UCLA Bruins interim head coach Tim Skipper (left) and new offensive coordinator Jerry Neuheisel (right) on the sideline. Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
By Sean Keeley on

The UCLA Bruins football program has experienced an epic turnaround since firing head coach DeShaun Foster.

0-3 at the time, the Bruins almost pulled off a road win against Northwestern in their first game following Foster’s firing. A week later, their once-moribund offense came to life, scoring 42 points in a shocking upset of Penn State. They proved they were no one-hit wonder on Saturday, dispatching with Michigan State in a 38-13 shellacking.

Typically, this is the moment in the story when the interim head coach becomes a media darling. People start wondering who this person is, how they turned things around so quickly, and whether or not they’ll get a chance to earn the position full-time after this season.

That discussion is happening for UCLA, but it’s not happening for interim head coach Tim Skipper. It’s happening for interim offensive coordinator Jerry Neuheisel.

The boyish Neuheisel, who previously played quarterback for the Bruins and is the son of longtime college football coach Rick Neuheisel, has become the person everyone in college football media is gravitating toward. It doesn’t hurt that Neuheisel’s dad works in the media, and they shared a lovely viral moment following the Penn State victory. But the extent to which the 33-year-old has been anointed as the face of UCLA’s resurgence, and not Skipper, has gotten weird very quickly.

Looking at social media posts from Saturday, Fox College Football, On3, Bussin With The Boys, DraftKings Sportsbook, BetMGM, and CFBTalkDaily, they all put Neuheisel front and center, excluding Skipper.

Pat McAfee also singled out Neuheisel, not Skipper, for his coaching wizardry. Geoff Schwartz also discussed how Neuheisel “made himself lots of money” with his recent coaching efforts.

There were also several comparisons made between Neuheisel and head coaches. College Sports Only said Neuheisel (an assistant) is what Chip Kelly (a head coach) was supposed to be at UCLA. BetMGM compared Neuheisel to 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.

Neuheisel has done a masterful job turning the UCLA offense around. He deserves plenty of kudos, congratulations, and job consideration for what he has already accomplished. However, it’s challenging to think of any situation where the interim head coach was treated as an also-ran while the offensive coordinator received all the credit, especially with such an impressive turnaround. And the longer this goes on, the weirder it’s going to get.

Also, all of this is to say nothing of the fact that Neuheisel is a blond-haired, blue-eyed nepo coach, while the 47-year-old Skipper is a person of color with a coaching resume that spans decades, implying a career in which he had to fight hard to earn his way to this spot. We’re sure everyone noted above would adamantly deny that it plays a factor, but it’s hard not to notice, nonetheless.

We’ll be keeping a close eye on how college football media, and sports media in general, dole out credit, especially if it continues to veer away from the norm in these kinds of situations.

About Sean Keeley

Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.

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