Staff Directory
Tim Skipper
- Title:
- Interim Head Coach
Tim Skipper served as interim head coach for the UCLA football program for the final nine games of the 2025 season, posting a 3-6 record during that stretch. The 2025 season marked Skipperโs 25th year in the collegiate coaching ranks.
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Skipper was tabbed as UCLAโs interim head coach on Sept. 14 after previously serving as a Special Assistant to the Head Coach under DeShaun Foster earlier in the 2025 season. Including his time at Fresno State, Skipper owns a 10-13 record as an interim head coach.
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Skipperโs UCLA stint was highlighted by a three-game winning streak that garnered national headlines after the Bruinsโ 0-4 start to the season. The streak began in Skipperโs second game as interim head coach when UCLA upset then-No. 7 Penn State, 42-37 at The Rose Bowl on Oct. 4 for the programโs first victory over an AP top-10 opponent since 2010. Skipperโs first ranked win as head coach also marked the fifth time in college football history, and first time since 1985, that an 0-4 or worse team defeated a top-10 opponent. Skipper was named the Bear Bryant National Coach of the Week and The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week following UCLAโs win over Penn State.
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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. Skipperโs three wins came with interim offensive and defensive playcallers, Jerry Neuheisel and Kevin Coyle, respectively. Neuheisel was calling plays for the first time in his career while Coyle joined the team mid-season just days before its contest at Northwestern on Sept. 27.
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Eight Bruins received All-Big Ten Honorable Mention acclaim under Skipper: defensive backs Andre Jordan Jr. and Rodrick Pleasant, linebacker JonJon Vaughns, defensive lineman Gary Smith III, punter Will Karoll, long snapper Salem Abdul-Wahab and kicker Mateen Bhaghani.
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Last season, Skipper became Fresno State's interim head coach in July of 2024 and guided the Bulldogs to a 6-7 record and a bowl appearance. Skipper was also the acting head coach for Fresno State at the 2023 New Mexico Bowl, which the Bulldogs won over New Mexico State, 37-10. His career head coaching record is 7-7. Skipper's previous coaching experience includes stints as defensive coordinator, most recently at UNLV from 2018-19, and assistant head coach responsibilities at Colorado State, Central Michigan and Fresno State. He also coached running backs at Florida from 2015-16 and linebackers from 2017-18.
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Fresno State had 11 All-Mountain West Conference selections in 2024, its most in a season since the 2022 Mountain West Championship season. ย Skipper was named the head coach of the week on three occasions by 247Sports, the most honors by any coach in the Mountain West in 2024.
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His linebackers corps was one of the more consistent groups on the defense in 2023 behind veterans Levelle Bailey and Malachi Langley. Bailey was an All-Mountain West Second Team selection in final season and is currently on the Denver Broncos 56-man roster.
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Skipper rejoined Fresno State in 2022 as the linebackers coach and assistant head coach. That year, Fresno State became the first program in FBS history to start the season 1-4 and finish with 10 wins. Fresno State ended the year on a nine-game winning streak and won the 2022 Mountain West Championship and the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl.
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Fresno Stateโs defense was among the best in the conference in 2022, ranking No. 2 in scoring defense (19.4 points allowed per game) and No. 4 in total defense (338.9 yards allowed per game). A bulk of the defensive efforts came out of the linebackers room as Fresno Stateโs leading tackler in 2022 was Bailey with 88 tackles. Bailey and Malachi Langley were both All-Mountain West honorable mention linebackers.
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Skipper joined the Bulldog staff for his second stint as a Bulldogsโ coach in transition from Central Michigan where he coached the linebackers from 2020-21. At Central Michigan, he was elevated to the assistant head coach role in 2021 along with coaching the linebackers. In 2020, Skipper led a linebacking unit that included standout Troy Brown, a first team All-Mid-American Conference honoree.
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During his first six seasons at Fresno State, he coached running backs, linebackers and served as the defensive run coordinator.
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The Bulldogs advanced to four bowl games during Skipper's first stint in Fresno, largely due to his development of all-conference linebackers Ben Jacobs and Travis Brown, and explosive running backs Ryan Mathews, Dwayne Wright, Lonyae Miller and Clifton Smith.
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In 2008, Skipper's final season as the Bulldogs' running backs coach, three of his players turned 150-plus-yard performances, including Mathews, who ranked 10th in the country at the time of his October injury.
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In 2007, Skipper's players averaged 4.7 yards per carry, and with 204.67 rushing yards per game, ranked No. 16 in the nation, helping the Bulldogs advance to the Humanitarian Bowl.
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In 2014, he completed a Bill Walsh Minority Coaching Fellowship with the Miami Dolphins.
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Skipper was a four-year starting middle linebacker at Fresno State from 1997-2000. He earned an appearance on both the 1999 and 2000 watch lists of the Butkus Award, presented annually to the nation's top linebacker. A two-year defensive captain and three-time All-WAC selection, he ranks second in school history with 418 career tackles, including 117 in his first campaign, when he earned freshman All-America recognition.
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Skipper comes from a family of coaches. His father, Jim, coached for four decades before his retirement in 2019. Tim's brother, Kelly, has been in the profession since 1989 and currently coaches running backs for the Buffalo Bills.
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Skipper graduated from Fresno State with a bachelorโs degree in communications in 2001.
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SKIPPERโS COACHING EXPERIENCE
2001 โ Defensive Backs, Western New Mexico
2002 โ Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs, Western New Mexico
2003 โ Defensive Backs, Sacramento State
2004, 2005 โ Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs, Sacramento State
2006-08 โ Running Backs, Fresno State
2009-11 โ Linebackers/Defensive Run Game Coordinator, Fresno State
2012, 2013 โ Linebackers, Colorado State
2013, 2014 โ Linebackers/Assistant Head Coach, Colorado State
2015, 2016 โ Running Backs, Florida
2017, 2018 โ Linebackers, Florida
2018, 2019 โ Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers, UNLV
2020 โ Linebackers, Central Michigan
2021 โ Linebackers/Assistant Head Coach, Central Michigan
2022, 2023 โ Linebackers/Assistant Head Coach, Fresno State
2024 โ Interim Head Coach, Fresno State
August 2025-September 2025 โ Special Assistant to the Head Coach, UCLA
September 2025-November 2025 โ Interim Head Coach, UCLA
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Skipper was tabbed as UCLAโs interim head coach on Sept. 14 after previously serving as a Special Assistant to the Head Coach under DeShaun Foster earlier in the 2025 season. Including his time at Fresno State, Skipper owns a 10-13 record as an interim head coach.
ย
Skipperโs UCLA stint was highlighted by a three-game winning streak that garnered national headlines after the Bruinsโ 0-4 start to the season. The streak began in Skipperโs second game as interim head coach when UCLA upset then-No. 7 Penn State, 42-37 at The Rose Bowl on Oct. 4 for the programโs first victory over an AP top-10 opponent since 2010. Skipperโs first ranked win as head coach also marked the fifth time in college football history, and first time since 1985, that an 0-4 or worse team defeated a top-10 opponent. Skipper was named the Bear Bryant National Coach of the Week and The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week following UCLAโs win over Penn State.
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. Skipperโs three wins came with interim offensive and defensive playcallers, Jerry Neuheisel and Kevin Coyle, respectively. Neuheisel was calling plays for the first time in his career while Coyle joined the team mid-season just days before its contest at Northwestern on Sept. 27.
ย
Eight Bruins received All-Big Ten Honorable Mention acclaim under Skipper: defensive backs Andre Jordan Jr. and Rodrick Pleasant, linebacker JonJon Vaughns, defensive lineman Gary Smith III, punter Will Karoll, long snapper Salem Abdul-Wahab and kicker Mateen Bhaghani.
ย
Last season, Skipper became Fresno State's interim head coach in July of 2024 and guided the Bulldogs to a 6-7 record and a bowl appearance. Skipper was also the acting head coach for Fresno State at the 2023 New Mexico Bowl, which the Bulldogs won over New Mexico State, 37-10. His career head coaching record is 7-7. Skipper's previous coaching experience includes stints as defensive coordinator, most recently at UNLV from 2018-19, and assistant head coach responsibilities at Colorado State, Central Michigan and Fresno State. He also coached running backs at Florida from 2015-16 and linebackers from 2017-18.
ย
Fresno State had 11 All-Mountain West Conference selections in 2024, its most in a season since the 2022 Mountain West Championship season. ย Skipper was named the head coach of the week on three occasions by 247Sports, the most honors by any coach in the Mountain West in 2024.
ย
His linebackers corps was one of the more consistent groups on the defense in 2023 behind veterans Levelle Bailey and Malachi Langley. Bailey was an All-Mountain West Second Team selection in final season and is currently on the Denver Broncos 56-man roster.
ย
Skipper rejoined Fresno State in 2022 as the linebackers coach and assistant head coach. That year, Fresno State became the first program in FBS history to start the season 1-4 and finish with 10 wins. Fresno State ended the year on a nine-game winning streak and won the 2022 Mountain West Championship and the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl.
ย
Fresno Stateโs defense was among the best in the conference in 2022, ranking No. 2 in scoring defense (19.4 points allowed per game) and No. 4 in total defense (338.9 yards allowed per game). A bulk of the defensive efforts came out of the linebackers room as Fresno Stateโs leading tackler in 2022 was Bailey with 88 tackles. Bailey and Malachi Langley were both All-Mountain West honorable mention linebackers.
ย
Skipper joined the Bulldog staff for his second stint as a Bulldogsโ coach in transition from Central Michigan where he coached the linebackers from 2020-21. At Central Michigan, he was elevated to the assistant head coach role in 2021 along with coaching the linebackers. In 2020, Skipper led a linebacking unit that included standout Troy Brown, a first team All-Mid-American Conference honoree.
ย
During his first six seasons at Fresno State, he coached running backs, linebackers and served as the defensive run coordinator.
ย
The Bulldogs advanced to four bowl games during Skipper's first stint in Fresno, largely due to his development of all-conference linebackers Ben Jacobs and Travis Brown, and explosive running backs Ryan Mathews, Dwayne Wright, Lonyae Miller and Clifton Smith.
ย
In 2008, Skipper's final season as the Bulldogs' running backs coach, three of his players turned 150-plus-yard performances, including Mathews, who ranked 10th in the country at the time of his October injury.
ย
In 2007, Skipper's players averaged 4.7 yards per carry, and with 204.67 rushing yards per game, ranked No. 16 in the nation, helping the Bulldogs advance to the Humanitarian Bowl.
ย
In 2014, he completed a Bill Walsh Minority Coaching Fellowship with the Miami Dolphins.
ย
Skipper was a four-year starting middle linebacker at Fresno State from 1997-2000. He earned an appearance on both the 1999 and 2000 watch lists of the Butkus Award, presented annually to the nation's top linebacker. A two-year defensive captain and three-time All-WAC selection, he ranks second in school history with 418 career tackles, including 117 in his first campaign, when he earned freshman All-America recognition.
ย
Skipper comes from a family of coaches. His father, Jim, coached for four decades before his retirement in 2019. Tim's brother, Kelly, has been in the profession since 1989 and currently coaches running backs for the Buffalo Bills.
ย
Skipper graduated from Fresno State with a bachelorโs degree in communications in 2001.
ย
SKIPPERโS COACHING EXPERIENCE
2001 โ Defensive Backs, Western New Mexico
2002 โ Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs, Western New Mexico
2003 โ Defensive Backs, Sacramento State
2004, 2005 โ Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs, Sacramento State
2006-08 โ Running Backs, Fresno State
2009-11 โ Linebackers/Defensive Run Game Coordinator, Fresno State
2012, 2013 โ Linebackers, Colorado State
2013, 2014 โ Linebackers/Assistant Head Coach, Colorado State
2015, 2016 โ Running Backs, Florida
2017, 2018 โ Linebackers, Florida
2018, 2019 โ Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers, UNLV
2020 โ Linebackers, Central Michigan
2021 โ Linebackers/Assistant Head Coach, Central Michigan
2022, 2023 โ Linebackers/Assistant Head Coach, Fresno State
2024 โ Interim Head Coach, Fresno State
August 2025-September 2025 โ Special Assistant to the Head Coach, UCLA
September 2025-November 2025 โ Interim Head Coach, UCLA
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