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Jason Fraychineaud
Multiple media publications have announced that it sounds as if the new Defensive Coordinator will be San Diego Chargers LB Coach John Pagano. Pagano has been an assistant for the Chargers for 10 years but has held quite a reputation. He has been singled out by both Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips (both former Pro Bowlers) for the work that Pagano has done developing them. Pagano's brother Chuck is currently the Baltimore Raven's Defensive Coordinator as well.
Here is an interview done by Pagano a week ago: http://www.chargers.com/media-vault/...d-d8850c593f4b
In addition to Pagano, it sounds as if former SF 49er LB Jeff Ulbrich will be joining as Special Teams coach. Ulbrich spent this past season at Seattle as an assistant to the Special Teams coach. I like this hire a lot in the sense that Ulbrich is a young guy, he played recently in the NFL, and he has big ties to the San Jose/Bay Area (which should eventually help in recruiting). He is said to have an infectious personality that should resonate well in recruiting.
These hires are not finalized but are expected to go through. Mora hasn't made these moves public due to the NFL season still on going. As the regular season comes to an end this weekend, more hires will be made public and the staff should be completed in correspondence with the end of the dead period (for recruiting). This way, the new staff can hit recruiting hard and the staff will be in place for the monster recruiting weekend on the 13th.
In review, here is Jim L. Mora's staff...
Offense
Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach: Noel Mazzone
Running Backs Coach: Steve Broussard
Wide Receivers Coach: N/A
Offensive Line Coach: Adrian Klemm
Tight Ends Coach: Marques Tuiasosopo
Defense
Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach: John Pagano
Defensive Line Coach: Inoke Breckterfield
Defensive Backs Coach: Demetrice Martin
Special Teams Coach: Jeff Ulbrich
Recruiting Coordinator/Special Teams Assistant: Angus McClure
Strength & Conditioning Coach: N/A
It remains to be seen as to who will be the WR coach or the Strength & Conditioning coach. Anyone that has watched or followed UCLA football can attest to the notion that the team lacks speed and is either too bulky or too small. The team also has a propensity to get injured quite frequently.
The general consensus, however, is that current Strength & Conditioning coach Mike Linn won't be back. College Football has evolved drastically in the last 20 years and there is most certainly a premium on a great S&C program. Some people argue that position is even more significant to a football team's success than a good coordinator is. Urban Meyer is definitely a believer in that notion, as he's hired an unbelievable four Strength & Conditioning coaches for his Ohio State squad. If a team is fit and physically able, it allows a team to mask deficiencies or even blown coverages from time to time.
A name picking up steam for the WR position is Eric Yarber. Yarber is currently with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The thought is that Tampa's coach Raheem Morris is about to be shown the door at the end of the season and Yarber is said to be interested in a return to the Pac-12 and if it happens, it's an absolute boon for UCLA. Yarber previously coached at Oregon State, Washington, and most recently Arizona State. He also is a Los Angeles native who went to the famed Crenshaw High School. One of the things he's most known for is his ability to develop unheralded and lightly regarded prospects into big time players. Two of his players that fit the criteria above at Oregon State were Chad Ochocinco (formerly Johnson) and T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who both eventually became Pro Bowl receivers. If UCLA can land Yarber, it just adds another lethal recruiter to an already stacked staff recruiting wise.
Across the board, this staff has the potential to truly be a juggernaut that has existing ties all across California. Optimism is back in Westwood and recruiting shouldn't be a problem with this staff.
