UCLA head coach Bob Chesney announces more coaching hires

As the transfer portal opened in full swing, UCLA head coach Bob Chesney continued to fill out his coaching staff Friday and added more pieces to the puzzle yet to be previously reported.

Legi Suiaunoa, who has more than 20 years of collegiate coaching experience, is the next UCLA defensive line coach; Anthony DiMichele, another ex-James Madison assistant, will coach the safeties; Gabe Lynn, who is being retained from the previous staff, is shifting from safeties to nickel backs coach; Sam Daniels, who was also at James Madison, is the Bruins’ defensive ends coach; and Chris Grautski rounds out the additional moves as the next strength and conditioning coach.

“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 said in a release officially announcing 10 on-field additions to the staff. “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.”

DL coach Legi Suiaunoa

Suiaunoa was most recently at Michigan State in 2024. The Oceanside, Calif., native also spent time up and down the West Coast at Oregon State, Hawaii, Portland State, Eastern Oregon, Western Washington and Palomar Junior College, where he broke into the profession in 2002.

Suiaunoa’s other past stops include Montana and Nevada, where he graduated from in 2002.

In addition to defensive line coaching experience, past roles also include associate head coach at Montana, defensive coordinator at Eastern Oregon and linebackers coach at both Western Washington and Palomar JC.

Suiaunoa’s players have amassed 24 all-conference selections, including seven first-team nods (all in the Big Sky at Montana).

Suianoa’s six seasons at Oregon State from 2018 to 2023 overlapped with new UCLA general manager Darrick Yray‘s time in Corvallis.

The Beavers’ defense immediately improved with the help of Suiaunoa. Oregon State allowed 13.2 fewer points per game and 112.3 fewer yards rushing per game in 2019. The Beavers also had 86 tackles for loss and 32 sacks that season.

In 2023, Oregon State ranked second in the Pac-12 and ninth nationally in sacks with 36, tied for second in fumbles forced with 13 and third in tackles for loss with 72. The Beavers were also fourth in the conference against the run (104.1 yards allowed per game), fourth in opponent third-down conversions (37.5%) and fifth in scoring defense (21.3 points allowed per game).

Safeties coach Anthony DiMichele

DiMichele has been with Chesney the past four seasons in stops at James Madison and Holy Cross. He’s another piece to the defensive staff coming over that shaped the Dukes’ top-five national finish in total defense at 266 yards allowed per game.

The safeties play a big role in new defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler‘s scheme. The team’s defensive pass efficiency rating was 109.01 and ranked 10th nationally. James Madison allowed 181.6 yards passing per game to finish 20th. Three safeties earned All-Sun Belt honors this past season under DiMichele’s direction.

DiMichele, a 2011 Holy Cross graduate, was also with Chesney for a previous stint at his alma mater from 2017 to Chesney’s arrival in 2018. His only other coaching stop is three years at Lehigh as the running backs coach and recruiting coordinator from 2019 to 2021.

DEs coach Sam Daniels

Daniels is leaving his alma mater after spending the past two seasons coaching the James Madison defensive line.

The defense produced 36 sacks and 87 tackles for a loss last season, finishing 28th and 33rd, respectively. In comparison, UCLA collected just 10 sacks and 40 TFLs, which both ranked last among 134 FBS teams.

Four Dukes defensive linemen earned all-conference honors with the help of Daniels.

Past stops include two years at Delaware, two years at Richmond, one year at Bridgewater College, three years at Shepherd University, two years at Frostburg State and two years at the Apprentice School. Among the standouts Daniels coached at Richmond was Los Angeles Rams star defensive lineman Kobie Turner, who finished third in voting for NFL defensive rookie of the year in 2023.

UCLA coaching staff

Head coach – Bob Chesney

Offensive coordinator – Dean Kennedy

Defensive coordinator – Colin Hitschler

Offensive line/run game coordinator – Chris Smith

Running backs – A.J. Steward (retained from previous staff)

Wide receivers – Colin Lockett

Tight ends/special teams – Drew Canan

Defensive line – Legi Suiaunoa

Defensive ends – Sam Daniels

Linebackers – Vic So’oto

Defensive backs – Eddie Whitley Jr.

Safeties – Anthony DiMichele

Nickels – Gabe Lynn (retained from previous staff)