In a move that underscores the mounting pressures on the Bruins program, UCLA football and offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri have mutually parted ways just four games into the 2025 season. The announcement came on September 30, as the team grappled with an embarrassing 0-4 record. Sunseri, who arrived with high expectations after stints at Indiana and James Madison, now becomes the latest casualty in a rapid unraveling of the coaching staff.
Indeed, the departures have piled up quickly. Head coach DeShaun Foster was dismissed earlier in September following three straight losses, leaving interim duties to linebackers coach Tim Skipper. Defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe followed suit shortly after, exiting amid the turmoil. Now, with Sunseri's exit, tight ends coach Jerry Neuheisel steps up to handle play-calling, a promotion that feels more like a desperate patch than a strategic shift. UCLA's offense, under Sunseri, managed a dismal 14.2 points per game, ranking near the bottom of college football's scoring charts.
However, the roots of this instability trace back further. Sunseri was hired in December 2024 on a lucrative deal topping $1 million annually, including bonuses, as part of Foster's effort to overhaul the unit left by Chip Kelly's era. Yet, the results have been woeful—turnovers, stalled drives, and a quarterback room still adjusting to new faces like transfer Nico Iamaleava. Moreover, the program's recruiting gains in the offseason, landing a top-22 class for 2026, now seem overshadowed by on-field failures.
Skipper, in a brief presser, defended the changes as necessary for momentum, but skepticism lingers among fans and analysts. The Bruins face No. 6 Penn State this weekend at the Rose Bowl, a matchup that could expose these fractures even more. As UCLA assembles a search committee heavy on NFL execs to find a permanent leader, one can't help but wonder if deeper issues—like facility upgrades or Big Ten transitions—demand attention beyond just swapping coordinators.