Coaching is a transient profession. Just as soon as you arrive
in one city for a job, you could easily be on the move in only two
or three years. Nobody knows that better than Jim Colletto.
UCLA’s new offensive line coach typifies the impermanence
of any football job ““ coaching staffs fluctuate as the
members all try to shuffle their way into the head coaching
job.
After finishing his first year with the Oakland Raiders in 2005,
the rehiring of Art Shell as head coach abruptly ended
Colletto’s tenure in the Bay Area.
The Raiders were the 11th stop in his coaching career. But he
had at least one more left in him, which brought him back to his
alma mater for his third stint in Westwood.
Rather than hire another young, up-and-coming coach after Tom
Cable left, coach Karl Dorrell sought Colletto, a seasoned veteran
who would stabilize a unit that was losing three starters from last
season’s team.
The decision to return to Westwood was an easy one for Colletto.
Although his three children are grown and spread across the
country, the UCLA job was a family-oriented decision.
“We’ve made special relationships in every city
I’ve coached, but my wife’s family is from here, so it
has been nice to come back,” he said.
Prior to the Raiders job, he was the offensive line coach for
the Baltimore Ravens, coaching former Bruin great Jonathon Ogden in
Super Bowl XLI. He’s also been the head coach at Purdue, and
the offensive coordinator for Ohio State and Notre Dame.
Colletto brings a calm, confident demeanor to the program.
“When you have been doing this as long as I have, you
don’t really care how the players feel (about your coaching
style),” said Colletto, also an associate head coach under
Dorrell.
Each day on Spaulding Field, Colletto can be seen talking to one
of his linemen several minutes after practice ends. He’s
dwarfed by players a third of his age, but they intently watch the
coach mimic a pass block.
Colletto credits his biggest influence as longtime Bruin coach
Tommy Prothro, who gave him his first coaching job in 1967. But
that doesn’t mean he’s too old-fashioned to get his
message across to the newest generation.
“When Cable was really quiet, he was mad,” guard
Shannon Tevaga said. “When Colletto is mad, he shouts. He
lets you know he’s not happy with your work.
“(Colletto) has a yell that is annoying ““ it makes
you want to stop messing up right away.”