The shock waves that hit the UCLA football program when coach
Tom Cable left abruptly for the NFL slightly subsided Tuesday as
two new coaches were assigned to take over the positions vacated by
Cable’s departure.
UCLA quarterbacks coach Jim Svoboda was promoted to offensive
coordinator, and Jim Colletto, who last coached with the Oakland
Raiders in 2005, was hired as the offensive line coach.
Svoboda in particular will have the arduous challenge of
rebuilding a prolific offense that finished fifth in the nation in
scoring last season yet also lost offensive stalwarts Marcedes
Lewis, Maurice Drew and Drew Olson to the NFL.
“(Svoboda) possesses an outstanding offensive mind and has
a great feel for the game,” coach Karl Dorrell said.
“He has done a tremendous job of working with our
quarterbacks the last two years.”
Colletto, meanwhile, has coached in the NFL the last seven
years, and prior to that spent 11 years as a collegiate head
coach.
He was the offensive line coach for UCLA from 1976 to 1978, and
played football and baseball for the Bruins from 1962 to 1966.
“(Colletto) is considered one of the top line coaches in
the business, and we are excited to have him return to UCLA,”
Dorrell said. “He has a wealth of experience at both the
collegiate and professional levels and has enjoyed success
throughout his career.”
The two latest changes to the Bruins’ coaching staff means
that only three of the 10 assistant coaches from last season will
be returning to the team next season. Those three returning
coaches, Svoboda, Dino Babers and Brian Schneider, are all assuming
positions with bigger responsibilities to help curb the growing
pains.
But Dorrell doesn’t believe that the coaching turnover
will be a problem for UCLA next season, especially for Svoboda.
“(Svoboda) did a fantastic job as a coordinator prior to
coming to UCLA, and I know our offense will continue to flourish
under his supervision,” the third-year head coach said.
In all of Dorrell’s hirings this offseason, no deciding
factor has been more important than NFL experience. Recent hires
Chuck Bullough, DJ McCarthy, Todd Howard, DeWayne Walker and now
Colletto have all coached in the NFL in the past few years, and
it’s clear that Dorrell is making a point of adapting his
team toward the professional style of the game.
Dorrell himself has coaching experience at the pro level: He was
the wide receivers coach of the Denver Broncos before assuming the
job at UCLA.
“In Baltimore, where Colletto coached the Ravens from 1999
to 2004, they used the same running schemes as the Broncos, which
are the running schemes we utilize,” Dorrell said. “So
(Colletto) is well-versed in our offense.”
“I want all my coaches to know what it takes it to get to
the next level,” the coach added.