Top 5 Coaching Candidates for UCLA Bruins Football

The coaching carousel is already spinning just a quarter way through the season. The first job to open was the UCLA Bruins. Here are five candidates UCLA should be looking into.

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1. Pat Fitzgerald (Former Northwestern HC)

The former Northwestern coach was cleared of all allegations of abuse from events that led to his firing before the 2023 season. Pat Fitzgerald spent 17 seasons with the Wildcats and was 110-101 with 65 Big Ten wins. The end of his tenure wasn’t great, with just 14 wins over the final four years. He is familiar with the Big Ten and has proven he can win at a place with fewer resources.

2. Jason Eck (Current New Mexico HC)

Jason Eck just came into the Rose Bowl and thumped UCLA in his first year at New Mexico. He turned an Idaho program that was transitioning down to the FCS around quickly. He was 26-13 with three playoff appearances with the Vandals and currently 2-1 with UNM. If you want a proven program builder, Eck should be a candidate. The only issue is whether he would wait for the Wisconsin job to become available.

3. Tony White (Florida State Defensive Coordinator)

Tony White has turned around Florida State’s defense and has been a coordinator at multiple Power Four programs. He is also a former UCLA player, so he is familiar with the program. Does UCLA go to the former player well again for a first-time head coach?

4. D’Anton Lynn (USC Defensive Coordinator)

D’Anton Lynn’s name has been mentioned several times in the past week for the UCLA job. He’s currently the defensive coordinator at rival USC. Lynn was the safeties coach for the Bruins in 2023, but again, he would be a first-time head coach.

5. Dan Mullen (Current UNLV Head Coach)

Is UCLA a better job than UNLV? It depends on how invested UCLA is. If they can promise improvements in NIL, facilities, and other program infrastructure items, it can pass UNLV. Dan Mullen already beat UCLA in 2025 and has 13 years of head coaching experience in the SEC. He has a career record of 106-61 and is 3-0 with the Rebels this year. If UCLA wants a splash hire, this may be the most realistic.

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