On the first day he met with reporters, Tim Skipper’s eyes bright, his voice confident and his demeanor cheery, the UCLA interim coach kept pushing up ever so gently on the balls of his feet.
It was an early metaphor for someone who continually elevated everyone around him.
As the Bruins prepare to announce their new coach — will it be top choice Bob Chesney or a fallback option? — it’s important to recognize the job that Skipper did in stabilizing a program that was at a historic low before he took over.
The Bruins weren’t just losing games under DeShaun Foster but appeared mentally deflated, as if they didn’t want to be on the field. Skipper immediately changed that, injecting relentless enthusiasm and making his players remember what had drawn them to this game in the first place.
Success wasn’t instantaneous, the Bruins losing to Northwestern in Skipper’s debut after taking over for Foster, but there was a clear belief and sense of purpose in the second half.
Everything came together the next three weeks. A revamped staff that included Kevin Coyle as the new defensive coordinator and Jerry Neuheisel as the new offensive coordinator helped everyone press the reset button.
And what emerged as part of that reboot was special.
The season highlight came on a glorious afternoon at the Rose Bowl, starting with fans’ chants of “Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!” as the Bruins scored on their first five drives on the way to a 42-37 victory over then-No. 7 Penn State.
After Skipper challenged his players not to settle for one big victory, leaving printouts asking them, “Are you a one-hit wonder?” on their seats on the flight to face Michigan State, the Bruins put together their most complete game in a 38-13 dismantling of the Spartans.
UCLA then showed plenty of strain — Skipper’s favorite word — during a hard-fought 20-17 victory over Maryland, raising all sorts of enticing possibilities. Might these Bruins be … good? On the verge of a stunning resurrection leading to a bowl game?
Everything came crashing down the following week during a 56-6 loss to No. 2 Indiana, a setback that started a five-game losing streak to end the season. But the Bruins kept competing and never appeared mentally defeated in the way they had during their first three losses, when it seemed clear there was a culture problem.
Skipper eliminated the bad vibes and pulled everyone together on a team that didn’t possess enough talent to compete at a high level in the Big Ten.
“I can’t believe we’re at the end already,” Skipper said Saturday night, his eyes moist after his team absorbed a 29-10 loss to No. 17 USC at the Coliseum. “It’s like I blinked and we were playing Northwestern at the beginning of this thing. But, you know, I think the whole locker room — coaches included, me included — we just learned that no matter what situation you’re in, if you fight, you can get yourself out of it and I like the way that the guys just kept their minds right the whole entire time.”
A big endorsement came after Skipper walked out of the interview tent, quarterback Nico Iamaleava vouching for the coach who asked everyone to call him Skip.
“Coach Skip is somebody you want to play for, somebody you want to go out there and go to war for,” Iamaleava said. “The year we had, you know, it’s easy to just give up on the year and, you know, not get anywhere. And so, you know, I was very fortunate to have him in our corner.”
After admirable jobs in tough situations as an interim coach at Fresno State and UCLA, Skipper has shown he deserves to be rewarded with a permanent job. Somebody would be smart to make this man their head coach, lifting up everyone around him once more.
Nico Iamaleava
(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
It wasn’t a legendary showing in the rivalry game, but the Bruins put up plenty of fight.
Quarterbacks: A-. If Iamaleava sticks around for one final college season, maybe he’ll finally be fully rewarded and appreciated.
Running backs: D. An overhaul of the run game is going to be necessary in 2026.
Wide receivers/tight ends: C-. Kwazi Gilmer and Rico Flores Jr. could use another top-level receiving threat or two to prevent defenses from focusing so much on stopping them.
Offensive line: D. This is another group that’s going to need a complete reboot next season.
Defensive line: C. Keanu Williams went out fighting in his final college game.
Linebackers: B. Scott Taylor, Jalen Woods and JuJu Walls provide some hope for the future at this position.
Defensive backs: B. With Rodrick Pleasant out, these guys held up relatively well, though an infusion of talent is needed to elevate this group.
Special teams: B. Mateen Bhaghani made his field goal and there were no embarrassments.
Coaching: B-. Skipper & Co. did an admirable job of getting an undermanned team to compete against the dreaded Trojans.
At what cost?
Those longing for UCLA’s football team to move to SoFi Stadium might experience sticker shock for parking and concessions based on my recent experiences at two other stadiums that host pro teams.
Parking at the Intuit Dome was $70 at the lot across the street when the UCLA men’s basketball team faced Arizona earlier this month.
Two slices of pizza and a bottle of Pepsi Zero at the Chase Center was $44.01 when the Bruins faced California last week.
If the Bruins open the 2026 season at SoFi Stadium, get ready to dip into your savings.
What’s up with Donovan Dent?
UCLA guard Donovan Dent shoots as Arizona’s Anthony Dell’Orso defends in the first half of their Nov. 14 game.
(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
Having missed one game because of a muscle strain and appearing hobbled even before he went down with a lower-leg injury late in the loss to Cal, it’s been a maddening start to the season for the point guard who was supposed to vault UCLA basketball back into elite status.
After starring in both exhibition games, Donovan Dent hasn’t resembled the honorable mention All-American he was last season at New Mexico in the games that have counted. He’s shooting just 35.8% from the field, 9.1% from three-point range and 56.7% from the free-throw line, though he has done an excellent job of taking care of the ball given his 40 assists and 13 turnovers.
Beyond the injuries, it seems that Dent’s confidence is receding and his frustration mounting. A short injury absence — if one is warranted — could have the benefit of letting Dent take time to decompress, evaluate and start anew once he returns, though the Bruins could certainly use a top-form Dent during an upcoming stretch of games that starts Wednesday against Washington in Seattle.
“He’s got to play better if we’re going to have a chance,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin said after the setback against Cal. “Somehow, I gotta help him do that.”
Olympic sport the week: Women’s volleyball
UCLA women’s volleyball outside hitter Cheridyn Leverette.
(Mac Brown / UCLA Athletics)
Maybe they’re getting on a roll at the right time.
A five-set victory over Michigan State on the road Friday gave the UCLA women’s volleyball team its fourth victory in its last five matches going into the NCAA tournament.
Senior outside hitter Cheridyn Leverette led the Bruins (18-12 overall, 12-8 Big Ten) with a team-high 17 kills to go with five digs during their 17-25, 25-14, 25-23, 18-25, 15-9 victory over the Spartans. Freshman outside hitter Eliana Urzua added 13 kills and nine digs and junior middle blocker Marianna Singletary had 12 kills and five blocks.
The eighth-seeded Bruins will face Georgia Tech in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Thursday at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Ky., with a matchup against top-seeded Kentucky possibly looming in the second round.
Opinion time
How optimistic are you for UCLA football in 2026?
The Bruins will be in College Football Playoff contention
They will make a quality bowl game
They will qualify for a lower-tier bowl game
They will show some fight but struggle to a losing record
It’s going to be another long season
Click here to vote in our survey.
Poll results
We asked “Will the ‘home team loses’ trend continue Saturday when UCLA plays USC at the Coliseum?
After 877 votes, the results:
No, USC will snap the streak, 73.8%
Yes, UCLA will pull the upset, 26.2%
In case you missed it
Gabriela Jaquez scores 29 points as No. 3 UCLA defeats No. 14 Tennessee
UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava delivers gritty effort in loss to USC
What’s in a rivalry? UCLA’s newcomers now know after watching a video about USC
Mick Cronin blames himself after UCLA’s troubling loss to Cal
Have something Bruin?
Do you have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future UCLA newsletter? Email me at ben.bolch@latimes.com, and follow me on X @latbbolch. To order an autographed copy of my book, “100 Things UCLA Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die,” send me an email. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.