The Search Continues: Potential Candidates to Leadโฃ UCLA Football
Following the recent coachingโฃ change, UCLA is embarking onโ a searchโ for โขits next โขhead football coach. Several candidates with varying levels ofโ experience and ties to โthe program โฃhave emerged as potential contenders. Here’s โขa look at seven individuals who could be in the mix:
Kyle Whittingham, Utah Utes Head Coach
Whittingham has demonstrated consistent success during his tenure at โคUtah, โbuilding a program known for its toughness and defensive prowess. Throughโ threeโ games this season, the Utes boast an notable โaverage of 8.3 yards per play, ranking third nationally, and secured a dominant 69-3 victory over Oklahoma State in Week 2.
D’Anton โLynn, UCLA Defensive Coordinator (Interim)
Lynn, 35, is the youngest potential candidate and would be the youngest head coach in UCLA history since Terry Donahue, who was 31 when appointed. While possessing only three years of coordinator experience, some observers suggest his profile might be similar to the previous hire.
Tony White, florida State Defensive Coordinator
Considered a strong candidate, White was previously interviewed for theโฃ UCLA position during the cycle thatโ resulted in the โคhiring of the current coach.A UCLA alumnus,Whiteโ played for the Bruins fromโ 1997 to 2000,starting in his final three seasons and serving as team captain in 2000.He also served as a โgraduate assistant at UCLA in 2007. White has extensive defensive coordinator experienceโข at Arizona State, Syracuse, Nebraska, and currently at Florida State, where the โคSeminoles have startedโ the season 2-0, including a 31-17 win over Alabama.
Brent brennan, Arizona Head Coach
Like White, Brennan is a โformer UCLA โขBruin. Unlike White, he already has head coaching experience, having served as the head coach at San Jose State from 2017โฃ to 2023, compiling โa 34-48 record and leading theโ Spartans to thier first outright conference title inโค 2020 with a 7-1 record. Despite a โค4-8 record inโข his first season at Arizona,Brennan could be aโ candidate depending on the program’s performance in the 2025 season.
Clark Lea, Vanderbilt Head Coach
Lea has strong ties to UCLA, beginning his โฃcoaching career as โคa graduate assistant underโ Karl dorrell โin 2007โข and returning under Rick Neuheisel in the same role before becoming linebackers coach from 2010 โฃto 2011. He has demonstrated success at Vanderbilt, improving the program’s โrecord โคfrom a 9-27 start to a 10-6 run. While he recently signed a contract extension and played college football โat Vanderbilt, his UCLA roots could be a factor.
Brennan Marion, Sacramento State Head Coach
Marion is a rising starโข in the coaching world, โขhaving significantly improved UNLV’s offense during his twoโ years asโข offensive coordinator, leading to a team that ranked 14th nationallyโ with 36.2 points per game in 2024. While considered an unlikely candidate forโฃ this โขcycle, โฃhisโ potential is noteworthy.
Other Potential names: The search may alsoโฃ include consideration of Washington head coach Jedd โขFisch, Minnesota head coach PJ Fleck, Georgia defensive coordinator Glennโ Schumann, and UNLV head coach Dan Mullen.
Thisโฃ article was originally published on September 15, 2025, atโค 3:05 PM PDT.