UCLAs

Former NFL quarterback Derek Carr has joined UCLA’s coaching staff as a special advisor to coach Bob Chesney.

The Bruins announced the hiring Monday of the 35-year-old Carr, who is volunteering in his first major coaching role.

The longtime Raiders starter will help Chesney and the Bruins’ offensive staff with game planning and strategy, and he will work with UCLA‘s quarterbacks.

“His experience, leadership and football knowledge will be an incredible resource for our coaching staff and student-athletes,” Chesney said in a statement. “What stands out most is his passion for the game and his commitment to developing young people. Derek will have a tremendous impact on our players and is a great addition to our program.”

Chesney and his staff are in their first season in Westwood after he was hired away from James Madison last December. Carr’s connection to the job was through Bruins general manager Darrick Yray, an offensive assistant and an assistant director of football operations at Fresno State during Carr’s prolific career with the Bulldogs.

“I’ve known Darrick for a long time and have great respect for the work he’s done throughout his career,” Carr said in a statement. “The opportunity to help coach Chesney, the staff and the quarterbacks at UCLA was one that really excited me. I’m looking forward to sharing my experiences and helping support the program in any way I can.”

Carr is 22nd in NFL history after passing for 41,245 yards during his 11-season career with the Raiders and the New Orleans Saints. He is the Raiders’ career leader in yards passing, completions and passing touchdowns.

Carr was a four-time Pro Bowl selection in Oakland and Las Vegas. After two subsequent seasons as the Saints’ starter, Carr retired from the NFL in May 2025 because of a serious right shoulder injury.

Carr’s No. 4 is retired at Fresno State after he passed for 12,842 yards and 113 touchdowns, leading the nation in both categories in 2013 while winning the Sammy Baugh Trophy.

At UCLA, Carr will work with presumptive starter Nico Iamaleava, the Tennessee transfer and Long Beach native who passed for 1,928 yards and 13 touchdowns last season for the Bruins. Iamaleava’s younger brother, Madden, is expected to be their backup quarterback in his second season in the program.

Even before this high-profile addition to his staff, Chesney was already building early momentum in his significant rebuilding project at a program that has foundered over the past decade.

Chip Kelly produced six mediocre seasons before he bolted from Westwood in February 2024, leaving the Bruins in the lurch after that winter’s coaching cycle had largely ended. Former UCLA star DeShaun Foster took over on short notice, but was fired three games into his second season last fall before the Bruins finished 3-9.

Beacham writes for the Associated Press.

UCLA players are working to live up to the immense hype building around new head coach Bob Chesney.

From the Curt Cignetti similarities, to the competition-centric practice plans to the family-oriented coaching staff, all signs point to a bounce-back year for UCLA after going 3-9 last season.

But how much better will the Bruins be?

Let’s take a closer look at the changes Chesney and has staff have made to UCLA’s offensive personnel.

For the second straight year, UCLA’s attack will run through senior quarterback Nico Iamaleava. The former five-star prospect experienced a tumultuous exit from Tennessee in the spring of 2025 and the challenges followed him to Westwood, where Iamaleava ranked outside the top 10 in the Big Ten in passing yards and passing touchdowns en route to the program‘s worst record since 2018.

But with a full year at UCLA under his belt, and a full offseason working with Chesney and offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy, Iamaleava should be poised for his best year yet — particularly with the weapons Chesney added.

The running backs are the strongest offensive group, with the Bruins boasting three potential starters in senior Jaivian Thomas and fifth-year pair Anthony Woods and Wayne Knight. While Knight was injured for the majority of the spring, Chesney said he is now healthy.

UCLA — which is historically known for its premier tailbacks such as Jackie Robinson, DeShaun Foster, Maurice Jones-Drew and Zach Charbonnet — finished third worst in the nation in rushing yards in 2024 and No. 13 in the Big Ten in 2025.

And while Iamaleava finished as the team’s leading rusher last season, that will not be the case with the three-headed attack the Bruins boast this season. The trio have all cycled through the first team throughout preseason camp, and given Chesney’s emphasis at depth and the likelihood of injury at that position, it looks as though all three will be dividing top running back duties in 2026 — at least to start.

“That room, I’m really looking forward to just seeing how they continue to jell together and grow, and see who starts to emerge a little more,” Chesney said of the running backs. “But at that position, it’s very rare to make it through a whole season as a running back, so we’re going to need them all.”

On the boundaries, Chesney also brought in reinforcements to fortify a wideout room that finished 2025 ranked No. 16 and No. 14 in the conference in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, respectively.

James Madison transfer Landon Ellis and South Carolina transfer Brian Rowe Jr. have consistently lined up with the Bruins’ starting outside receivers, with the latter praised by Chesney and teammates at Big Ten media days as a player who has “popped off the screen.”

Florida transfer Aidan Mizell also took reps with the starters in the first three days of camp, and could give the Bruins a speedy, downfield, deep-shot receiver who could unlock Iamaleava’s big arm that was largely invisible in 2025.

San José State transfer Leland Smith gives Iamaleava a big-bodied receiver that can make contested catches on the boundaries or hang on to balls over the middle of the field.

Senior wideout Mikey Matthews emerged as the starting slot option over Michigan transfer Semaj Morgan during the first three days of camp, but expect the battle for this spot to continue. Matthews and Morgan are proven contributors from the inside while also offering services in the return game as well.

Just two tight ends — Molokai Matavao and Greg Dulcic — have had more than 300 receiving yards since 2020. And that trend could continue into 2026. The Bruins’ projected starter, JMU transfer Josh Phifer, is more of a blocking body than a receiving threat, and when they went to 12 personnel at preseason camp, Kennedy turned to Kansas State transfer Brayden Loftin and sophomore Noah Fox-Flores — both of whom lack production in the passing game.

UCLA coaches had to address a weak offensive line immediately after taking over the program. Iamaleava took 27 sacks last season, which ranked fourth in the Big Ten and No. 24 in the nation. With Iamaleava’s love of scrambling and reluctance to slide, a fortified front five is integral to offensive success.

After three days of camp, the center and tackles look to be solidified with 2025 second-team All-Sun Belt selection Riley Robell in the middle, South Alabama transfer Jordan Davis at left tackle and Boise State transfer at Hall Schmidt at right tackle.

The main offensive position battle, alongside slot receiver, are the two guard spots, with the Bruins’ lone returning starter from last year’s offensive line, junior Eugene Brooks, returner Julian Armella and 2025 third-team All-Sun Belt selection Carter Sweazie all competing for two spots. All three cycled through with the other starters during the first three days of camp.

While it seems like the majority of the starting offense is settled, question marks surround a team that features such little continuity and so many new faces.

But on paper, the Bruins’ offense seems poised for a breakout year.

If the offensive line holds up, at least better than the year before, then the ground game should be able to win the time-of-possession battle, wear down opponents and open up the passing game.

Preseason MVP pick (non-QB): Wayne Knight. He’s healthy, returning from an Associated Press second-team All-American season, and has three capable runners in Thomas, Woods and Iamaleava to balance the attack.

Breakout pick (non-Brian Rowe): Everybody is picking Brian Rowe Jr. to be the Bruins’ biggest breakout on either side of the ball. But Jaivian Thomas is another tailback to watch. The California transfer ran for 626 yards and seven touchdowns in just 100 touches at California in 2024, but ran for only 294 in 81 carries last season. He looks better than ever during preseason camp and should flourish with a revamped offensive line and additional capable runners in the room.

Biggest question mark: Tight end/offensive line. For the former, the group features a hodgepodge of transfers and returners, all of them with little proven production. For the latter, there’s a lot of talent and depth, but little continuity. Can the transfers make the jump to the Big Ten and what does the chemistry look like for a line where a maximum of two have lined up together before?

Bold prediction: UCLA finishes the season ranking top three in rushing yards and scores in the Big Ten.

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Bob Chesney, UCLA top players share their belief Bruins will win at Big Ten media days

Plaschke: Bob Chesney is going to do the impossible at UCLA — win

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Do you have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future UCLA newsletter? Email newsletters editor Houston Mitchell at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

OKLAHOMA CITY — UCLA, facing elimination in the Women’s College World Series on Friday night, erupted for nine runs in the second inning against Arkansas and rolled to an 11-0 win in five innings that ended the Razorbacks’ first appearance on college softball’s biggest stage.

The Bruins (53-9) got home runs in the inning from Aleena Garcia, Soo-Jin Berry and Megan Grant — her 42nd of the season and the 91st of her career, a program record. Kaniya Bragg homered to right field in the top of the fifth to make it 11-0.

The Razorbacks (47-13) were limited to three hits in five innings by UCLA starter Taylor Tinsley.

UCLA will play another elimination game at 4 p.m. PT Sunday when the Bruins face either Texas Tech, the defending national runner-up, or Tennessee.

Arkansas starter Payton Burnham didn’t last long against UCLA’s powerful lineup.

Garcia homered to lead off the second. Burnham hit Bragg with a pitch, Alexis Ramirez singled, and Berry launched a homer to left field to make it 4-0.

Saylor Timmerman replaced Burnham and walked Jolyna Lamar and Rylee Slimp before Grant crushed a 260-foot no-doubter that hit a metal fence beyond the wall in left-center field.

Mulivai Levu helped UCLA remain the comeback kings of college baseball, hitting a walk-off, three-run home run to seal a 7-5 win over rival USC on Saturday and a spot in the Big Ten tournament championship game.

It was No. 1 seed UCLA’s 27th comeback win of the season and the second consecutive game Levu’s hit sealed a victory during the Big Ten tournament played in Omaha, Neb.

On Saturday night, Levu hit a walk-off sacrifice fly to seal UCLA’s comeback 4-3 win over Purdue in the conference tournament quarterfinals.

UCLA improved to 50-6, a record that Levu said gives the team confidence it will find a way to win.

“It’s the power of friendship right there. We’re all well connected,” Levu said during an interview Saturday on the Big Ten Network. “… We just don’t give up. We’re never out of it, we’re never doubting ourselves. We know what kind of lineup we’ve got, we’ve just got to use it.”

USC’s Augie Lopez hit a double and the rest of the Trojans were active early, building a 3-0 lead in the third inning. Levu hit an RBI single in the bottom of the third to cut the deficit. Dominic Cadiz had an RBI single in the fourth before pitchers held both teams scoreless in the fifth and sixth innings.

Dean West hit a two-run home run in the seventh to give UCLA its first lead at 4-3, and both teams were scoreless in the eighth.

In the ninth, Adrian Lopez and Augie Lopez managed to score runs for USC, taking a 5-4 lead. Top Trojans reliever Adam Troy got No. 1 MLB draft prospect Roch Cholowsky to fly out.

Then Levu entered the batter’s box with two outs and hit the home run that sent USC (43-15) back to Los Angeles for a break before the NCAA tournament brackets are revealed Sunday night.

“They’re rivals on the field, but those are our boys off the field,” Levu said of the Trojans. “They’re good guys and they’re good team. We’ll probably see them again later on in the playoff run. Props to them, it was a great game, they made it very interesting. I’m just glad we won.”