- UCLA and offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri mutually parted ways amid the team’s 0-4 start.
- Sunseri becomes the second coordinator to leave following coach DeShaun Foster’s dismissal.
- The Bruins have averaged just 14.2 points per game this season and rank among the worst teams offensively in college football.
After a rough start to the season that left UCLA’s offense near the bottom nationally, the Bruins and offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri agreed to part ways Tuesday evening, a university official confirmed to The Times.
The official requested anonymity since the decision has not yet been formally announced.
Sunseri is now the second coordinator to leave following head coach DeShaun Foster’s dismissal. Defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe also stepped down earlier this month in what was described as a mutual decision.
Tight ends coach Jerry Neuheisel will take over play-calling duties when UCLA (0-4 overall, 0-1 Big Ten) hosts No. 7 Penn State (3-1, 0-1) on Saturday at the Rose Bowl. The Bruins are also working on finalizing additional staff adjustments, with former UCLA offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone expected to join as an analyst once the necessary university processes are complete.
Neuheisel and Mazzone have a long history. Mazzone was UCLA’s offensive coordinator while Neuheisel served as a backup quarterback from 2012 to 2015. After a short pro stint in Japan, Neuheisel got his start in coaching at Texas A&M in 2017—thanks to Mazzone, who insisted he join his staff.
Sunseri’s hire had been viewed as a major win for UCLA, as he was co-offensive coordinator at Indiana last season when the Hoosiers averaged 47.8 points and reached the College Football Playoff. But in his first year with the Bruins, the offense has sputtered, averaging only 14.2 points per game (132nd out of 134 teams) and 321.2 yards (117th nationally). The unit has fallen behind early in every game, with deficits of 20-0 to Utah, 23-0 to UNLV, 14-0 to New Mexico, and 17-0 to Northwestern.
Quarterback play has also lagged. Despite Nico Iamaleava completing a career-best 65.3% of his passes, he’s averaging just 197 yards per game and has nearly as many interceptions (3) as touchdowns (4), leading to a career-low passer rating.
Mazzone, 68, is known for fast-paced, no-huddle offenses built on simplicity and adaptability, particularly geared to maximizing quarterbacks’ strengths. His past UCLA offenses under Jim Mora produced explosive numbers before he went on to lead units at Texas A&M, Arizona, and in the USFL/UFL.
For Neuheisel, a lifelong Bruin who once rallied UCLA to a comeback win over Texas in 2014, this new role is another step toward his ultimate dream: becoming head coach at his alma mater. Since joining the staff in 2018, he has worked his way up from graduate assistant to wide receivers coach, then tight ends coach. He’s also become a fan favorite for leading the team’s postgame locker-room chants: “It’s a great day to be a Bruin!”
Reflecting on his goals back in 2016, Neuheisel put it simply: “I didn’t get to put roses on my shoulder as a player, but I’m going to come back and put the roses on the players as a coach.”
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