LOS ANGELES -- UCLA head football coach Chip Kelly announced today the hiring of tight ends coach Derek Sage and offensive line coach Justin Frye. Each comes to Westwood after being associated with some of the most productive offenses in college football in recent years.
This past season, Sage served as the outside receivers coach at Washington State which ranked second in the nation in passing offense (366.8 yards per game) and led the Pac-12 in passing yards per game (366.8), touchdown passes (37) and total passing yards (4,769).
Prior to coming to the Pac-12, Sage served three seasons as the wide receivers coach at the University of Toledo. The Rockets ranked seventh in the NCAA in total offense (517.8 yards/game) in 2016. In his three seasons at Toledo, the Rockets combined for a 28-10 record, went to three bowl games and Sage mentored seven all-conference receivers, including first-team selection Cody Thompson who ranked 10th nationally with an average of 107.4 receiving yards per game in 2016.
Sage also served stints at Wyoming (2010-13) where he tutored four all-conference performers and with Coach Kelly at the University of New Hampshire from 2005-09. UNH earned bids to the FCS playoffs in each of his five seasons with the program, advancing to the quarterfinals in 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009. All-American David Ball set New Hampshire receiving records for career receptions (304) and career receiving yards (4,655). He also became the NCAA career leader in TD receptions with 58, breaking Jerry Rice's previous record of 51 at Mississippi Valley State.
Sage arrived at New Hampshire from the University of Nevada, where he had served as a graduate assistant in 2003-04. In 2002, he served as offensive line and tight ends coach at Moorpark College. Sage played tight end for Sacramento City College for two years (1998-99) and completed his college career at CSUN, where he earned two letters at tight end in 2000 and 2001.
Frye served as the run game coordinator/offensive line coach at Boston College the last five seasons where he helped to guide an offensive line that produced a Heisman Trophy finalist and the Atlantic Coast Conference's first Doak Walker Award recipient. Two of BC's running backs ranked among the nation's top 10 in rushing yards for a season during that stretch and the Eagles were listed among the top 25 rushing offenses in the nation in three of those seasons.
In 2013, Andre Williams became the 16th player in FBS history to rush for over 2,000 yards in the regular season and placed fourth in the Heisman voting after leading the nation in rushing yards (2,177). The running back led the nation in rushing yards in 2013 and finished his career with the fifth-highest total in NCAA FBS history while shattering nearly every school single-season record at Boston College. The Eagles rushing attack ranked 20th in the NCAA in yards per game average (212.5) which was a 121.5-yard increase over the previous season. Three of his linemen received all-conference recognition.
In his second season at BC, he mentored an offensive line unit that paved the way for Tyler Murphy to break the ACC single-season record for rushing yardage by a quarterback (1,184 yards). The team per game average of 254.7 rushing yards ranked 14th in the nation. Four linemen merited all-conference accolades and two, Ian Silberman and Andy Gallik, were selected in the 2015 NFL draft.
This past season, Boston College was listed 25th in the nation in rushing offense with a 220.4-yard per game average. Running back AJ Dillon was listed seventh in the nation in rushing yards (1,589), his per game average of 122.2 yards rated 12th-best in the country and he was tied for 19th nationally in rushing touchdowns (14). BC's offensive line unit allowed just 1.15 sacks per game to rank 13th nationally (tied) in that category.
Frye came to Boston College after working as offensive line coach at Temple University (2011-12). His unit blocked for the top rushing offense in the Big East as the Owls ran for 201.2 yards per game in 2012. All-Big East selection Montel Harris led the conference with a 105.4 rushing yards per game average. In 2011, the Owls set school records for most rushing yards and most rushing touchdowns in a season while ranking seventh in the nation in rushing offense (256.5 yards per game).
In 2009 and 2010, Frye served as a graduate assistant coach working with the offensive line at the University of Florida and helped mentor future NFL draft picks Maurkice Pouncey, Mike Pouncey, Marcus Gilbert and Maurice Hurt. Maurkice Pouncey won the 2009 Rimington Trophy as nation's most outstanding center.
Frye embarked on his coaching career at Indiana University, his alma mater, as a graduate assistant following a playing career as an offensive lineman for the Hoosiers from 2002-06.