The UCLA Bruins are just 2-4, but they’ve turned their season around since getting into Big Ten Conference play under interim head coach Tim Skipper and offensive play caller Jerry Neuheisel. UCLA football canned DeShaun Foster to begin the search for the new leader of the Bruin program, but perhaps the answer has been right in front of them this whole time.
Skipper, Neuheisel and Kevin Coyle took a lifeless 0-4 Bruin team and delivered back-to-back impressive wins against Penn State and Michigan State. The Spartans aren’t a very strong program and the Nittany Lions have fallen apart over the past month so it’ll be interesting to see how the Bruins look at home next week against Maryland, which has now dropped two games in a row after starting the season 4-0.
Outward or inward?
Should the Bruins look outward for their next head coach, who will likely bring in his own coordinators or roll with Skipper and Neuheisel? It’s still too early to make a definitive decision, but the university must be thrilled with the turnaround of this year’s team. If the Bruins’ are able to continue to compete at this level, then it’s certainly a compelling option.
Recruiting element
Neuheisel is already involved in recruiting for UCLA and has shown flashes of offensive brilliance over the past two weeks. Skipper doesn’t have a ton of head coaching experience but he has some and clearly has the respect of the locker room. How would the locker room react if Skipper and Neuheisel were pushed out and a new head coach struggled to uplift the Bruins’ program?
Bridge plan?
UCLA Wire’s Matt Zemek suggested perhaps a one-year bridge plan for the Bruins to keep Skipper and Neuheisel while raising their sights for the future.
“We’re not saying this is likely. We’re not saying or suggesting this is the best path for UCLA football to take. We are merely saying it’s not the worst thing UCLA could do, and that it deserves consideration: Tim Skipper and Jerry Neuheisel could be named coaches for 2026. They would not get long-term deals. They would get a full offseason to run and structure the program. The 2026 season would be their audition for the long-term, permanent jobs as coach and offensive coordinator. If they nail it, they get retained. If not, UCLA can then find its long-term coach for 2027. Let’s unpack this idea,” Zemek wrote.
Changing dynamics
There’s still plenty more to be seen from the Bruins in 2025 but keeping Skipper and Neuheisel is much more of an option than anyone could have foreseen just a couple weeks ago.
One thing remains clear
UCLA football still needs to fire Martin Jarmond and clear him out before hiring a new head coach. Even if it’s still Tim Skipper who is head coach in 2026, Jarmond cannot be allowed to stick around.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Does UCLA keep Tim Skipper and Jerry Neuheisel next season? It’s still to be determined
Reporting by Dylan McNeill, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
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