Chip Kelly chose a pretty awkward time to up and leave UCLA to become the new offensive coordinator for the Ohio State Buckeyes. It’s now February and every other coaching vacancy in Division I football has been filled by now.
But UCLA’s loss could be someone else’s gain and with the Bruins moving to the Big Ten, the job has plenty of appeal for a coach looking to get a big-time pay raise.
So what are some of the options for a head coach the UCLA Bruins can hire on such short notice, with so many other jobs and top candidates long-since hired by other teams?
Here are three that could potentially step up in short order and become the next head coach of the UCLA Bruins:
Brian Norwood – UCLA Assistant Head Coach/Passing Game Coordinator/Defensive Backs Coach
Perhaps the top option from among the internal options at UCLA, Norwood boasts over 30 years of coaching experience and has learned under some of the smartest minds in football, including Mike Leach, Joe Paterno, Art Briles and Bill Snyder.
If the Bruins want to go with someone who can serve as an interim head coach for the 2024 season and potentially earn the full-time job the way that David Braun did at Northwestern this past year, Norwood is probably the man for them.
Jimbo Fisher – Former Texas A&M Head Coach
After thriving at Florida State and flopping at Texas A&M, Jimbo Fisher could easily rest on his laurels – and his $77 million buyout – for the rest of his career. But if he’s looking for another high-profile job where the competition will be fierce while the expectations are slightly more tempered than they were in College Station, UCLA might be as good a school as any to jump into.
Fisher went 83-23 and won a national title with the Seminoles and a respectable if underwhelming 45-25 with the Aggies.
But the Bruins would have to shell out a ton of cash to convince Fisher to leave the comfort of home this late in the game.
Pat Fitzgerald – Former Northwestern Head Coach
If there’s one person who could be perfect for the UCLA job, it’s someone who has decades of Big Ten coaching experience, has a reputation for being a culture changer and overachieving. Pat Fitzgerald ticks off all of those boxes.
In 17 seasons at Northwestern, Fitzgerald went 110-101 with 10 bowl game appearances, two Big Ten Championship Game trips and five top 25 finishes, including a No. 10 overall finish in 2020.
Fitzgerald might be a tough sell though given the circumstances that led to his ousting from Northwestern. But if the Bruins are content to give Fitzgerald a shot regardless, Fitzgerald might be eager to take the job and get a chance to play against his former team somewhere down the line.
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Who do you think will be the next head coach of the Bruins?