Chip Kelly names UCLA’s next offensive line coach
The UCLA Bruins and head coach Chip Kelly have announced a big-time staff hiring. The school announced Friday analyst Tim Drevno would be staying on staff as the Bruins new offensive line coach.
Drevno assisted with developing the offensive line this past season. Prior to spending time in Westwood, he was an assistant on the USC coaching staff.
He spent three years with the Trojans and held the position of run game, pass protection coordinator, offensive line coach and running backs coach at various points in his tenure. Drevno developed a pair of first-round offense lineman selections in Elijah Vera Tucker and Austin Jackson during his time at USC.
He is also credited with developing another first-rounder in current New Orleans Saints and former Michigan Wolverines offensive lineman Cesar Ruiz during his three-year run at Michigan from 2015 to 2017.
Chip Kelly to add another coach
Jeff Faris – who was most recently the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Duke – has been hired as UCLA’s new tight ends coach, according to a report from The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman.
Faris, 31, who played safety at Duke from 2008-11, joined the Blue Devils’ coaching staff in 2012 as a graduate assistant and worked his way up to wide receivers coach in 2014.
After spending three seasons in the role of wide receivers coach, Faris added the title of offensive recruiting coordinator and went onto coach tight ends and then quarterbacks while also being the co-offensive coordinator last season.
Following nearly 10 years on Duke’s coaching staff, Faris is now headed to Los Angeles to coach tight ends under Chip Kelly.
UCLA, Chip Kelly come to decision ahead of buyout deadline
UCLA football coach Chip Kelly has signed a new contract extension, per The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman. Kelly was set to enter the fifth and final year of his current contract, which earned him $5.6 million in 2021.
The new deal extends the coach four years through 2025. Salary details have yet to be released. The extension was announced just two days before the buyout in Kelly’s current contract was set to drop to zero on Jan. 16.
Kelly had his most successful season with the Bruins yet in 2021, finishing with an 8-4 record. It was his first winning season since taking over in 2018 and the first eight-win season for the program since 2015. UCLA earned a trip to the Holiday Bowl but pulled out hours before their game against NC State because of COVID-19 problems.