UCLA offense to See Change as Coordinator Tino Sunseri Departs
LOSโฃ ANGELES – UCLA willโข move in a new direction offensively, as coordinator Tino Sunseriโฃ is leaving his post, the team announced today.โข The moveโ comes amid a deeply struggling โคBruinsโฃ offense that โขcurrently ranks No.โค 132 out of 134 major college teamsโฃ in scoring,โข averaging just โ14.2โฃ points per game.
Sunseri’s hiring last year was โคconsidered a notable acquisition, having previously served as co-offensive coordinator at โขIndiana, where the team averaged โข47.8 points per gameโ and reached the collegeโ Football Playoff. Though, UCLA’s offensiveโ output under his leadership has fallen โฃfar short of expectations, alsoโฃ averaging 321.2 yardsโฃ per game, ranking No. โ117 nationally. The team has โconsistently fallen behind early in games, trailingโค 20-0 against Utah, 23-0โข against Nevada Las Vegas, 14-0 โagainst New โคMexico, and 17-0 against Northwestern.
Quarterback โNico Iamaleava has completed a career-high 65.3% of his passes, but is averaging onlyโข 197 passing yards per game with three interceptions to โขfour touchdowns, resulting in โaโ career-low quarterback rating.
UCLA is โplanning to promote current tight ends coach โBrennan Neuheisel to offensive playcaller. โFormer UCLA offensive โคcoordinator Noel Mazzone is anticipatedโข to join the staff asโฃ an analyst, pending university โapproval.โค Neuheisel and Mazzoneโฃ have a long-standing relationship; Mazzone hired Neuheisel as a quality control assistant atโ Texas โA&M in 2017, famouslyโ stating, “Your coming with me, I โฃdon’tโข care what youโฃ say.” Neuheisel then joined the Aggies staff.
Mazzone previously served as UCLA’s offensive coordinator โขfrom 2012โฃ to 2015โฃ under โJim Mora, generating dynamic โขoffenses. He has also held โคoffensive coordinator positions atโค Texas A&M and Arizona, โขas well as with three teamsโ inโฃ the United โStatesโข Football leagueโข and โUnitedโ Football League. Mazzone, 68, is known for his no-huddle, simplified offensive schemes tailored to hisโค personnel, especially the quarterback. โ”I try to create โspace for playmakers,” Mazzone โคsaid in 2012. “I’m going to get you the ball โขwhere all you’ve โgotโฃ to do is beat one guy man-to-man. I โคdo that, then it’s up to you.”
Neuheisel, โaโ UCLA alumnus andโ the son โคof former Bruins coach Terry Neuheisel, has been with the program since 2018, โholding positions as a graduate assistant, wide receiversโข coach, and tight โends coach.โ He is โฃknown โfor leading postgame locker room celebrations withโข the chant, โข”It’s โขaโค great dayโ to be a โขBruin!” Neuheisel has expressed โhis long-termโข ambition to become UCLA’s head coach, stating in 2016, โฃ”Iโค didn’t get to put roses on my shoulder as a playerโฆbut โI’m โฃgoing toโ come back and put the roses onโ the players as a coach.”