Northwestern targeting UCLA's Jerry Neuheisel as quarterbacks coach

The coaching staff shakeup is continuing at Northwestern. Per On3’s Pete Nakos, the Wildcats are targeting UCLA assistant coach Jerry Neuheisel as their next quarterbacks coach.

Neuheisel played quarterback at UCLA from 2012 to 2015. After one year of playing professionally in Japan, he would return to the United States to begin his coaching career. First, Neuheisel was a quality control coach at Texas A&M. Then, in 2018, he joined the UCLA staff as a graduate assistant. That incidentally was the same year when Chip Kelly took over as the head coach there.

Kelly is taking over as the offensive coordinator at Northwestern. He had previously left UCLA to become the offensive coordinator at Ohio State and later in the NFL with the Las Vegas Raiders. Now, after being fired by the Raiders, he finds himself back in the college game.

Over the course of his time at UCLA, Neuheisel was a graduate assistant, wide receivers coach, and tight ends coach. Then, in 2025, he also became the team’s assistant head coach and interim offensive coordinator.

As the interim offensive coordinator, Neuheisel helped make a name for himself nationally this past season. He would be elevated following a 17-14 road loss to Northwestern. That was just days before the Bruins would take on a Penn State team that, at the time, was expected to compete for the College Football Playoff. There was a spark that went off for UCLA in that game, and they’d score 42 points in an upset win over the Nittany Lions.

He earned a Gatorade bath for his effort there. After the game, he was emotional when trying to reflect on what he and the team accomplished.

“First thing I want to say is I love UCLA more than anything. And the kind of kids that you see that played on that field today is exactly why you love a place like this. We had two days to practice the new game plan, and all they did was believe. And we came out and played as hard as we could for 60 full minutes,” Neuheisel said.

“You know, it’s – again, it’s those kids. It’s the fact that I got to spend time and do that and been around them for so long. To come together and play a game like that? Like, I think that’s what we were capable of. And I think, to see their excitement and their emotion in that locker room? Like, again, just a special, special day.”

Neuheisel lasted two different head coaching tenures at UCLA, Chip Kelly and DeShaun Foster. However, incoming head coach Bob Chesney made the decision not to retain him on staff. Now, he’s found his new home with Northwestern.