The UCLA Bruins’ midseason turnaround is hard to ignore, with UCLA picking up two conference wins in a row over Penn State and Michigan State under interim head coach Tim Skipper.
Skipper, and new play callers Jerry Neuheisel and Kevin Coyle, have made the surprising case for the Bruins to forgo a head coaching search and keep their current coaching staff, which wasn’t even a consideration just a few weeks ago. The Southern California Football Roundtable voiced their opinions if UCLA should stick with their interim coaches long-term or follow through and hire a new head coach to lead the program.
Matt Zemek, Editor
It’s an idea which certainly is a lot more realistic than it was even one week ago. Backing up the Penn State win with another strong performance shows this coaching staff is doing something very right. Retention will become even more realistic if UCLA can at least be competitive with Indiana and/or Ohio State. That might show whether the Bruins should bring the band back for another run.
Adam Bradford, Trojans Wire
They should not pull the plug on such an idea now. But if the Bruins keep winning, it may be hard to say no. This may very well be decided based on how the Bruins fare against USC on November 29.
Dylan McNeill, UCLA Wire
It’s still too early to tell. That Penn State win looked real impressive when it happened but after seeing Northwestern beat the Nittany Lions, maybe Penn State was just on life support. Michigan State isn’t a world beater either. The returns on the Skipper/Neuheisel investment has been incredible but UCLA should let them prove themselves a few more times before coming to a final decision.
Micah Huff, Trojans Wire
This team buys into these two. Starting the season how the Bruins did and beating Penn State after Foster got fired is one of the biggest 360 chances I have seen. That does not happen unless you have the right guys on staff. Familiarity could lead to success and it at the very least is way better than the unknown.
Ryan Lorenz, UCLA Wire
They have won two games, so it’s a bit early to make a decision as big as that. UCLA can’t act off of emotions and they need to think about all of the possibilities. That being said, if the Bruins continue on this trajectory and continue to dominate Big Ten teams, then it should be an easy decision.
Ethan Inman, Trojans Wire
I like Tim Skipper a lot, even going back to his days at Fresno State. He always steps up for programs in a pinch and does the interim job with class. He seems approachable, kind, and like someone who will always have the support of the locker room. And of course, Jerry Neuheisel is arguably the best story of any coach on any staff in college football this season. I think UCLA will try to retain both on the staff somehow, but unless Skipper goes 5-1 or 6-0 to close out the season, I assume everyone in the building will want a more proven option at the Head Coach position. I’d anticipate Skipper not staying at UCLA if he’s just going to be an assistant and getting a head coaching job elsewhere, but I think it’s somewhat likely that Neuheisel sticks around as the offensive coordinator if the new HC is willing to give him a chance.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: SoCal Roundtable: Should UCLA keep Tim Skipper and Jerry Neuheisel as permanent coaches?
Reporting by Dylan McNeill, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
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