UCLA

Maybe UCLA has discovered the answer to boosting home attendance at men’s basketball games.

Just have Jordan Chiles perform at every halftime.

When the Olympic gymnast put on her “Dancing with the Stars” routine in November during an otherwise humdrum matchup against Pepperdine at Pauley Pavilion, the Bruins drew 9,103 fans. It remains, by far, their largest crowd of the season.

Unfortunately, Chiles isn’t available for every game. That leaves her school in need of more realistic solutions for another season of lagging attendance for what’s supposed to be its marquee sport.

UCLA’s home average of 5,211 fans entering its game against Maryland on Saturday evening at Pauley Pavilion is ranked third to last among the 18 Big Ten teams, topping only Northwestern (4,886) and USC (4,280).

Among a litany of explanations, there are the usual (tickets are too expensive, students have been on winter break) and relatively new (the team is disappointing, the best nonconference games are being held as neutral-site fundraisers for name, image and likeness endeavors).

While it’s almost certain that attendance will rise as the Bruins (10-5 overall, 2-2 Big Ten) enter the heart of conference play — more than 10,000 fans are expected for a showdown against No. 5 Purdue later this month, and the crosstown rivalry game against USC isn’t until February — the team could use some additional solutions for a problem that has plagued it in recent years.

What can be done to get more people in the building?

“That’s a Martin Jarmond question,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin said Friday, referring to the school’s athletic director. “You know, there’s only so many things I can worry about. I’ve been getting that [question] since my days at Murray State. Donors, fans, friends of mine come with ideas — marketing, tickets. They have whole divisions of the athletic department to worry about that.

“Imagine having to raise $10 million to pay your team and you have to do it because the athletic department fundraisers raise money for the athletic department. So I think I’ll leave the marketing up to the marketing department.”

UCLA coach Mick Cronin cheers on his team against Oregon at Pauley Pavilion on Dec. 6.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

As part of its new ticketing partnership with Elevate, UCLA continues to tweak its pricing strategy. The entities have begun implementing dynamic pricing that can be adjusted based on demand, though they remain constrained by a new process that will be improved into a more nimble operation in the future.

Some fans might simply be unwilling to pay the asking price to see a team that has fallen short of expectations.

Tickets on UCLA’s website for the Maryland game range from $24 for a corner seat in the upper deck to $310 for a seat at midcourt in the lower level. (Each seat also comes with an additional ticketing fee ranging from $7 to $35.50, depending on location.)

One could buy a midrange smartphone for what it costs to see the Bruins play Purdue in a prime seat. Those tickets range from $44.50 for a corner seat in the upper deck to $449.50 at midcourt in the lower level. A comparable lower-level midcourt seat to see the Lakers face Milwaukee on Friday at Crypto.com Arena could be found on StubHub for $505.

UCLA has mitigated the pricing issue with promotions such as “Fours Up Fridays,” which offered fans $4 tickets for three Friday nonconference games; $10 tickets for the Arizona State, Northwestern and Rutgers games; and mini-plans offering bundled tickets at a discounted rate. Students were offered free entry for nonconference games in addition to free food during games while school is in session and a student attendance challenge providing prizes based on attendance.

Part of the attendance problem in recent seasons has been a lack of exciting nonconference opponents. The Bruins’ most attractive nonconference games this season — against Arizona, Gonzaga and California — were held at neutral sites to raise NIL money for each team.

“Everybody in the country is doing what we’re doing, would you agree with that?” Cronin asked a reporter inquiring about bringing more enticing nonconference opponents to Pauley Pavilion.

Well, yes and no.

While neutral-site NIL games have indeed become a major trend, some schools have continued to play big-name nonconference opponents on their home court. Arizona played Auburn. Duke played Florida. Michigan played Villanova. Kansas played Connecticut.

UCLA’s most attractive nonconference home game was against Arizona State, which isn’t exactly a national brand. The game drew only 5,553.

“They’re a high-major team in the Big 12 and everybody said we’ve got to keep Pac 12 rivalries,” Cronin said of the Sun Devils. “But everybody else, everybody in the country has got to raise money and is playing neutral-site games — everybody. Unless you know some donors that want to give me $5 million to pay players, we’ve got no choice.”

Some additional promotions could entice fans in the weeks to come. UCLA is offering 7,500 fans a free John Wooden bobblehead for the Purdue game. There will be a white-out theme, including a free rally towel for all fans, against Indiana.

Ultimately, the easiest answer won’t cost a thing. As always, winning is the best promotion.

Etc.

Cronin said guard Skyy Clark, who has been sidelined since suffering a hamstring injury in the second half against Iowa last week, was considered doubtful to play against Maryland. … Cronin said everything was on the table to improve the team’s lackluster defense, including lineup changes, schematic changes and the possibility “we don’t practice offense the rest of the year.” … UCLA will honor Dodgers manager and former Bruins outfielder Dave Roberts as the honorary captain Saturday. A limited edition “Westwood Brothers” T-shirt featuring Roberts and Cronin together in a playful twist on the movie “Step Brothers” can be purchased with a $25 donation to Men of Westwood. Fans must email their receipt to menofwestwoodtickets@gmail.com before picking up the shirts on the north concourse during the game. Asked if he had seen his likeness on the shirt, Cronin said, with a chuckle: “Somebody told me it was awful.”

Her jitters came and went during the first meet of her college career. Now, it’s time for UCLA freshman Nola Matthews to focus on her training and routines.

“How I practice is the standard that I want,” Matthews said, “so now, I just need to implement that into competition.”

The UCLA women’s gymnastics team sent four freshmen (Matthews, Tiana Sumanasekera, Ashlee Sullivan and Jordis Eichman) to the floor during their meet against Washington, California and Oregon State on Saturday.

After earning three wins during the competition in Washington, the Bruins swept the Big Ten Conference weekly awards, including freshman of the week award for Sumanasekera after she placed second on the balance beam and the floor exercise.

“They have so much experience just through their time with being elite athletes and things like that,” coach Janelle McDonald said about her freshman class. “I think it really is going to bode well for them for their longevity and their NCAA career.”

“I’m excited to see them continue to grow throughout the season and really on what they’re capable of doing out on the competition floor,” she added.

The win made the Bruins the No. 1 team in the country, a distinction they say they are not going to worry about. Instead, they’ll just concentrate on themselves.

“We’re only going to be focused on what we’re doing, staying in that bubble, staying together, staying as one team,” Matthews said.

Leadership

When they first hit the floor, McDonald noticed nerves from the freshmen. Their execution wasn’t perfect and they performed a bit too tight. Since it was their first meet, their coach expected it, but what impressed her the most was their adjustments.

“We’re going to have so many things throughout the year thrown at us and really being resilient through those moments and just really being able to turn the page and focus on what’s next is just so crucial to being a successful team,” McDonald said.

The grit they showed was supported by the leadership the newcomers got from Jordan Chiles and the rest of the returning members.

“I just thought Jordan did that phenomenally and our returners did as well,” McDonald said. “Those were the things that I took away that I was really excited about.”

“They’ve really taken all of us under their wing, and they’ve been there for us, especially when we’re having bad days,” Matthews added.

The noise of a No. 1 ranking

McDonald understands that the leadership skills her returning team members bring to competition is the key to success for the Bruins this season. In order for UCLA to maintain its No. 1 ranking it needs to worry about what it can control and not the noise from outside.

“We’re really focusing on what we can do to continue to improve and get better in our gymnastics and our connection with each other and how we show up for each other as we head into this next meet,” she said. “You can’t always control your scores, you can’t always control your ranking, but you can always control how you show up in each moment and how you prepare for those opportunities.”

Their next meet will be against Oklahoma, Utah and Louisiana State on Saturday on ABC at 1 p.m. PST. The lights will be bright, a target will be on their back as the best program in the country, but they will tune out the noise by focusing on their work.

“We all just have to keep our heads down, keep doing what we’ve been doing,” Matthews said. “We’ve been working so hard this preseason and I feel like we’re in a really good spot.”

UCLA has landed a transfer who could hasten Bob Chesney’s rebuilding efforts.

Wayne Knight verbally committed to following Chesney from James Madison to Westwood on Wednesday, giving the new Bruins coach a high-quality running back to pair with quarterback Nico Iamaleava.

Showing what he could do on a national stage last month, Knight ran for 110 yards in 17 carries against Oregon in the College Football Playoff. It was the fifth 100-yard rushing game of the season for Knight on the way to being selected a first team All-Sun Belt Conference player.

Combining excellent speed with the toughness needed to break tackles, the 5-foot-6, 189-pound Knight led the conference with 1,357 rushing yards. He also made 40 catches for 397 yards and averaged 22.3 yards on kickoff returns and 9.5 yards on punt returns. His 2,039 all-purpose yards were a school record, helping him become an Associated Press second team All-American all-purpose player after ranking third nationally with 145.6 all-purpose yards per game.

Knight, who will be a redshirt senior next season in his final year of college eligibility, becomes the seventh player from James Madison to accompany Chesney to UCLA, joining wide receiver Landon Ellis, defensive back DJ Barksdale, tight end Josh Phifer, edge rusher Aiden Gobaira, right guard Riley Robell and offensive lineman JD Rayner.

UCLA also has received verbal commitments from Michigan wide receiver Semaj Morgan, Florida wide receiver Aidan Mizell, San Jose State wide receiver Leland Smith, Iowa State running back Dylan Lee, Boise State offensive tackle Hall Schmidt, Virginia Tech defensive back Dante Lovett, Iowa State defensive back Ta’Shawn James and California edge rusher Ryan McCulloch.

But no incoming player can match the production of Knight, whose highlights included a career-high 211 rushing yards — including a 73-yard touchdown — against Troy in the Sun Belt championship game, earning him most valuable player honors for the Dukes’ 31-14 victory.

Knight will join a group of running backs that includes senior Jaivian Thomas (294 yards rushing and one touchdown in 2025), redshirt senior Anthony Woods (294 yards rushing in 2025) and redshirt freshman Karson Cox (nine yards in two carries during his only appearance as a true freshman).

With Knight on board, the Bruins presumably have their starting running back in Year 1 under their new coach.

When his team lost three consecutive games during what was shaping up as a rocky debut season, Mick Cronin made players and coaches go through practices without the UCLA logo on their tank tops and shorts.

There’s currently no need to strip anyone of anything.

This already looks nothing like what UCLA basketball is supposed to be.

The defense is lagging, the roster is lacking and nobody seems to know what to do about it.

A second consecutive loss has dropped the Bruins squarely into bubble territory for the NCAA tournament, somewhere a team that wears these four letters across its chest should never be. They are a middling 10-5 with no compelling victories and a .500 record early in Big Ten play.

Barring a major midseason course correction, UCLA is in danger of missing the only postseason tournament that matters for the second time in three seasons.

The last Bruins coach to survive that scenario was Ben Howland, who immediately entered the next season on the hot seat, his fate seemingly a fait accompli. Even a Pac-12 regular-season title couldn’t save Howland, who was dismissed after the Bruins lost in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.

Cronin doesn’t appear in danger of a similar destiny given his recent contract extension that runs through the 2029-30 season. Unless both sides negotiated a settlement of his buyout or Cronin took a job elsewhere, UCLA would owe him $22.5 million if it moved on before April 1 and $18 million at the same point in 2027.

Since Cronin is probably going to be around for a while unless things completely bottom out, it’s far more productive to focus on what he needs to do to salvage his current conundrum. So here are five fixes designed to get a team that entered the season ranked No. 12 playing closer to expectations:

MADISON, Wis. — Can a team be in crisis just a handful of games into conference play?

UCLA is testing that possibility given what happened here Tuesday night as part of a larger downward trend.

Lacking one of their top players with guard Skyy Clark sidelined by a hamstring injury, the Bruins also were deficient in many other areas.

Defense. Heart. Toughness. Cohesion. Intelligence.

In a game that the Bruins needed to win to get their season back on track and have any realistic chance at an elite finish in the Big Ten, they fell flat once more.

Another terrible first half led to another failed comeback for UCLA during an 80-72 loss to Wisconsin on Tuesday night at the Kohl Center, leaving the Bruins in search of answers that seem elusive.

There was a dustup with 10 seconds left when UCLA’s Eric Dailey Jr. pushed Wisconsin’s Nolan Winter after absorbing a hard foul, forcing a scrum of players to congregate along the baseline. Winter was assessed a flagrant-1 foul and Dailey a technical foul that was offset by a technical foul on Badgers guard Nick Boyd.

About the only thing to celebrate for the Bruins was not giving up.

Thanks to a flurry of baskets from Dailey and a three-pointer from Trent Perry that broke his team’s 0-for-14 start from long range, UCLA pulled to within 63-56 midway through the second half. Making the Bruins’ rally all the more improbable was that much of it came with leading scorer Tyler Bilodeau on the bench with four fouls.

But Wisconsin countered with five consecutive points and the Bruins (10-5 overall, 2-2 Big Ten) never mounted another threat on the way to a second consecutive loss.

Dailey scored 18 points but missed all five of his three-pointers, fitting for a team that made just one of 17 shots (5.9%) from long range. Bilodeau added 16 points and Perry had 15.

Boyd scored 20 points to lead the Badgers (10-5, 2-2), who won in large part by their volume of three-pointers, making 10 of 30 attempts (33.3%) from beyond the arc.

Unveiling a turnover-choked, defensively challenged performance, UCLA played as if it were trying to top its awful first-half showing against Iowa from three days earlier.

It didn’t help that the Bruins were shorthanded from tipoff.

With Clark unavailable, UCLA coach Mick Cronin turned to Perry and pivoted to a smaller lineup featuring forward Brandon Williams alongside Bilodeau as the big men.

For the opening 10 minutes, it felt like a repeat of Wisconsin’s blowout victory over UCLA during the Big Ten tournament last March. The Badgers made seven of 11 three-pointers on the way to building a 20-point lead midway through the first half as Cronin continually tinkered with his lineup, trying to find a winning combination.

It never came.

He tried backup center Steven Jamerson II for a little more than a minute before yanking him after Jamerson committed a foul. He put in backup guard Jamar Brown and took him out after Brown gave up a basket and fumbled a pass out of bounds for a turnover. Backup guard Eric Freeny got his chance as well and airballed a three-pointer.

Wisconsin surged ahead with an early 13-0 run and nearly matched it with a separate 11-0 push. The Bruins then lost Perry for the rest of the first half after he hit his chin while diving for a loose ball, pounding the court in frustration with a balled fist before holding a towel firmly against his injured chin during a timeout. (He returned in the second half with a heavy bandage.)

Just when it seemed as if things couldn’t get worse, they did. Williams limped off the court with cramps late in the first half and the Bruins failed to box out Wisconsin’s Andrew Rohde on two possessions, leading to a putback and two free throws after he was fouled on another putback attempt.

UCLA almost seemed fortunate to be down only 45-31 by the game’s midpoint, though being on pace to give up 90 points couldn’t have pleased a coach known for defense.

Another comeback that came up short didn’t make things any better.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — As I sat at a corner table inside another Courtyard by Marriott over the weekend, a floor-to-ceiling window protecting me from the 25-degree chill on a dreary morning, it struck me how much easier this would all be to do from home.

Nap until game time. Pick up the remote. Get a closeup view of every play.

Of course, that approach would also have deprived me — and Times readers — of so much over the last 10 years of being the only full-time traveling beat writer with the UCLA men’s basketball team.

Feeling a piece of stray confetti float against my cheek inside Lucas Oil Stadium after the Bruins reached the Final Four.

Seeing Prince Ali bound down a hallway inside Oregon’s Matthew Knight Arena while yelling, “This is highway robbery, baby!” after the Bruins came back from nine points down with 51 seconds left.

Chatting with master storyteller Hep Cronin inside Kentucky’s Rupp Arena the day before an NCAA tournament game.

Interviewing Jaime and Angela Jaquez poolside in Maui before their son and daughter became on-campus celebrities.

People like to say they have the best seat in the house. Mine has often been 11F, window, on a United Airlines flight to some far-flung game that has made me cherish this decade of memories inside arenas all over the country.

There’s been so much more besides the palpable tension one can only feel sitting courtside, or in one of the media seats increasingly far removed from courtside in recent seasons. I caught a glimpse of Jake Kyman’s teammates dousing him with water after he made seven three-pointers against Washington and assistant coach Rod Palmer obligingly pushed the locker room door open a little wider than usual on his way out. Scanned cardboard cutouts of fans and pets inside San Diego State’s Viejas Arena. Wrote on deadline at Colorado while a trash collector roamed the stands blaring old Pink Floyd favorites from his boom box.

Yes, there have been annoying travel delays, crummy hotels and way too much time spent away from home. (A quick check of my Lifetime Titanium Elite status with Marriott shows 1,592 nights — the equivalent of nearly 4½ years — since 2003 while traveling for The Times in a variety of roles.)

But this is something I’m thrilled just to have the chance to do.

It takes an incredible financial commitment in a time of shrinking media resources to send someone on the road for every game with a college basketball team in 2026. That’s why I’m so grateful to my bosses for letting me take all these trips over the years.

Fortunately, I’m not the only one who realizes how special this is. Every time he sees me at a road game, Chris Carlson, UCLA’s longtime associate athletic director, has made a point to thank me for being there. He did it again Saturday, inside a club room deep within Iowa’s Carver-Hawkeye Arena, after UCLA’s frantic rally had fallen short against the Hawkeyes.

Fans often ask me if I travel on the team plane. That would be a resounding no, leading to innumerable layovers at Chicago O’Hare on the way to somewhere else in Big Ten country while the Bruins travel nonstop via charter. I don’t mind in the least.

Life on the road with the Bruins always packs a wallop, even during down seasons. A few years ago, during coach Mick Cronin’s only losing season with the team, it had just snowed in Pullman, Wash., when I exited a regional jet onto an icy outdoor ramp. I took two steps and fell backward onto my head with such a violent thud that my glasses flew back into the cabin. (I survived, or you wouldn’t be reading this.)

Along the way, there’s been far more laughter than frustration, let alone the need to Google “subdural hematoma.”

I’ve enjoyed every destination in an old conference (Pac-12) without truck stops and a new one (Big Ten) with plenty. I’ve sparked a Twitter war with the Memphis International Airport over a baggage office being closed shortly after sundown. I’ve stood in a hallway when coach Steve Alford threw his players under the bus at Cincinnati — “If you lose,” Alford said, “you get in the gym on your day off and you figure things out, not wait and get in the gym when we meet with you” — not long before the firing of Alford led to the hiring of Cincinnati’s coach.

I’ve heard that new coach — Cronin — yell at his team from two rooms over inside T-Mobile Arena after a loss to Baylor. I’ve also heard Cronin’s teams silence arenas with huge early runs against Stanford, Marquette, Maryland and San Diego State.

Traveling to cover the Bruins has had its side benefits, of course. I’ve seen family in Portland, visited wine country in the Willamette and Napa valleys and taken memorable trips to Arizona and the Bay Area during the COVID-19 season in 2020-21. The enduring image from those trips was the bizarre game against Stanford in Santa Cruz (because of health restrictions in Palo Alto), which featured an equally bizarre ending on an inbounds pass to Cardinals forward Oscar da Silva for a buzzer-beating layup.

There have been white-knuckle prop plane flights from Seattle to Pullman and white-knuckle drives across the Bay Bridge thanks to gephyrophobia. Tense drives from Spokane to Pullman because of the dreaded Colfax speed trap and walls of fog that can blindside you like a fearsome backcourt press.

Including stints covering USC basketball and an additional UCLA season under coach Ben Howland, I’ve logged three trips to the Maui Invitational — including one played in Honolulu — one to the old Great Alaska Shootout and one to Mexico for an exhibition game. The one trip that I really wanted to take — to China in 2017 — and was told no because a boss didn’t think it would be worthwhile ended in an international ordeal. Maybe it was the basketball gods’ way of telling him to keep me on the road.

As the pandemic made the prospect of taking flights seem perilous during the 2020-21 season, I covered a handful of road games off television. Admittedly, it was great to get replays and instant injury reports before hopping on a Zoom for postgame interviews.

But something just didn’t feel right. It wasn’t until the Bruins made the NCAA tournament and I accompanied them for every game on that unforgettable run in central Indiana that I fully understood one of the most important rules of quality coverage.

Being there matters.

Olympic sport of the week: Women’s gymnastics

Jordan Chiles helped UCLA rally to win the Best of the West Quad in Seattle by placing first in all four events.

(Courtesy of Jamie Mitchell)

Trailing California after two rotations in its season-opening meet, the UCLA women’s gymnastics team could rely on something else no one had in its comeback bid.

Jordan Chiles.

Predictably, the Olympic gold medalist helped the fourth-ranked Bruins rally to win the Best of the West Quad at Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle by placing first in all four events.

Sticking her double layout dismount on the uneven bars, Chiles scored a 9.925 to help UCLA overtake the No. 20 Golden Bears and move into third place after the third rotation. Chiles topped herself with maybe her best beam performance at the college level, earning a 10 from one of the two judges and a 9.975 score.

UCLA senior Ciena Alipio contributed a 9.925 on the beam, helping her team edge Cal, 196.875 to 196. Host Washington finished third with 195.625 and No. 19 Oregon State was fourth with 195.550.

The Bruins next face No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 2 LSU and No. 5 Utah on Saturday at the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad in West Valley City, Utah. The meet will be televised live on ABC at 1 p.m. PST.

Opinion time

With two months left before the NCAA tournament, UCLA men’s basketball is teetering on the bubble, with bracketmatrix.com — an aggregator of bracket projections — listing the Bruins as a No. 9 seed before they lost to Iowa on Saturday. Where do you think UCLA finds itself on Selection Sunday?

An elite finish leads to a protected seed

A solid Big Ten run puts it in Nos. 5-7 range

The Bruins just barely make it into the tournament

They’re left out for the second time in three years

Click here to vote in our survey.

Poll results

We asked, “What was your favorite UCLA sports moment of 2025?”

After 453 votes, the results:

The women’s basketball team’s trip to the Final Four, 49%
The men’s water polo team’s national championship, 21%
The football team’s three-game winning streak, 19%
The baseball team makes the College World Series, 9%
The softball team makes the Women’s College World Series, 2%

In case you missed it

Lauren Betts and No. 4 UCLA rout No. 17 USC in a commanding performance

UCLA’s second-half surge can’t erase ‘unbelievably soft’ start in loss to No. 25 Iowa

UCLA’s Bob Chesney rounds out his coaching staff with many joining him from JMU

Jerry Neuheisel is leaving UCLA to rejoin Chip Kelly at Northwestern

Cori Close, passionate about the growth of women’s basketball, wants the media to do its part

Chip Kelly is named offensive coordinator at Northwestern. Can he repair his reputation?

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.

Four of five starters scored in double digits as the UCLA women’s basketball team dominated crosstown rival USC 80-46 Saturday at Pauley Pavilion in the first of two meetings between the crosstown rivals.

Center Lauren Betts paced the fourth-ranked Bruins (14-1 overall, 3-0 Big Ten) with 18 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks. Gianna Kneepkens had 15 points and Kiki Rice added 14 points and eight assists.

The Bruins totaled 24 assists and out-rebounded the Trojans 46-26.

Kara Dunn scored 11 points for No. 17 USC (10-4, 2-1).

“Thank you to the crowd for showing up on a rainy day — we appreciate the support,” UCLA coach Cori Close said. “We did a great job on the boards. We didn’t play our best basketball. There’s still room to grow, but we held them to 27% shooting. Our defense was better than our offense today. We have a high ceiling. I’d like to see more consistency and for us to keep getting closer to our standard.”

USC guard Londynn Jones, right, tries to drive past UCLA guard Gabriela Jaquez during the first half Saturday.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb was not pleased by what she saw from the Trojans.

“Obviously, this is not where we want to be in a game like this,” she said. “Everything from disappointment to embarrassment, but we own it. They were the better team today. They were better by a lot.”

Mia Villalpando made one of the most important decisions of her young career when she stuck with Tigres UANL Femenil and continued on her path as a professional soccer player, setting aside the option to play at UCLA despite having accepted a full scholarship.

Villalpando, 17, grew up in Bonita, Calif., and initially signed an Under-19 contract with Tigres that allowed her to retain her college eligibility. She trained in Mexico but committed to attend UCLA last fall. However, several factors tipped the scales against a move to Westwood, including the departure of Margueritte Aozasa, the Bruins coach who recruited her.

“The coach left for another job, and that had a big influence,” Villalpando said. “I talked to my agent and my family, and although it wasn’t an easy decision, I felt that after playing the minutes I played at Tigres and competing with professionals, going to college soccer would be a step backward in my development.”

She said she had a conversation with Gof Boyoko, who took over as coach of UCLA, and explained that Aozasa’s departure “changed a lot for me.”

His reaction gave her peace of mind.

“The entire staff was very understanding and happy for me. They were sad that I wasn’t joining them but they supported me completely and that helped me a lot to feel at peace with the decision,” Villalpando said.

Although education always has been a priority in her family and she was grateful for the opportunity at UCLA, the season of club soccer she played before joining Tigres made it clear to her that she needed a tougher environment.

“In my last year with San Diego Surf, it wasn’t as competitive anymore. Many players who were already committed to universities didn’t attend practices, and I felt that in order to continue growing and preparing myself, I needed a better working environment,” Villalpando said.

Her impact on the Tigres roster was immediate and exceeded all expectations. She was part of the club’s recent title run in the Liga MX Apertura tournament, the team defeating América in the final series in November.

“I just hoped to go, train against professional players and improve. I didn’t expect the minutes I got or the affection I received. Being there changed many things for me,” Villalpando said.

While making her college decision, she sought the opinions of others who faced similar decisions, including a famous Tigres teammate.

“I talked to several players and most of them told me to go to college, even if it was just for a year,” Villalpando said. “But when I talked to María Sánchez, she told me that the opportunities young players have today didn’t exist when she was in college, and that if she had had the option to go straight into professional soccer, she would have done so.”

That message reinforced her conviction.

“Hearing that helped me a lot and gave me peace of mind to make this decision,” Villalpando said.

Her parents always expected their daughters to get college educations but understood Mia could take a different path to success.

“Mia is different,” her father, Daniel Villalpando, said. “She has something special and we believe she will be successful because she believes deeply in what she does.”

Despite not having had a formal education, Daniel said he and his wife, Melody, built a solid life on hard work and effort, which allowed them to be open-minded about Mia’s decision.

Mia Villalpando’s family has supported her all along.

(Villalpando family)

“My wife started at the bottom at Costco and today she is one step away from running her own store. I built my company from scratch. We have shown that there are different ways to get ahead, and Mia has that mindset,” Daniel said.

They are convinced soccer is not just a phase for Mia.

“Mia wants to live and breathe soccer. She will always be connected to the sport, whether as a player, coach or manager. That’s something she’s very clear about,” Melody said.

This was an extraordinary year for Mia. With Tigres she won a title in front of more than 45,000 fans.

“When I stepped onto the field and saw all those people, I thought, ‘This is real, I’m playing in a final with a professional team.’ It’s a feeling that can’t be compared to anything else,” Villalpando recalled.

She also played a leading role in helping the Mexican Under-17 team place third at the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup.

“Even before we got to the tournament, we knew we were going to go far. We were convinced that we would come back with something, and coming back with third place showed that we made Mexico proud,” Mia said.

Melody says her daughter is much more than the soccer player you see on the field.

“She’s … strong-willed and a natural leader. She’s not a follower. She’s fun, cheerful and gets along with everyone. She’s always been a leader, even as a child,” Melody said.

Daniel agreed and added that her leadership is reflected more in her actions than her words.

Mia Villalpando’s family has supported her all along.

(Villalpando family)

“There are leaders who talk and leaders who act. Mia is one of those who acts. She is extremely competitive and can’t stand losing. She has a big heart but she is very firm with her values,” he said.

On social media you can find video of sessions of intense work by Villalpando. In one post one of her coaches explains how they ask her to rest, to “slow down a little.”

Daniel acknowledged even he is surprised by how hard his daughter trains.

“I don’t know where she gets so much passion from. She never complains, she never makes excuses. Everyone gets tired, but she keeps going. We have to tell her to rest,” Daniel explained.

That mindset, he says, reflects the work ethic she saw at home.

Daniel and Melody faced adversity as they were starting their family, with Melody only 16 when she delivered their first daughter. Daniel had to drop out of school in 10th grade to start working and support his family, while Melody finished high school with his support. They knew they had to push to support their family.

“My wife and I have always worked hard and made no excuses,” Daniel said. “I think Mia learned that without us even telling her.”

This article first appeared in Spanish via L.A. Times en Español.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — From an existential crisis to a gritty comeback, UCLA ran a gamut of emotions over the course of a few hours here.

The final sentiment was one of disappointment.

After whittling what had been a 24-point deficit to four with a little more than three minutes left Saturday, the Bruins could not find the miracle finish they were seeking.

Iowa won 74-61 inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena, the No. 25 Hawkeyes holding off the Bruins by making the plays they needed over the final foul-filled minutes.

Iowa made all eight free throws down the stretch, the Bruins failing to get the stops they needed even with point guard Donovan Dent (25 points) putting on a dazzling offensive display.

After Iowa’s Tavion Banks went in for a dunk in transition to extend the lead back to double digits in the final minute, the Bruins’ comeback hopes were over. Iowa point guard Bennett Stirtz added a 30-foot three-pointer in the final seconds for good measure.

Even with a much better effort in the second half, UCLA (10-4 overall, 2-1 Big Ten) wasn’t nearly good enough on either end. The Bruins will need to decide if they want to continue to go with a small lineup after using one to spark their huge comeback.

After one of the worst first halves of the Mick Cronin era following a 10-day layoff, UCLA played as if it took a glance at the rally towels inside the arena featuring the slogan “Impose Your Will.”

The Bruins went on a 18-2 run early in the second half after going small, breaking out a full-court press in pockets and making seven of eight shots. Dent was in the middle of it all, snagging a steal that led to a Brandon Williams dunk, driving for a couple of layups and rising for a mid-range jumper.

UCLA guard Donovan Dent chases after the ball in front of Iowa’s Cam Manyawu, left, and Kael Combs during the first half Saturday.

(Charlie Neibergall / Associated Press)

When UCLA’s Trent Perry poked the ball away for a steal and went in for a layup in transition, the Bruins were within 47-42 with 10:44 left and Iowa’s only move was to call a timeout. But a big issue loomed for UCLA as guard Skyy Clark had gone to the bench with a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the rest of the game.

Stirtz finished with 27 points for the Hawkeyes (12-2, 2-1), who shot 46.8% to UCLA’s 44.6%.

The first half couldn’t have gone much worse for the Bruins.

It all started with an inability to finish at the rim. There were two Tyler Bilodeau misses at point-blank range — including a dunk — a Xavier Booker layup that was blocked and a Dent lob that was deflected and stolen. And that was just in the first five minutes.

Equally atrocious was the Bruins’ defense, players leaving the perimeter open on drive-and-dishes that led to a flurry of three-pointers.

Cronin was so disgusted with his team down by 23 points late in the half that he took off his suit jacket and lit into Perry during a timeout. UCLA went on to score the final five points of the half … and still trailed 40-22.

UCLA arrived here facing questions about its big men, its defense and its rebounding.

After opening the season as the starting power forward, Bilodeau had increasingly shifted back to center in recent games as part of a three-guard lineup. The move provided a clear advantage on the offensive end, where Bilodeau could outmaneuver slower counterparts, while not giving up anything on defense given the struggles of Booker and ongoing foul trouble of Steven Jamerson.

More troublesome for the Bruins was a defense that ranked among the worst of Cronin’s seven seasons in Westwood. Most of the problems have come around the rim, UCLA providing little resistance on the easiest of shots. The Bruins also entered the game ranked third-to-last in the Big Ten in rebounding.

None of those problems were solved Saturday, leaving the Bruins to contemplate further changes.

Bob Chesney’s initial UCLA football staff is going to have a familiar feel to anyone who follows James Madison.

After hiring offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy and defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler, the new Bruins coach also is bringing along five other assistants who helped the Dukes reach the College Football Playoff: offensive line coach and run game coordinator Chris Smith, cornerbacks coach Eddie Whitley Jr., safeties coach Anthony DiMichele, defensive line coach Sam Daniels and special teams coordinator and tight ends coach Drew Canan. While most of the assistants will retain their titles, Whitley now will coach defensive backs and Daniels defensive ends with the Bruins.

Chesney is retaining two UCLA assistants in safeties coach Gabe Lynn and running backs coach A.J. Steward, with Lynn transitioning into a role coaching nickel backs. Chesney also is bringing in another assistant with Big Ten experience in Legi Suiaunoa, the former Michigan State defensive line coach who will fill the same role with the Bruins.

Vic So’oto will be the Bruins’ linebackers coach after spending the last four seasons at California in a variety of roles. A former NFL linebacker who spent two seasons as USC’s defensive line coach, So’oto took a job as Cal’s outside linebackers coach in 2022. The next season he added the role of special teams coordinator to his title before becoming the Golden Bears’ co-defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach last season.

Rounding out Chesney’s staff is wide receivers coach Colin Lockett, who spent last season in the same role at New Mexico. Lockett has plenty of experience on the West Coast after serving as a graduate assistant at Oregon in addition to being a defensive backs quality control coach at Washington and a graduate assistant at San Diego State. Lockett also knows the Southern California high school recruiting scene well after spending three seasons as a defensive backs coach at St. John Bosco High.

Steward also offers deep connections throughout the West after previously working at Kansas, Baylor, Oregon State, Arizona, Brigham Young and Rice. Suiaunoa and Steward overlapped at Oregon State for two of Suianoa’s six seasons as an assistant with the Beavers.

In another nod to continuity, Chesney is hiring Chris Grautski, his director of athletic performance at James Madison, to become head strength coach at UCLA.

“In organizing our first-year staff, it was imperative that we find coaches who fit a mold unique to UCLA football that will allow for immediate success,” Chesney, who is expected to complete his staff soon, said in a statement. “This group possesses a great blend of competency, diversity and passion, and a track record of winning. Our infusion of West Coast ties will be essential in elevating UCLA’s brand, not just in Southern California, but across all of college football. Most importantly, this coaching staff will create an environment of competition and toughness that will challenge our student-athletes to become their absolute best on and off the field.”

Most of Chesney’s hires have strong ties to their boss.

Canan has been part of Chesney’s staff for more than a decade, starting at Assumption College in 2014 before following Chesney to Holy Cross, James Madison and now UCLA. Smith spent five seasons working under Chesney at Holy Cross before leaving to become an assistant offensive line coach with the NFL’s New York Giants in 2023 and later rejoining Chesney at James Madison in 2024.

Whitley has the distinction of having worked for both Chesney and predecessor Curt Cignetti as part of Whitley’s six seasons at James Madison, which made him the longest tenured coach on the Dukes’ staff this season.

DiMichele has worked alongside Chesney for the last four seasons after joining his staff at Holy Cross in 2022 and following him to James Madison. Daniels was a newcomer to Chesney’s staff when he was hired before the 2024 season at James Madison, his alma mater.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Lauren Betts scored 25 points and surpassed 1,500 career points in leading No. 4 UCLA to a 97-61 rout of Penn State on Wednesday.

Gianna Kneepkens added 17 points, Kiki Rice scored 16 and Sienna Betts 10 for the Bruins (13-1, 3-0 Big Ten), who won their seventh in a row after leading for all but 31 seconds.

The Bruins, who entered averaging just over 95 points per game since their lone loss to the No. 2 Texas Longhorns on Nov. 27, found their offense immediately inside a quiet Rec Hall.

Lauren Betts finished 11 for 19 from the floor. She sunk a layup in the opening seconds to spark the first of a handful of lopsided runs for the Bruins.

Kneepkens and Rice added back-to-back three-pointers moments later before Kneepkens hit another long ball to put UCLA up 13-2 less than three minutes in.

Penn State (7-7, 0-3) responded with a pair of buckets, but Kneepkens drained her third three-pointer of the quarter and UCLA closed out the first on a 14-5 run shooting 58% from the floor.

The rout was on from there for the Bruins, who led by as many as 37 with 6:41 in the fourth quarter. They led 46-23 at halftime.

Gracie Merkle had 15 points and Kiyomi McMiller scored 13 for Penn State, which fell to 1-15 against AP top 10 teams since coach Carolyn Kieger’s first season in 2019.

Up next UCLA: vs. No. 17 USC at Pauley Pavilion on Saturday night.

UCLA got its new football coach in time for Christmas.

It may have taken a little longer than some antsy fans wanted, but Bob Chesney is on the way to Westwood after completing his final season at James Madison.

In reality, James Madison’s result against Oregon in the opening round of the College Football Playoff on Saturday was always going to be a win-win for the Bruins.

If the Dukes upset the Ducks, then the buzz around Chesney and his new employer would have only intensified. (Did you notice the free publicity the school received on the broadcast 13 minutes before kickoff when it was mentioned that Chesney was on his way to UCLA?)

If the Dukes lost, then Chesney could thank his team for a historic season and pack his things for the West Coast to get started on his latest program revival.

He’ll get to do just that in the wake of James Madison’s 51-34 setback at Autzen Stadium. It’s expected that Chesney will bring a big chunk of his staff with him while retaining a sprinkling of UCLA coaches in a variety of roles. Dukes offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy and defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler are among those who will join Chesney at his new stop, the coaches likely bringing with them at least a handful of James Madison players.

Several showed they could play at the Big Ten level given their performance against the Ducks.

Running back Wayne Knight, who will be a redshirt senior next season, should be a top target after displaying both speed and power while rushing for 110 yards — more than twice the 52 yards that USC managed on the ground as a team during the Trojans’ 42-27 loss to the Ducks in November.

While he also has another season of eligibility, quarterback Alonza Barnett III is probably not joining Chesney at UCLA given counterpart Nico Iamaleava’s decision to return in 2026. Barnett has already used his redshirt season, so it wouldn’t make sense for him to travel across the country just to be a backup in his final college season after having led another team to the CFP.

Others with remaining eligibility who impressed included wide receiver Landon Ellis (making several big catches, one going for 50 yards on a double pass), tight end Lacota Dippre (hurdling a defender while scoring on a reverse), wide receiver George Pettaway (making a 24-yard touchdown catch on a wheel route) and cornerback Justin Eaglin (intercepting a Dante Moore pass).

Kennedy’s offense was unquestionably the showpiece of an aggressive approach that also included two onside kicks, a fake punt and no hesitation to go for it on fourth downs. The Dukes showed plenty of imagination on the way to rolling up 509 yards. There were countless trick plays and formations — many including bunched receivers and tight ends — that kept the defense guessing what they were going to do.

Chesney didn’t sound a happy-to-be-there tone in either his halftime or postgame interviews, revealing a strong desire to do better on such a big stage. But there was nothing to be ashamed about after James Madison outscored Oregon, 28-17, in the second half despite a massive talent discrepancy.

Now, after getting a closeup view of what’s needed to compete in the upper tier of the Big Ten, Chesney will get a chance to start restocking his new roster before the calendar flips to 2026.

Keeping the band together

Part of Chesney’s winning formula in his rise from Division III to the CFP has involved staff continuity.

Kennedy’s connection with Chesney goes back to a flurry of job-seeking letters that Kennedy sent to college football coaches around the country while he was a young assistant at Florida.

Chesney not only responded but also donated to two charities with ties to Kennedy’s family after doing some research on the persistent assistant. A year later, Chesney hired Kennedy when a quarterbacks coach vacancy opened on his staff at Holy Cross prior to the 2022 season.

Kennedy earned a promotion to offensive coordinator the following season before accompanying Chesney to James Madison.

Hitschler’s ties to Chesney go all the way back to the Division III level. In 2011, Hitschler was Chesney’s defensive line coach and co-special teams coordinator at Salve Regina before the duo reconnected at James Madison before the recently completed season.

Both Kennedy and Chesney presided over units that were among the best in the country last season, James Madison ranking No. 11 nationally in points scored (37.1 per game) and No. 15 in points allowed (18.4). Kennedy is known for designing creative offenses that spread the field, breaking out flea-flicker and Statue of Liberty plays to help the Dukes post 70 points against North Carolina in 2024 while tying a record for the most points ever given up by the Tar Heels.

Both coordinators possess something their boss doesn’t – experience coaching at the Power Four level. Kennedy was a graduate assistant at Mississippi State and Florida before earning a promotion to offensive quality control coach and later assistant quarterbacks coach with the Gators.

Hitschler was co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Wisconsin in 2023 before taking a job as co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Alabama in 2024. Hitschler also has NFL experience as a training camp assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles and a player personnel assistant with the Kansas City Chiefs.

A generous man of mystery

Zachary Rosenfeld teared up recently when he saw a tweet about the $1-million gift to UCLA football from the estate of the late Richard Shtiller.

His “someday” had finally arrived.

Having previously worked in fundraising for UCLA’s athletic department before leaving to run his own sales company, Rosenfeld cultivated a relationship with Shtiller that helped secure that donation. There were hundreds of phone calls leading to four conversations, one in-person meeting and a handsome payoff that the football team can put to good use under its new coach.

Richard Shtiller

(Courtesy of the Shtiller family)

For most of the time Rosenfeld corresponded with Shtiller, he didn’t know much about the intensely private man or his generosity when it came to helping his alma mater. The most Shtiller offered was a vague assurance when Rosenfeld inquired about a seven-figure gift that Shtiller first teased in the summer of 2015.

At the time, Rosenfeld was an intern with UCLA athletics who was given the unfortunate task of fielding calls about increased donation requirements for football season tickets. One of those who called to complain was Shtiller, who approached the conversation with what seemed like a massive bargaining chip.

“What if I told you,” Shtiller said, “that I had $1 million to UCLA football in my will.”

Rosenfeld jokingly told Shtiller that he didn’t believe him, putting him on hold so that he could confer with a boss. By the time Rosenfeld picked the phone back up, Shtiller had hung up.

It was the start of a sometimes playful, sometimes frustrating relationship. After Rosenfeld was hired full-time by UCLA the following year, he made it his mission to get to know Shtiller. He called Shtiller’s Beverly Hills law office at least once a week, usually getting voicemail.

They finally met in person during a chance encounter at a football practice in 2016, Shtiller greeting Rosenfeld with a cheerful brush of his face.

“It’s Richard Shtiller, Zach,” he said. “You’re my noodge. You’ve been calling my office every day.”

Those calls continued, sometimes a year going by before they would reconnect. Rosenfeld eventually sent Shtiller information on the proper legal terminology to include in his will in case he really was going to donate all that money to UCLA football, never knowing if it would amount to anything.

During their final conversation upon Rosenfeld’s departure from UCLA athletics in 2019, Rosenfeld kidded Shtiller about never securing that big donation.

“Well,” Shtiller said, “maybe someday.”

That was the last time they spoke. Six years later, Rosenfeld learned that Shtiller was a man of his word upon his passing earlier this year. Not only did Shtiller give the money he had promised, he also used the terminology Rosenfeld had suggested to insert in his will so that it got to the right place.

Along the way, Shtiller provided Rosenfeld a lesson in perseverance while also giving back to a program that had given him so much joy even after going more than a quarter of a century without so much as a conference title.

“It was a reminder,” Rosenfeld said, “that even in the depths of rock bottom, UCLA football still means something to many of us.”

What’s it all worth?

(Luke Hales / Getty Images)

UCLA prides itself on being one of the top athletic departments in the country.

There’s those 125 NCAA championships — behind only Stanford’s 137 — a combination of academic and athletic success that few big-time schools can match, and the association with legendary figures such as John Wooden, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jackie Robinson, among many others.

But how much is it all worth when it comes to cold, hard cash?

Not as much as you might think.

In a CNBC valuation of U.S. college athletic programs, UCLA ranked No. 52, with a valuation of $539 million. The Bruins trailed schools such as Purdue, Virginia Tech and North Carolina State that are not as widely known for broad-based athletic excellence.

There were some common themes among the leaders.

The top five schools — Texas ($1.48 billion), Ohio State ($1.35 billion), Texas A&M ($1.32 billion), Georgia ($1.16 billion) and Michigan ($1.16 billion) — all have thriving football programs and massive donor bases, not to mention at least $239 million in revenue in 2024. By comparison, UCLA reported $119 million in revenue for the same year, according to the report.

Among the 18 Big Ten teams, UCLA ranked No. 16, ahead of only Maryland (No. 53) and Rutgers (No. 56). USC ranked No. 8, largely on the strength of $242 million in revenue and a football team that continues to flirt with the College Football Playoff under coach Lincoln Riley.

What can be done about it?

Two words: Bob Chesney.

If UCLA’s new football coach wins at a high level and fills his home venue — be it the Rose Bowl or SoFi Stadium — then those metrics could look vastly different in just a few years.

Some real finds

UCLA had three men’s soccer players selected in the second round of the Major League Soccer SuperDraft last week, becoming the school’s 85th, 86th and 87th picks in league history — the most of any college program.

Junior defender Tre Wright was picked No. 33 by Real Salt Lake, graduate left back Schinieder Mimy was taken No. 38 by the New England Revolution and senior midfielder Tarun Karumanchi was selected No. 49 by the Columbus Crew.

UCLA coach Ryan Jorden, in his seventh year, has had nine players drafted by MLS teams.

Opinion time

With James Madison reaching the College Football Playoff in Chesney’s second and final season, how many players do you hope the new Bruins coach brings with him to Westwood?

• As many as he can
• Half the roster would be nice
• A sprinkling at positions of need
• Just a handful
• None

Click here to vote in our survey

Poll results

We asked, “How does the rest of the men’s basketball season play out for the Bruins?”

After 388 votes, the results:

The team plays better before another early tournament exit, 68.9%
Everything comes together and the team makes a deep tournament run, 17.7%
The bubble is burst and the team misses the tournament, 13.4%

In case you missed it

Sienna and Lauren Betts reunite as UCLA women win a laugher over Cal Poly

A resurgent Donovan Dent is the star of UCLA’s victory over Arizona State

Myles Jack, former UCLA star, charged with deadly conduct after falling from 2nd-floor window in Texas

UCLA rallies to defeat Cal Poly despite its ‘conscientious objectors’ to defense

No. 4 UCLA closes nonconference play with a dominant win over Long Beach State

Bob Chesney’s James Madison coaching tenure ends in playoff loss to Oregon

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.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Lauren Betts had 18 points and 16 rebounds as No. 4 UCLA extended its winning streak to six games with an 82-75 win over No. 19 Ohio State on Sunday.

Kiki Rice added 16 points and Angela Dugalic scored 15 as UCLA (12-1, 2-0 Big Ten) beat the Buckeyes for the fourth straight time, dating to December 2023.

Jaloni Cambridge led all scorers with 28 points, and Elsa Lemmila added 13 points and seven rebounds for Ohio State (11-2, 1-1) which had its nine-game winning streak halted in its conference home opener.

The Bruins built a 76–60 lead midway through the fourth quarter before Ohio State closed the gap behind strong defense and key late baskets from Cambridge, T’yana Todd and Chance Gray. The Buckeyes closed within six points with about two minutes remaining, but got no closer.

UCLA outrebounded Ohio State 47–33, including a 19–10 edge on the offensive end that led to a 35–10 advantage in second-chance points. Betts anchored the Bruins in the paint as UCLA outscored the Buckeyes 50–32 inside.

Ohio State struggled from three-point range in the first half, missing its first 11 attempts before Lemmila connected with 3:43 left in the second quarter. The Buckeyes found some rhythm in the third quarter, hitting six three-pointers, and finished seven of 30 (23%) from beyond the arc.

Up next for UCLA: at Penn State on Wednesday.

Facing an overmatched opponent that allowed him to freely tinker with his lineups, UCLA coach Mick Cronin tried plenty of mixing and matching Tuesday afternoon.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway was that a three-guard lineup might be the way to go after the continued struggles of centers Xavier Booker and Steven Jamerson II.

“We’ve got to find a way to play our best players and win, whoever they are, because it’s not Little League,” Cronin said after his team’s 97-65 victory over UC Riverside at Pauley Pavilion. “You’ve either got to give us some rebounding and defense or somebody else has got to play.”

The leading candidates for a larger role based on what happened against the Highlanders appear to be reserves Trent Perry, Jamar Brown and Brandon Williams.

Perry was a playmaking force with his scoring and smart passes. Brown did a little bit of everything in an energetic fashion. Williams showed plenty of toughness as the second big man in small lineups also featuring Tyler Bilodeau, who was an offensive juggernaut against a team that provided little defensive resistance.

“The biggest thing I care about is winning,” said Bilodeau, who finished with a career-high 34 points while making 12 of 19 shots to go with six rebounds. “So whatever we need to do to get that done.”

Cronin joked afterward that Bilodeau shouldn’t have missed any shots because he needlessly took fadeaway jumpers.

“They don’t double [team],” Cronin said of the Highlanders, “so I said, ‘Buddy, you’ve got one night here where they’re just going to let you keep dribbling until you shoot, so go have fun. Keep going at the rim until you score.’ ”

Guard Skyy Clark added 14 points to help UCLA (10-3) post its third consecutive victory going into an extended winter break. Forward Osiris Grady finished with 20 points for the Highlanders (6-8), who shot 42.6% to the Bruins’ 50%.

The game’s biggest revelations came off the UCLA bench. Perry might have been the biggest, running the offense at a high level while finishing with 14 points, seven assists and zero turnovers in 24 minutes. Cronin went with some lineups in the second half featuring Perry alongside starting point guard Donovan Dent (seven points and three assists in 19 minutes).

“Three-guard lineup, we’ve been pushing in transition a lot more,” Perry said. “I mean, we’re just finding the groove before Big Ten” play.

Brown contributed across the board, tallying four points, seven rebounds and four steals in 24 minutes.

UCLA guard Skyy Clark drives against UC Riverside guard De’Undrae Perteete Jr. during the Bruins’ win on Tuesday.

(Jan Lim / UCLA Athletics)

“A tremendous portal find,” Cronin said of the transfer from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. “Great toughness. He’s a winning player.”

Williams’ biggest factor was his defense during a performance in which he had three points, one rebound and one steal in 18 minutes. The big question was whether he was providing more than the player whose spot he took.

Booker finished with six points and one rebound in 13 minutes, unfurling a second consecutive subpar showing after being limited to three minutes against Cal Poly because of matchups. Jamerson played only seven choppy minutes, once being yanked after an 11-second stint because of an inability to keep the Highlanders from reaching the rim with ease.

“Got to get better,” Cronin said of his centers. “I just talked to them about that.”

UC Riverside repeatedly made the mistake of leaving Bilodeau open in the first half and the forward made the Highlanders regret their decision by making five of nine shots on the way to 13 points. After having been UCLA’s primary center last year, Bilodeau said he was happy to go back to that role if that’s what his coach needed.

“Tyler would probably tell you he gets more open shots when he’s playing the five,” Cronin said, “because the other team’s five man is guarding him.”

Cronin said the issue that arises when going small is the need to be an elite offensive team — territory the Bruins might be approaching. Their offensive efficiency is ranked No. 27 nationally by the metrics of basketball analyst Ken Pomeroy, their best since they were No. 21 during the 2022-23 season that ended in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament after season-ending injuries to Jaylen Clark and Adem Bona.

If this is the best version of the Bruins, Cronin appeared ready to roll with it.

“All that matters is who you become, not in the last game or the game previous to that, so we’re on a search,” Cronin said. “Just like every team, it’s not who you are now, it’s who you are at the end and can you get enough wins along the way?”

Bob Chesney didn’t have to go far to secure his most important player.

He was already on campus.

Nico Iamaleava has agreed to return to UCLA for next season, giving the Bruins a top-level quarterback as part of their new coach’s bid for a quick turnaround from a 3-9 season under his predecessor and an interim coach.

Iamaleava announced his intentions on Instagram, posting a highlight video alongside a caption reading, “NO PLACE LIKE HOME. Back with my brothers. Same vision. Same goals. Same grind. Locked in. Time to work!”

The possible benefits go beyond improving Iamaleava’s NFL draft stock with a strong season. Another important plus could be the reputational boost associated with staying put after Iamaleava left Tennessee during spring practice in 2025 as part of an emotionally charged falling out with the Volunteers that sparked widespread criticism.

Remaining a Bruin will also allow the redshirt junior to spend at least one more season on the same team as his brother Madden, who will be a redshirt freshman quarterback after appearing at the end of one game last season.

None of UCLA’s struggles in 2025 could be blamed on its starting quarterback. Constantly under duress from a pass rush that met little resistance from his offensive line, Iamaleava was his team’s leading passer and rusher despite being sacked 27 times.

Iamaleava accounted for 17 of his team’s 24 touchdowns and led the Bruins with 10 plays of 20 yards or more, all coming on the ground. Although he wasn’t a prolific passer — his 255 yards through the air as part of a furious comeback against Nevada Las Vegas were a season high — Iamaleava’s ability to produce big plays with his arm and his legs presented a huge problem for opposing defenses.

Iamaleava’s passing accuracy enjoyed a slight uptick from his final season at Tennessee, where he helped the Volunteers reach the College Football Playoff. In his first season as a Bruin after returning home in part to be closer to his family in Long Beach, Iamaleava completed 64.4% of his passes for 1,928 yards and 13 touchdowns with seven interceptions.

Whether he was scrambling out of the pocket or sprinting on designed quarterback runs, Iamaleava might have been hardest to stop when he planted his feet and took off. He led the team with 505 rushing yards and four touchdowns in 112 carries, including 128 yards and three touchdowns during a victory over then-No. 7 Penn State.

Equally important was the leadership of a player who unflinchingly met with the media after losses and challenged others. Amid the team’s 0-4 start, Iamaleava told teammates they could leave if they didn’t want to stay and help spark a turnaround. No one did, and the team went on to win its next three games.

Now Iamaleava is staying put, giving his coach a huge building block as part of his efforts to forge a sturdy foundation.

Preserving a winning formula, new UCLA football coach Bob Chesney is bringing his top two assistants across the country with him.

Chesney is hiring offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy and defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler — who both served in those same capacities under Chesney at James Madison — in a nod to continuity after the Dukes reached the College Football Playoff for the first time.

The hiring of both coordinators was confirmed by someone with knowledge of the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because the moves have not been formally announced.

Kennedy has worked with Chesney for four consecutive seasons, joining Chesney’s staff at Holy Cross as quarterbacks coach prior to the 2022 season before earning a promotion to offensive coordinator the following season. Kennedy then accompanied Chesney to James Madison before the 2024 season.

Hitschler’s ties to Chesney go all the way back to the Division III level. In 2011, Hitschler was Chesney’s defensive line coach and co-special teams coordinator at Salve Regina before the duo reconnected at James Madison before the recently completed season.

Both Kennedy and Chesney presided over units that were among the best in the country last season, James Madison ranking No. 11 nationally in points scored (37.1 per game) and No. 15 in points allowed (18.4).

James Madison rolled up 509 yards of offense during a 51-34 loss to Oregon on Saturday, those totals representing the most points and yards the Ducks have allowed this season. Kennedy is known for designing creative offenses that spread the field, breaking out flea-flicker and Statue of Liberty plays to help the Dukes post 70 points against North Carolina in 2024 while tying a record for the most points ever given up by the Tar Heels.

Both coordinators possess something their boss doesn’t — experience coaching at the Power Four level. Kennedy was a graduate assistant at Mississippi State and Florida before earning a promotion to offensive quality control coach and later assistant quarterbacks coach with the Gators.

Hitschler was co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Wisconsin in 2023 before taking a job as co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Alabama in 2024. Hitschler also has NFL experience as a training camp assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles and a player personnel assistant with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Kennedy’s connection with Chesney goes back to a flurry of job-seeking letters that Kennedy sent to college football coaches around the country while he was at Florida. Chesney not only responded but also donated to two charities with ties to Kennedy’s family after doing some research on the persistent assistant. A year later, Chesney hired Kennedy when a vacancy opened on his staff at Holy Cross.

Chesney is also expected to hire several more of his James Madison assistants to fill similar roles at UCLA after bringing in Florida State’s Darrick Yray as general manager.

Yray, who recently completed his fourth season as general manager with the Seminoles, also has strong West Coast connections. Yray rose to director of player personnel at Oregon State after having worked for the Beavers in a variety of roles and also was assistant director of football operations at Fresno State, his alma mater.

UCLA women’s basketball coach Cori Close could not have imagined a better way for her team to wrap up nonconference play than Saturday afternoon’s 106-44 trouncing of Long Beach State at Pauley Pavilion.

Coming off Tuesday’s 115-28 triumph over Cal Poly San Luis Obispo — UCLA’s largest margin of victory during the NCAA era — the Bruins picked up where they left off, leading wire-to-wire for their fifth consecutive win since suffering their lone loss to Texas on Nov. 26.

“We’re growing … we had a couple of lapses today and we’re not there yet, but we’re heading in the right direction,” Close said. “I love the selflessness of this team.”

Senior guard Gabriela Jaquez led the way with 17 points and made five of six three-point shots. Angela Dugalic added 13 points while Gianna Kneepkens had 10 points and 10 rebounds. All 11 Bruins who played scored at least one basket.

UCLA forward Sienna Betts, top, and Long Beach State forward Kennan Ka dive for the ball during the Bruins’ win Saturday.

(Jessie Alcheh / Associated Press)

Playing their last game in Westwood until Jan. 3, when they will host crosstown rival USC, the Bruins (11-1 overall, 1-0 in Big Ten) looked every bit like the No. 4 team in the country, improving to 6-0 at home. They are ranked fourth in both the Associated Press and coaches polls behind Connecticut, Texas and South Carolina.

“I’m really proud of our nonconference schedule. Not many local teams are willing to play us, so I want to compliment Long Beach State,” Close said. “Our starting guards [Charlisse Leger-Walker and Kiki Rice] combined for 17 assists and one turnover. We have depth and balance and that’s a great luxury to have.”

Jaquez scored nine of the Bruins’ first 12 points. She opened the scoring with a three-pointer from the top of the key and added triples on back-to-back possessions to increase the margin to eight points. Her fourth three-pointer, from the right corner, extended the lead to 21-5.

Sienna Betts’ jumper in the lane put UCLA up by 19 at the end of the first quarter. The sophomore finished with 14 points and senior Lauren Betts added 17. The sisters’ parents, Michelle and Andy, played volleyball and basketball, respectively, for Long Beach State. Sienna wears her mom’s No. 16 while Lauren dons her dad’s No. 51.

Rice’s steal and layup made it 46-18 with 3:28 left in the first half and Leger-Walker’s tip-in at the buzzer gave the Bruins a 34-point advantage at halftime. Rice had a complete game, contributing 15 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, four steals and one block.

The result continued the Bruins’ recent dominance against the Beach. UCLA has won six straight head-to-head meetings, including a 51-point blowout in the schools’ previous matchup last December, when Close became the all-time winningest coach in program history by earning her 297th victory to surpass Billie Moore (296-181). Long Beach State has not beaten the Bruins since 1987 under Joan Bonvicini, who posted a 16-1 record versus UCLA in her 12 seasons at the Beach from 1979 to 1991.

The Bruins’ primary focus on defense was slowing down sophomore guard JaQuoia Jones-Brown, who entered Saturday averaging 17.2 points per game. She scored 10 of the Beach’s 11 points in the first quarter but was held scoreless the rest of the way. She has scored in double figures in nine of 10 games. Guard Christy Reynoso added six points for Beach (0-10 overall, 0-2 in Big West).

The Bruins travel to Columbus on Dec. 28 to face No. 21 Ohio State (9-1).

UCLA had just put on a dazzling offensive display when a help-wanted sign went up in the postgame news conference.

The search for assistance came from a coach who knows his team can score but will need a lot better effort on the other side of the ball to get to where it wants to go this season.

“My biggest challenge with this team,” Mick Cronin said after the Bruins needed an epic scoring surge in the second half to post a relief of a 108-87 victory over Cal Poly, “is finding a guy or two or three that their mind is on defense.”

Nobody filled that role Friday night during a first half that led to scattered boos serenading the Bruins on their way to the locker room inside Pauley Pavilion.

UCLA was trailing by two points after putting in a low effort and playing just a sprinkling of defense against a mid-major team with a losing record from the Big West Conference.

The Cal Poly logo on the front of the opponents’ jerseys did not elicit the same sort of spirited effort the Bruins had given against more brand-name foes, continuing a troubling trend going back to the season opener.

“I definitely think that’s fair to say,” UCLA guard Skyy Clark said after notching a season-high 30 points while making six of 10 three-pointers and becoming the first Bruin in school history to make at least six three-pointers in back-to-back games. “That’s just something we gotta harp on as a team.”

The Bruins could exhale after going with a smaller lineup that produced 65 points in the second half, the most in a half by UCLA since it splurged for 66 in the second half against George Mason on Dec. 22, 1994.

But plenty of worries linger, most of them on the defensive end for a team that has given up an average of 78.2 points over its last six games.

This was another case of UCLA simply outgunning an opponent, the Bruins shooting 57.4% to Cal Poly’s 51% during a game in which defense was played only in spurts. How do the Bruins explain giving up 45 points in the first half?

“We’ve got too many guys who are conscientious objectors defensively,” Cronin said. “And if I can’t get those guys to quit protesting — they don’t say anything, but until they really believe that’s the way to win … ”

UCLA (9-3) prevailed only after Cronin went with a three-guard lineup, replacing center Xavier Booker with Jamar Brown to start the second half in an effort to combat the Mustangs’ drive-and-kick offense that stationed practically everyone behind the three-point line. With a more mobile lineup, the Bruins proceeded to go on a 15-0 run to transform a two-point deficit into a 60-47 lead, removing any doubt about the game’s outcome.

Clark continued his recent scoring spree and received plenty of help from forward Tyler Bilodeau (24 points and eight rebounds) and point guard Donovan Dent (16 points, 11 assists and five steals) as the Bruins notched a second consecutive victory.

UCLA guard Donovan Dent, center, dribbles past Cal Poly guards Guzman Vasilic, left, and Kieran Elliott to score during the second half Friday night.

(Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press)

Cayden Ward scored 21 points for Cal Poly (5-8), which had been given a 2% chance of winning, according to the metrics of basketball analyst Ken Pomeroy.

By the game’s midpoint, the possibility of a massive upset had crept uncomfortably upward for UCLA.

Giving up open shots as part of a lackluster defensive effort wasn’t nearly the worst of it for the Bruins.

Trent Perry twice fouled a three-point shooter, once prompting Cronin to yell, “Get over here!” after Perry sent Cayden Ward to the free-throw line for three shots. A new low came late in the first half when Brown fouled Hamad Mousa on a three-pointer that went in, Mousa making the free throw to complete a four-point play.

“Buddy, it’s the worst play in basketball, and I’ve gone literally years with that happening zero times,” Cronin said. “Nobody coaches that more than me. You are not allowed to foul a jump shooter if you play for me, never. Never. If you’re that close, that means the shot is contested. You could deduce that, right? So I don’t care if he makes it, he’s taking a contested shot. Jumping toward the guy, you’re going to land in his space.”

Brown was immediately replaced by Perry, whose defensive inattentiveness quickly reemerged when Ward beat him off the dribble for a one-handed dunk. Things improved considerably the rest of the way. Cronin said he continued to be pleased with Clark’s defense and was satisfied with the second-half effort of forward Eric Dailey Jr., who limited Mousa to only two of his 14 points after halftime.

Cronin suggested that he wanted this team to prioritize defense the way the Bruins did after halftime of their victory over Michigan State in the opening round of the 2021 NCAA tournament, which sparked a flurry of lockdown efforts leading to five consecutive wins.

“From that point on, it took a halfcourt shot to stop us from trying to win the title,” Cronin said, alluding to Jalen Suggs’ buzzer-beater in a national semifinal. “But if that wouldn’t have changed, we weren’t going anywhere, so you just keep trying to stay relentless with it.”

How does Cronin get his team to make that change?

“You play the guys who will do what you tell them to do,” Cronin said. “If you play guys who are conning you with their effort defensively, not only are you going to lose, then the other guys will start doing it because they think you’re a fraud because you’re playing them anyway.”

Applications are being accepted. The next opportunity to fill a heightened role comes Tuesday against UC Riverside.

The crowd couldn’t believe what it had just witnessed.

Donovan Dent’s crossover move left a helpless defender watching from behind as he accelerated toward the basket, fans unleashing audible admiration even before the UCLA point guard completed the play with a driving layup.

Poor Noah Meeusen and everyone else who tried to stop Dent.

They were overmatched by the finishing ability and fearlessness of a player who had not shown much of either over the season’s first month, hardly resembling the star the Bruins thought they were getting.

On a revelation of a Wednesday night inside Pauley Pavilion, Dent finally looked like someone who could carry a team.

He did exactly that, the transfer from New Mexico helping the Bruins fend off Arizona State during a 90-77 victory that had his handprints all over it.

There were blow-by layups, floaters, a rare three-pointer and an old-fashioned three-point play on a jumper he threw up while getting fouled and falling down along the baseline. Dent unveiled a full array of moves on the way to scoring 20 points while making nine of 17 shots.

Dent’s understudy also came up huge. After the Sun Devils made things uncomfortably close midway through the second half, pulling to within five points, UCLA reserve guard Trent Perry made sure they would get no closer.

Perry rose for a three-pointer and then after teammate Brandon Williams made an energizing block at the rim, triggering a fast break, Perry found Skyy Clark for a three-pointer that extended the Bruins’ advantage to double digits.

Clark finished with 18 points on the strength of six three-pointers and Tyler Bilodeau added 18 points to help UCLA (8-3) bounce back from its loss to Gonzaga by holding off an old Pac-12 rival. Guard Anthony Johnson led Arizona State (9-3) with 20 points.

Dent’s final highlight came on a pass in transition to an open Clark, who rose for a three-pointer that gave UCLA a 12-point lead. In perhaps the only blemish on his night, Dent logged just four assists to go with his four turnovers.

It was an ensemble performance for the Bruins. UCLA coach Mick Cronin inserted backup center Steven Jamerson into his lineup to start the second half and Jamerson quickly rewarded him by chasing down an offensive rebound in the corner and adding two putback dunks.

But the big story was one of redemption.

It picked up momentum late in the first half when Dent rose without hesitation for a three-pointer. It was only Dent’s second made three-pointer of the season and his first since the season opener after a string of 12 consecutive misses dropped his accuracy from beyond the arc to 7.7%.

It was a stunning dropoff for someone who had made 40.9% of his three-pointers last season at New Mexico. His second make of the season from long distance increased his accuracy to 14.3%, still unsightly but at least no longer in single digits.

What was perhaps most pleasing about Dent’s performance in the first half was his heightened confidence level. He repeatedly beat his defender for driving layups, his aggressiveness an equal asset to his speed in rolling up 13 points on six-for-eight shooting by the game’s midpoint.

Latinos remain severely underrepresented in the television industry, according to UCLA’s latest Hollywood Diversity Report.

Released Tuesday, the report examined the top 250 series available on streaming, including both library offerings and current titles. Overall, it revealed a steep fall in cultural diversity among 2024’s top comedies and dramas, as well as fewer projects created by people of color and women.

For Latinos, representation on screen and behind the camera is scarce. Only 1.1% of the top streaming scripted shows were created by Latinos. Of the top streaming comedies and dramas, 3.3% had Latino lead actors and 5.2% were co-led by Latino actors. When looking exclusively at current streaming shows (excluding library titles), 1.1% were created by Latinos and 6.2% were led by Latino actors.

UCLA’s Hollywood Diversity Report dates back to 2014. The first iteration of the study used data that had been collected since 2011. Ana-Christina Ramón, UCLA’s director of the Entertainment and Media Research Initiative, says that this level of underrepresentation across all kinds of media is nothing new.

“It’s a consistent finding in our reports. But the numbers are such a stark level of underrepresentation because of the fact that we’re almost 20% of the population,” said Ramón. “Even when the numbers are a little bit better, they’re never close to where they should be.”

This lack of representation isn’t exclusive to the Latino population. The report found that four out of five leads in the most-watched streaming comedies and dramas were white actors, and white men account for nearly 79% of all show creators — leaving nearly every other race and ethnicity severely marginalized.

The downward trend comes at a time when President Trump has consistently targeted and called to end all diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. As a result, much of Hollywood has followed his lead. Paramount Global changed its staffing goals related to gender, race, ethnicity and sex; Warner Bros. Discovery restated its DEI activities as “inclusion”; and Walt Disney Co. got rid of its “diversity and inclusion” performance standard used to calculate executive compensation.

These findings generally defy American audiences’ preference for diverse content. The research shows that “a relatively diverse cast and diverse credited writers often resulted in higher ratings,” especially when these stories from diverse communities are live-action and scripted.

This trend isn’t isolated to television — eight of 2024’s top 10 streaming films and 14 of the top 20 streaming films featured casts with more than 30% people of color, according to previous UCLA research.

Despite the lack of Latino representation, Netflix’s narco-drama starring Sofia Vergara, “Griselda,” was the fifth-most-streamed television of 2024. In Latino households specifically, it reached third place, behind children’s TV shows “Bluey” and “Bebefinn.”

“The silver lining is that [‘Griselda’] was very popular, and though it’s a stereotypical topic, because it was made by the same people that made ‘Narcos,’ it had a prestige factor that gets passed along,” said Ramón.

She finds that the shows that tend to do well have to have a well-known lead actor, be of an interesting topic and be attached to something that is already established or popular. In 2023, the report included Netflix’s “Wednesday” at the fourth-most-streamed show and “The Last of Us” at No. 7, both shows featuring Latino lead actors.

All three titles “have a high production value and are familiar stories” — as “Griselda” was based on a true story, “Wednesday” builds off the IP of “The Addams Family” and “The Last of Us” is based on a video game.

“Regardless of which [ethnic] group you’re talking about, it really has to do with these very specific pieces,” said Ramón. “The very promising finding is the fact that underrepresented stories, which include Latinx stories and other BIPOC stories, tend to do better than shows that don’t, in terms of reviews and ratings.”

With a dominant performance on both sides of the court, including 46 rebounds and 19 steals, the UCLA women’s basketball team beat Cal Poly 115-28 on Tuesday at Pauley Pavilion.

The UCLA (10-1) defense held the Mustangs (2-8) to three points in the second quarter and forced 31 turnovers and single digit scoring in the last three quarters. The Bruins scored 59 points off turnovers. Senior Lauren Betts earned her third double-double of the season with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Freshman Sienna Betts, the No. 2 recruit from the 2025 class, played her first minutes with the Bruins, sharing the court with her sister for the first time for UCLA. She scored her first field goal in the fourth to give the Bruins their first 100-point game since December 2024 against Long Beach State, which they will face on Sunday.

Sienna earned her first assist in the first quarter with a pass to, who else but, Lauren as she was driving to the basket. Sienna grabbed her first points in her collegiate career off the free-throw line and finished the game with five points and two assists while playing under restricted minutes after missing the first part of the season with a leg injury.

The No. 4 Bruins closed the second quarter with 27 unanswered points, punctuated by a three-pointer by Angela Dugalić at the buzzer.

The Bruins finished the game with five players scoring in double digits. By the end of the third quarter, UCLA held a 70-point lead.

It was déjà vu for the Mustangs, who lost to the Bruins, 69-37, exactly a year ago. Cal Poly was without leading scorer Vanessa McManus.

BERKELEY, Calif. — Mike White, who had a successful career as a college coach with California and Illinois and later coached the NFL’s Oakland Raiders, has died. He was 89.

Cal said White’s family confirmed that he died Sunday in Newport Beach.

White helped the Golden Bears win a share of the Pac-8 title in 1975, led the Illini to their first Rose Bowl in 20 years in the 1983 season and coached the Raiders in their first two seasons back in Oakland in 1995-96 after leaving Los Angeles.

He also worked as an assistant for the San Francisco 49ers and was on Dick Vermeil’s staff with the St. Louis Rams when they won the Super Bowl following the 1999 season.

“Mike was special,” said Burl Toler Jr., a linebacker who played at Cal under White from 1974-77. “He treated us like men and with a lot of respect. Mike was a very gifted and smart coach who loved Cal and loved being a coach, and he surrounded himself with a lot of like minds who instilled in us a will to succeed.”

White was a four-sport student-athlete at Cal in the 1950s and spent time as an assistant with the Bears and at rival Stanford before getting the head coaching job at his alma mater in 1972.

White had a 35-30-1 record in six seasons at Cal, with his biggest success coming in 1975 when he was named coach of the year after the Bears finished tied with UCLA for first place in the conference. Cal finished 14th in the nation with an offense that featured Chuck Muncie and quarterback Joe Roth.

White also coached quarterback Steve Bartkowski earlier at Cal and helped develop him into the No. 1 overall pick in the 1975 NFL draft.

He then left for the NFL, spending two seasons as an offensive line coach for the 49ers, before returning to college in 1980 with Illinois. He led the Illini to a 47-41-3 record with three bowl trips, including a loss in the 1984 Rose Bowl to UCLA.

That 1983 Illinois team went 9-0 in the Big Ten and is the only team in conference history to beat every other conference opponent in the same season.

White then returned to the NFL in 1990, spending five seasons as an assistant with the Raiders before taking over as head coach. He had a 15-17 record before getting fired after the 1996 season.

Dubow writes for the Associated Press.