Quarterback Nico Iamaleava’s camp said that UCLA’s superior offensive system was the reason that the signal caller opted to leave Tennessee following spring practice, turning down a lucrative NIL deal and the stability of entering his second season as the Vols’ starting quarterback.
UCLA mutually parted ways with offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri Tuesday night, the LA Times Ben Bolch first reported, moving away from the architect of the offense that Iamaleava’s camp was so bullish to play for.
Tight ends coach Jerry Neuheisel, and son of former UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel, will now call plays for the Bruins as they prepare to host No. 7 Penn State at the Rose Bowl Saturday afternoon.
It’s been a disastrous first month of the season for the 2025 Bruins. UCLA is off to an 0-4 start to the season, dropping three of the easiest games on its schedule against UNLV, New Mexico and Northwestern. UCLA fired head coach DeShaun Foster following the loss to New Mexico and before its first open date.
But just one game and two weeks later, UCLA is making another significant move to its coaching staff before parting ways with its offensive coordinator. Tino Sunseri is the son of former Tennessee defensive coordinator Sal Sunseri and was in his first season with the UCLA program after spending the previous four seasons with Curt Cignetti— first at James Madison and then at Indiana.
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Ironically, Sunseri does have a past at Tennessee. The former Pitt football player was a quality control assistant at Tennessee in 2018 under head coach Jeremy Pruitt.
Through the first month of the season, UCLA is averaging 14.2 points per game— a mark that ranks 132nd out of 134 FBS teams. Iamaleava has completed 81-of-124 passes for 788 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions.
Compare that to Tennessee, who is averaging 51 points per game through the first month of the season— a mark that ranks third nationally. Quarterback Joey Aguilar has completed 102-of-157 passes for 1,459 yards, 13 touchdowns and five interceptions.
UCLA certainly is not putting Iamaleava in a position to be successful. Iamaleava largely looks like the quarterback he did last season in Knoxville, a bit too trigger shy and dependent on taking off and running. While not great, Iamaleava has been fine and is not the main reason UCLA is such a train wreck.
Of course, a second midseason coaching change almost certainly will not be good for Iamaleava as he deals with more change and coaching turnover.
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Karma is a b*tch!