Football
Jerry Neuheisel
- Title:
- Assistant Coach, Tight Ends
Jerry Neuheisel completed his eighth season of coaching at UCLA in 2025. This past season was one of expanded responsibility for Neuheisel. He was promoted to assistant head coach in December 2024 before taking on offensive playcalling duties midway though the Bruins' campaign.ย
Neuheisel, a former quarterback for the Bruins, has coached the Bruins' tight ends over the last two seasons. Prior to that, he spent three years apiece as UCLA's wide receivers coach and as a graduate assistant.
Neuheisel's ascension to offensive playcaller coincided with an immediate turnaround for the Bruins after an 0-4 start to the season. In his first game as playcaller, Neuheisel helped the Bruins to a 42-37 victory over then-No. 7 Penn State at the Rose Bowl on Oct. 4, marking the programโs first victory over an AP top-10 opponent since 2010 and the first time since 1985ย that an 0-4 or worse team defeated a top-10 opponent. In addition, UCLA's season-high 42 points were the Bruins most since the 2023 season.
The victory over the Nittany Lions sparked a three-game winning streak over Big Ten opponents that garnered national headlines for UCLA.ย The next week, UCLA defeated Michigan State on the road, 38-13, for its largest margin of victory since the 2023 season. The streak was bookended by a 20-17 victory over Maryland that featured a game-winning drive in the gameโs final 35 seconds.
Over that winning streak, UCLA averaged 422 yards of total offense, 33 points, and a 50-percent third-down conversion percentage, all which represented marked improvements from the prior four games. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava (AP National Player of the Week after Penn State win), offensive lineman Garrett DiGiorgio (All-Big Ten honorable mention), running back Jalen Berger (UCLA Student-Athlete of the Week after Michigan State win), and running back Anthony Frias II (UCLA Student-Athlete of the Week after Maryland win) all had notable performances under Neuheisel.
Moliki Matavao starred in 2024 under Neuheiselโs tutelage, leading the Bruins in receptions (41) and receiving yards (506). The senior twice eclipsed 100 yards through the air, helping his team to wins in both games. Matavao was presented the Jackie R. Robinson Award for athletic and academic balance at UCLAโs year-end banquet.
It was wide receiver Logan Loya who broke out on Neuheiselโs watch in 2023, reeling in 59 passes for 655 yards and five touchdowns โ all team highs. J.Michael Sturdivant led all Bruin wide receivers with a yards-per-catch average of 16.6, tacking on four receiving scores of his own.
UCLAโs 2022 offense put up more than 500 yards per game for the first time in school history, with Jake Bobo pacing Neuheiselโs room. The Duke transferโs 57 catches and career highs of 817 receiving yards and seven touchdown grabs were tops on a team that saw five wideouts set career bests for receptions. Bobo also shined off the field, earning first-team Academic All-Americaยฎ recognition from CSC โ a feat that had not been accomplished by a Bruin in 15 years.
Neuheisel in 2021 made 247Sportsโ 30Under30 list as one of the nationโs top young coaches. In Neuheiselโs first season as wide receivers coach and fourth on staff, Kyle Philips led the Pac-12 with 10 touchdowns through the air. Philipsโ run, which began when Neuheisel returned to Westwood, finished with the wideout sitting at fourth on UCLAโs all-time catch list with 163. Philips contributed to the Bruinsโ conference-leading 18 receiving scores during the shortened 2020 campaign, which was also quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinsonโs first of three straight with a passing efficiency rating of at least 153.94. That squad's total-offense output of 455.0 yards per game was second in the Pac-12 and marked an improvement of nearly 50 yards per game from 2019.
Neuheisel started his coaching career at Texas A&M, where he was as an offensive quality control coach alongside offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone and helped then-freshmen signal callers Kellen Mond and Nick Starkel put on record-setting displays in 2017. In just his third career game, Mond became the first true freshman in program history to throw for 300 yards in a contest when he did so in a home win versus Louisiana. Starkel would go on to shatter the Aggies' freshman records for completions (42), passing attempts (63) and passing yards (499) in a Belk Bowl shootout with Wake Forest. His 499 single-game passing yards are the second-highest total in program history.
A graduate of Loyola High School in Los Angeles, Neuheisel earned UCLA's Charles Pike Memorial Award as the most outstanding scout-team player on offense after the 2012 season, his first in the program. He registered his initial game experience in 2013 as the Bruins' backup quarterback and holder.
On Sept. 13, 2014, in relief of injured starter Brett Hundley, Neuheisel led UCLA to a comeback 20-17 win against Texas at AT&T Stadium in Dallas. Neuheisel completed 23 of 30 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns, including the 33-yard game winner to Jordan Payton with three minutes left, against the Longhorns. Neuheisel was named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week for his performance.
Neuheisel, a nine-time UCLA Athletic Director's Honor Roll member and four-year Pac-12 All-Academic honoree, continued his football career abroad. He led the Obic Seagulls of the Japanese X League to the Japan X Bowl in 2016, completing 67.5% of his passing attempts for 1,456 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Neuheisel was married to his wife, Nicole, in the summer of 2020. He was born to UCLA graduates Susan and Rick at UCLA Medical Center. Rick Neuheisel played quarterback for the Bruins from 1981-83 before embarking on a coaching career at his alma mater in 1986. Stints as a graduate assistant, quarterbacks coach and wide receivers coach preceded his first head-coaching job at Colorado, where he guided the Buffaloes from 1995-98. He also served at the helm of the Washington football program (1999-2002) before returning to UCLA as head coach from 2008-2011.
NEUHEISELโS COACHING EXPERIENCE
2017 โ Quality Control (Offense) โ Texas A&M
2018-2020 โ Graduate Assistant, UCLA
2021-23 โ Wide Receivers Coach, UCLA
2024 โ Tight Ends Coach, UCLA
2025 โ Assistant Head Coach/Tight Ends Coach, UCLA (Offensive Playcaller)
Neuheisel, a former quarterback for the Bruins, has coached the Bruins' tight ends over the last two seasons. Prior to that, he spent three years apiece as UCLA's wide receivers coach and as a graduate assistant.
Neuheisel's ascension to offensive playcaller coincided with an immediate turnaround for the Bruins after an 0-4 start to the season. In his first game as playcaller, Neuheisel helped the Bruins to a 42-37 victory over then-No. 7 Penn State at the Rose Bowl on Oct. 4, marking the programโs first victory over an AP top-10 opponent since 2010 and the first time since 1985ย that an 0-4 or worse team defeated a top-10 opponent. In addition, UCLA's season-high 42 points were the Bruins most since the 2023 season.
The victory over the Nittany Lions sparked a three-game winning streak over Big Ten opponents that garnered national headlines for UCLA.ย The next week, UCLA defeated Michigan State on the road, 38-13, for its largest margin of victory since the 2023 season. The streak was bookended by a 20-17 victory over Maryland that featured a game-winning drive in the gameโs final 35 seconds.
Over that winning streak, UCLA averaged 422 yards of total offense, 33 points, and a 50-percent third-down conversion percentage, all which represented marked improvements from the prior four games. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava (AP National Player of the Week after Penn State win), offensive lineman Garrett DiGiorgio (All-Big Ten honorable mention), running back Jalen Berger (UCLA Student-Athlete of the Week after Michigan State win), and running back Anthony Frias II (UCLA Student-Athlete of the Week after Maryland win) all had notable performances under Neuheisel.
Moliki Matavao starred in 2024 under Neuheiselโs tutelage, leading the Bruins in receptions (41) and receiving yards (506). The senior twice eclipsed 100 yards through the air, helping his team to wins in both games. Matavao was presented the Jackie R. Robinson Award for athletic and academic balance at UCLAโs year-end banquet.
It was wide receiver Logan Loya who broke out on Neuheiselโs watch in 2023, reeling in 59 passes for 655 yards and five touchdowns โ all team highs. J.Michael Sturdivant led all Bruin wide receivers with a yards-per-catch average of 16.6, tacking on four receiving scores of his own.
UCLAโs 2022 offense put up more than 500 yards per game for the first time in school history, with Jake Bobo pacing Neuheiselโs room. The Duke transferโs 57 catches and career highs of 817 receiving yards and seven touchdown grabs were tops on a team that saw five wideouts set career bests for receptions. Bobo also shined off the field, earning first-team Academic All-Americaยฎ recognition from CSC โ a feat that had not been accomplished by a Bruin in 15 years.
Neuheisel in 2021 made 247Sportsโ 30Under30 list as one of the nationโs top young coaches. In Neuheiselโs first season as wide receivers coach and fourth on staff, Kyle Philips led the Pac-12 with 10 touchdowns through the air. Philipsโ run, which began when Neuheisel returned to Westwood, finished with the wideout sitting at fourth on UCLAโs all-time catch list with 163. Philips contributed to the Bruinsโ conference-leading 18 receiving scores during the shortened 2020 campaign, which was also quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinsonโs first of three straight with a passing efficiency rating of at least 153.94. That squad's total-offense output of 455.0 yards per game was second in the Pac-12 and marked an improvement of nearly 50 yards per game from 2019.
Neuheisel started his coaching career at Texas A&M, where he was as an offensive quality control coach alongside offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone and helped then-freshmen signal callers Kellen Mond and Nick Starkel put on record-setting displays in 2017. In just his third career game, Mond became the first true freshman in program history to throw for 300 yards in a contest when he did so in a home win versus Louisiana. Starkel would go on to shatter the Aggies' freshman records for completions (42), passing attempts (63) and passing yards (499) in a Belk Bowl shootout with Wake Forest. His 499 single-game passing yards are the second-highest total in program history.
A graduate of Loyola High School in Los Angeles, Neuheisel earned UCLA's Charles Pike Memorial Award as the most outstanding scout-team player on offense after the 2012 season, his first in the program. He registered his initial game experience in 2013 as the Bruins' backup quarterback and holder.
On Sept. 13, 2014, in relief of injured starter Brett Hundley, Neuheisel led UCLA to a comeback 20-17 win against Texas at AT&T Stadium in Dallas. Neuheisel completed 23 of 30 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns, including the 33-yard game winner to Jordan Payton with three minutes left, against the Longhorns. Neuheisel was named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week for his performance.
Neuheisel, a nine-time UCLA Athletic Director's Honor Roll member and four-year Pac-12 All-Academic honoree, continued his football career abroad. He led the Obic Seagulls of the Japanese X League to the Japan X Bowl in 2016, completing 67.5% of his passing attempts for 1,456 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Neuheisel was married to his wife, Nicole, in the summer of 2020. He was born to UCLA graduates Susan and Rick at UCLA Medical Center. Rick Neuheisel played quarterback for the Bruins from 1981-83 before embarking on a coaching career at his alma mater in 1986. Stints as a graduate assistant, quarterbacks coach and wide receivers coach preceded his first head-coaching job at Colorado, where he guided the Buffaloes from 1995-98. He also served at the helm of the Washington football program (1999-2002) before returning to UCLA as head coach from 2008-2011.
NEUHEISELโS COACHING EXPERIENCE
2017 โ Quality Control (Offense) โ Texas A&M
2018-2020 โ Graduate Assistant, UCLA
2021-23 โ Wide Receivers Coach, UCLA
2024 โ Tight Ends Coach, UCLA
2025 โ Assistant Head Coach/Tight Ends Coach, UCLA (Offensive Playcaller)
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UCLA Football Postgame - Players, at USC (Nov. 29, 2025)
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Bruin Insider Show - Tim Skipper (Nov. 26, 2025)
Wednesday, November 26
UCLA Football Media Availability - Players (Nov. 26, 2025)
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