCLA program said Boise State's Petersen is atop the Bruins' wish list and Guerrero was expected to soon head to Idaho packing an offer that would pay more than $3 million per season.

Plans to renovate the Bruins' practice facility and a commitment of about $2 million for assistant coaches are expected to be part of the package.

Petersen has a long track record of success at Boise, but has turned down previous offers to coach at bigger programs. It'd be interesting if Petersen was targeted and took the offer this time around. You'd have to figure he has to be tired of having to play at a mid-major where perfection is demanded. Boise has two one-loss seasons and is probably making consecutive bowl trips to the Poinsettia Bowl.

Additionally, past coaches who have left Boise (Dirk Koetter, Dan Hawkins) have had minimal success elsewhere at big programs. It'd be a pretty big risk for Petersen to leave Boise, because the program seems pretty set to win for years to come.

To discuss UCLA football, head to Bruins Nation.