In the wake of UCLA parting ways with former OC Eric Bieniemy, head coach DeShaun Foster had to move fast to find a replacement.
The transfer portal period is about to open. The Bruins have a considerable amount of players to replace from this year’s squad. Having a new offensive coordinator in place is paramount for the health of the program moving forward.
As reports rolled in Thursday afternoon, the Bruins may have found their guy.
Tino Sunseri reportedly will leave Indiana in favor of coming to Westwood. This past year, Sunseri has functioned as Indiana’s Co-Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach. The Hoosiers exploded onto the scene under Curt Cignetti’s leadership.
The offense is one of the best in the country, and Sunseri’s development of quarterback Kurtis Rourke has led directly to Indiana’s standing as a potential College Football Playoff participant.
Sunseri, 35, didn’t call the plays in Bloomington. However, his imprints are all over this offense. Indiana led the country in touchdowns this past year. The Hoosier also ranked No. 2 nationally in points per game (43.3).
Sunseri’s pedigree surely made him an attractive candidate for Foster and his stuff. Aside from being a dynamic recruiter and a prodigious strategist, he comes from a football family.
His father, Sal, has been a longtime coach in both the college ranks and in the NFL. Brother Vinnie played for Alabama. After a brief NFL career, he joined his father and brother as a coach (currently the safeties coach at Washington). Sunseri himself was a quarterback at Pitt before embarking on a coaching career at Florida State, Tennessee, Alabama, James Madison, and most recently Indiana.
By pairing the experience he accrued under his father/as a player, coupled with learning from both Nick Saban and Steve Sarkisian, Sunseri seems more than ready to take on this challenge in being a high-level D1 offensive coordinator.
Additionally, it signals that UCLA is serious about winning by poaching one of the most highly-regarded up-and-coming coaches in the country.
