By: Mike Huesmann
It appears that Chip Kelly is out the door and while I don’t frequently criticize these decisions, I think this is a poor decision by the UCLA administration and boosters. Chip has won 17 games over the past two years at a school that has been the little brother in LA for decades and hasn’t had a coach as consistent as him in years.
If you’re going to fire a guy who’s done as well as Chip you either are delusional about how good your situation is for a coach or you genuinely have a better candidate picked out. For UCLA’s sake, let’s hope it is the latter. This is not an easy place to win, but in many ways, it should be. Here are five options for the Bruins.
Jonathan Smith
Head Coach, Oregon State
Smith knows the West Coast. He played, assisted, and now is the head coach at Oregon State. That’s basically all the Beavers have going for them. They pay him a pittance, relatively speaking for a P5 head coach, at 2.4 million a year, they face conference and future insecurity, and they aren’t the attraction he may warrant.
UCLA would double his salary and offer a better recruiting base while allowing him to remain in a top conference. The job he is doing this year in the face of so much uncertainty is remarkable and makes him valuable to UCLA.
https://twitter.com/joebroback/status/1725159980372828427
Jedd Fisch
Head Coach, Arizona
A former UCLA assistant coach, Fisch has rebuilt the Wildcats in his short tenure. In 2021, he took over an abysmal Arizona team going 1-11 but has barely set a foot wrong since then. A much improved 5-7 last year has been followed by a team that is 7-3 so far this year and going bowling.
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Fisch appears to have found his QB in Noah Fifita, has multiple RBs contributing, and top-notch WRs in Teritoria McMillan and Jacob Cowing. That being said, the trenches are where Fisch has built from. Both OL and DL’s are much improved and setting the tone for the squad.
https://twitter.com/JustinESports/status/1724237137195737265
D’Anton Lynn
Defensive Coordinator, UCLA
If there’s any chance of an internal candidate, this is him. Lynn is seen as a young up-and-comer on the defensive side of the ball. In his first year with the Bruins, and college coaching, he is impressing people.
Having spent the last 8 seasons as an NFL assistant, the transition has gone well for him. He’s the son of former Chargers head coach Anthony. This spot is like Wisconsin was in with Jim Leonhard last year, if you don’t promote him you lose him, and that may be too much of a loss.
https://twitter.com/ScottDochterman/status/1724498197316514266
Ryan Grubb
Offensive Coordinator, Washington
Grubb has been Kalen DeBoer’s right-hand man since their days in NAIA and there’s no one he trusts more, especially to polish Michael Penix Jr. Stops at FCS power South Dakota State, (then) NAIA power Sioux Falls, Eastern Michigan, and Fresno State have all seen offensive increases and a dynamic output with Grubb in charge.
Last fall in his first year with the Huskies, his offense led the nation in passing yards and first downs per game. 2023 sees them undefeated and with Penix as a Heisman contender. A head coaching job almost certainly comes this offseason for Grubb.
https://twitter.com/B1GDawgEnergy/status/1725193976058396856
Bryan Harsin
Former Head Coach, Boise State and Auburn
Harsin was always a bad fit for the SEC and the Auburn boosters tried to run him out of town almost immediately. He was doomed to fail, partly because of himself and partly because of the culture. Before that, Harsin was a resounding success in his previous seven seasons at Boise, going 69-19 with a bowl game every year, except the Covid-shortened 2020 season.
His success there has been quickly forgotten in the wake of Auburn, but it shouldn’t be. He’ll coach again somewhere in the Pacific or Mountain time zone and probably do a good job. I don’t know if this is the one for him but he checks a lot of boxes. Sometimes the best ability is availability. We do know he is the betting favorite to return to Boise at this time, but UCLA would be a better job.
