University of California-Los Angeles Football

A.J. Steward enters his second season as running backs coach for the UCLA football program in 2026. Steward, one of two returning members from the Bruins’ 2025 staff, joins head coach Bob Chesney for his first campaign. The 2025 season saw the Bruins average 139.7 rushing yards per game. UCLA utilized a four-man rotation in the backfield, with three (Jalen Berger, Jaivian Thomas, Anthony Woods) finishing with at least 275 rushing yards on the season and three (Berger, Woods, Anthony Frias II) averaging at least 4.5 yards per carry. Berger paced UCLA's running backs with 364 yards and two rushing touchdowns on 81 carries. Everyone in the backfield quartet had at least one standout performance over the course of the year, highlighted by outings from Berger (3 TDs, 107 yards of total offense in Oct. 11 win at Michigan State) and Frias (97 rushing yards, 130 yards of total offense in Oct. 18 win over Maryland) that earned UCLA Student-Athlete of the Week honors. Steward joined UCLA from his alma mater, Kansas, where he served as an offensive analyst. Steward began his coaching career in 2012 and has also spent time at Baylor (2023), Oregon State (2021, 2022), Arizona (2020), BYU (2018, 2019) and Rice (2012-17), guiding the running backs at each stop. Kansas registered a top-40 offense in 2024, averaging 420.2 total yards per game (37th nationally). The running attack proved especially potent, ranking 13th overall with a per-game rate of 211.4. All-Big 12 Honorable Mention pick De

Ammasith Phrommavanh enters his first season as an assistant director of athletic performance for the UCLA football program in 2026. Phrommavanh arrived in Westwood after six years as the assistant strength and conditioning coach at Georgia State, where he worked primarily with baseball, softball and men's soccer. The 2026 campaign marks Phrommavanh's 13th year in the athletic performance industry. Before Georgia State, Phrommavanh served Elon's volleyball, men's tennis and softball programs as an assistant sports performance coach in 2019-20. Phrommavanh completed his master's degree in strength and conditioning from Springfield College in Massachusetts in Spring 2019, where he worked as a graduate assistant with the Pride's football, men's and women's volleyball, women's lacrosse and women's gymnastics teams. In addition to developing and implementing training programs, he also helped oversee Springfield's undergraduate and graduate student interns. Prior to his time at Springfield, he interned with the Minnesota football team during the Summer 2018. Additionally, Phrommavanh worked with a number of Olympic sports in internships at Holy Cross, Quinnipiac and Connecticut. A 2016 graduate of Central Connecticut State University, Phrommavanh earned a bachelor's degree in exercise science and holds NSCA-CSCS, RPR L1, USAW L1 and Red Cross First Aid CPR/AED certifications.

Anthony DiMichele begins his first season as safeties coach for the UCLA football program in 2026. He arrived in Westwood after spending the previous two seasons in the same role at James Madison University. The 2026 campaign marks DiMichele’s 12th year of coaching. DiMichele has now served on head coach Bob Chesney’s staff in six of the last nine seasons. He has assisted Chesney as his safeties coach for five straight years, with two seasons apiece at James Madison (2024-25) and FCS Holy Cross (2022-23). DiMichele was also the running backs coach on Chesney’s initial staff at Holy Cross in 2018. Most recently, DiMichele and Chesney helped James Madison reach new heights in their two years together in Harrisonburg, Va. In 2025, the Dukes recorded just the 10th unbeaten conference record in Sun Belt history, going 8-0, and captured the program’s first Sun Belt Championship. James Madison secured a spot in the College Football Playoff (CFP) for the first time in school history with the No. 12 seed and earned its highest AP ranking in program history at No. 19. The Dukes finished the season with a 12-2 record following their CFP First Round appearance. DiMichele assisted one of the nation’s elite defenses at James Madison in 2025, ranking fifth in the FBS with 266.6 yards allowed per game and 13th with 18.4 points allowed per game. DiMichele’s safeties helped the Dukes lead the Sun Belt with 181.6 passing yards allowed per game. James Madison held opponents to under 200 yards of

Chris Grautski enters his first season as the director of athletic performance coach for the UCLA football program in 2026. The upcoming campaign marks his 19th year in the collegiate strength and conditioning ranks. Grautski reunites with head coach Bob Chesney after serving on his staffs at James Madison (2025), FCS Holy Cross (2018-23) and NCAA Division II Assumption College (2013-17) for a total of 12 seasons. He has been a full-time member on eight staffs that have reached the Playoffs (four FCS, three NCAA Division II, one CFP). Grautski, alongside Chesney, helped James Madison reach new heights in their one year together in Harrisonburg, Va. in 2025. The Dukes recorded just the 10th unbeaten conference record in Sun Belt history, going 8-0, and captured the program's first Sun Belt Championship. James Madison secured a spot in the College Football Playoff (CFP) for the first time in school history with the No. 12 seed and earned its highest AP ranking in program history at No. 19. The Dukes finished the season with a 12-2 record following their CFP First Round appearance. A 2009 graduate of Worcester State University with bachelor's degree in health science, he was a four-year starter on the defensive line for the Lancers, serving as a team captain for two years. Grautski later earned his master's degree in leadership and management from Fitchburg State in 2013.

Cristos Argys enters his first season as the director of recruiting strategy for the UCLA football program in 2026. Argys follows head coach Bob Chesney to Westwood after serving as the director of recruiting for James Madison in 2025 where he helped assemble a roster that reached the College Football Playoff and win the Sun Belt Championship. He also played under Chesney as a safety at Holy Cross from 2018-22. In his role with the Dukes, he oversaw the development and implementation of comprehensive recruiting strategies while collaborating with the coaching staff to attract and identify high-caliber student-athletes who align with the team's culture and competitive aspirations. Argys worked with the coaches and director of player personnel to evaluate roster needs and utilize innovative digital marketing and branding techniques to enhance recruiting outreach while also overseeing recruiting visits logistics. Prior to James Madison, Argys served as associate regional director for Zero Gravity Basketball in Boston while also working as the brand manager for Jaster Athletes, a sports marketing company, in Pittsburgh. He was additionally a ticket sales and experience manager for the XFL and also interned with the Holy Cross media and marketing team prior to his graduation. A two-year starter in Holy Cross' secondary, Argys was a three-time All-Patriot League Academic Honor Roll member. The East Greenwich, R.I., native played in 52 career games with 21 starts, accumulating 78 ta

Darrick Yray enters his first season as general manager for the UCLA football program in 2026. Yray joins UCLA head coach Bob Chesney's staff after four seas...

Deontrae Cooper enters his first season as director of college personnel for the UCLA football program in 2026. Cooper joins head coach Bob Chesney’s staff a...

Jack Sprague enters his first season as the associate director of athletic performance for the UCLA football program in 2026. Sprague arrived in Westwood after serving head coach Bob Chesney as the associate director of athletic performance at James Madison in 2025. He also assisted Chesney as an intern for two years at NCAA Division II Assumption College in 2015-16. Sprague's supervisor at UCLA, Chris Grautski, was on staff at each of those two prior stops. The 2026 campaign marks Sprague's 12th year in the athletic performance industry. Before James Madison, Sprague spent the 2024 season at Duke where he was the assistant director of sports performance for football. While with the Blue Devils, he worked regularly with the defensive backs, wide receivers and quarterbacks while overseeing the Perch Velocity Based Training data and reports. Prior to Duke, Sprague spent five seasons at Florida International from 2019-23. After three seasons as an assistant director of strength and conditioning, he was promoted to associate director role for the final two. In addition to working with the quarterbacks, he also spent time overseeing men's basketball and women's tennis. Sprague also had stops at The Citadel, Villanova, Athletic Evolution, Holy Cross, Assumption College and Worcester State. The Maynard, Mass. native graduated from nearby NCAA Division III Worcester State in 2016 with a bachelor's degree in health education. Sprague was a wide receiver for the Lancers' football progr

Jacob Dobbs enters his first year as a defensive analyst working with linebackers at UCLA in 2026. Dobbs begins his second season in the collegiate coaching ranks after capping a prolific six-year playing career at linebacker under head coach Bob Chesney. He started his coaching career in 2025 as a quality control coach and assistant linebackers coach at James Madison, working under Chesney. That season, the Dukes ranked fifth nationally in total defense (266.6 yards allowed per game) and 13th in scoring defense (18.4 points allowed per game), while holding opponents under 200 yards of total offense in five games. As a player, Dobbs recorded more than 500 career tackles with 432 at Holy Cross from 2019-23 and 74 during his final season at James Madison in 2024. He was a William V. Campbell Trophy finalist and a three-time College Sports Communicators Academic All-American. Dobbs earned All-Sun Belt Second Team honors in 2024 and was named to the Butkus Award Watch List. At Holy Cross, he was a two-time Stats Perform Buck Buchanan Award finalist and a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award. He was also a two-time Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year and a First Team All-American in 2021 and 2023. Dobbs graduated from Holy Cross as the Patriot League’s all-time leader in tackles with 432, ranking second in program history in the category. One of only two four-time team captains in Crusader history, he also set the school record with 46.5 tackles for loss. A native of Macomb,

JD Lake enters his first season as a full-time recruiting analyst for the UCLA football program in 2026. Lake specializes in strategic talent identification, analyzing recruiting trends and directing UCLA summer camps. He served the Bruins' recruiting office in a part-time role during the 2025 campaign. Lake has spent several years in equipment offices at both the college and professional levels. While completing his undergraduate degree, Lake was a student equipment manager for the Oregon State football program. He finished his time in Corvallis with a bachelor's in business administration, management and operations with a focus in supply chain and logistics. A native of St. Louis, Mo., Lake acquired his first experience working in sports as an equipment intern for the Los Angeles Rams during their first two years back in Southern California while attending nearby Agoura High School in 2016-17.

Marshawn Friloux enters his second season as the senior director of football recruiting operations for the UCLA football program. Friloux arrived in Westwood in 2025 after spending six months in the front office at FCS Sacramento State from January through June. He was previously an offensive graduate assistant for three years, coaching wide receivers at Boise State in 2023-24 and NCAA Division II Minot State University in 2022. Friloux was the running backs coach in 2019 at St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower, Calif. where he helped lead the program to a No. 1 national ranking and the CIF Open Division Championship thanks to his stable accumulating 2,344 yards in 12 games for a 6.5 average per carry clip. That followed a league championship season in 2018 as the running backs coach at El Camino College in Torrance, Calif. He helped El Camino garner an 8-3 record and an appearance in the state playoffs for the first time in seven years. He got his coaching start at his alma mater Bellflower High School where, over three seasons, Friloux served in various roles including strength and conditioning coordinator (2015-16), running backs coach (2015-17) and assistant head coach/offensive coordinator (2017). Friloux was a two-year team captain at Cerritos College in Norwalk, Calif. from 2008-09 and then played two years at Southern Oregon in 2010-11. He is a 2010 graduate of Cerritos College as he earned his associate's degree in general studies and then obtained his bachelor's

Matt Transue begins his first season as chief of staff for the UCLA football program in 2026. Transue arrived in Westwood after serving the last four seasons...

Michael Moriarty enters his first season as a recruiting analyst for the UCLA football program in 2026. He arrives in Westwood after spending the 2025 season at James Madison. Under head coach Bob Chesney as an assistant director of player personnel, he helped the Dukes assemble a roster that reached the College Football Playoff and win the Sun Belt Championship for the first time in program history. Prior to James Madison, Moriarty assisted current general manager Darrick Yray for three years at Florida State from 2022-24. Moriarty helped import a Seminoles 2023 roster that won 13 games and secured the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship. That 2023 squad produced a program-record 25 All-ACC selections and an ACC-best 10 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. Moriarty graduated from Florida State in 2024 with a bachelor's degree in sports management.

Mike Cordova enters his first season as the assistant tight ends coach for the UCLA football program in 2026. Cordova spent the previous five seasons working under head coach Bob Chesney at James Madison (2024–25) and Holy Cross (2021–23). Most recently, Cordova served as an offensive analyst at James Madison in 2025, helping lead the Dukes to a 12-2 record, their first Sun Belt Conference Championship and the program’s first College Football Playoff appearance. JMU ranked first in the Sun Belt and ninth nationally in scoring offense (31.7 points per game), while also finishing 15th in total offense at 456.2 yards per game. As a graduate assistant at James Madison in 2024, Cordova helped guide the Dukes to the nation’s 26th-ranked scoring offense (33.3 points per game). The offense averaged 191.5 rushing yards per game, produced 28 passing touchdowns and committed just nine turnovers – the third-fewest in the FBS. JMU capped the season with a 27-17 victory over Western Kentucky in the Boca Raton Bowl, securing the program’s first bowl championship. Cordova joined James Madison after four seasons on Chesney’s staff at Holy Cross. He served as running backs coach in 2022 and 2023 after working in a special teams quality control role during the Spring and Fall 2021 seasons. During his time at Holy Cross, Cordova helped the program win four Patriot League championships and earn three FCS Playoff berths, highlighted by a Quarterfinal appearance in 2022. In 2023, he coached running

Nathan Applebaum enters his first season as the executive director of player personnel for the UCLA football program in 2026. Applebaum follows head coach Bob Chesney to Westwood after serving as the director of player personnel at James Madison for two seasons in 2024-25 where the Dukes reached the College Football Playoff and won the Sun Belt Championship in his final year. His primary duties included coordinating the daily prospective student-athlete (PSA) recruiting operation and logistical processes for the program. He also planned and executed an annual vision of the recruiting calendar, which included mail, video and graphics. Applebaum identified, evaluated, collected and organized data on PSAs to be distributed to Chesney and his staff. Additionally, he developed and managed the film evaluation process for high school and transfer athletes while working alongside the director of on-campus recruiting. Prior to James Madison, Applebaum spent two seasons as the assistant director of player personnel at Fresno State in 2022-23. Before Fresno State, he was a player personnel/recruiting assistant for the Michigan State program in 2021. While in East Lansing, Applebaum's role was to break down film to identify quality targets and assist with recruiting visits. Applebaum graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in business administration in 2021. He earned his master's degree in sports management two years later at Florida. While in Gainesville, he h

Nick So'oto enters his first season as director of player personnel for the UCLA football program in 2026. So'oto arrives in Westwood with five years of experience in recruiting and player personnel departments at California (2025), Arizona State (2023-24), Fresno State (2022), Army West Point (2021), and West Texas A&M (2021). In 2025, So'oto helped Cal to a berth in the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl alongside brother Vic So'oto, who served as the Golden Bears' co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. New recruits – headlined by ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year Luke Ferrelli – played a key role in Cal's solid season. Before making the move to UCLA, So'oto helped Cal compile the No. 38 overall recruit class in the country (transfers + freshman, 247 Composite). So'oto's two seasons in Tempe were highlighted by a CFP appearance and 11-3 overall record in 2024. The Sun Devils won six straight games to close out that regular season before dropping a double-overtime heartbreaker to Texas in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl. On the recruiting side, So'oto helped import the No. 7 class in the Big 12 and the No. 48 class nationally in 2024 (247 Composite). His first full-time personnel position came at Fresno State in 2022, when he helped the Bulldogs to a 10-4 record, a Mountain West Championship, and a win in the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl. That fall, FSU imported a top-four recruit class in the Mountain West Conference. In his first fall as a full-time collegiate staffer, Army West Point went

Reed Horner enters his first season as a recruiting analyst for the UCLA football program in 2026. Horner arrives in Westwood after serving on the recruiting staff at James Madison for four seasons, including two years under head coach Bob Chesney. He operated as a player personnel intern for his first three years before being promoted to an analyst in 2025. Horner helped the Dukes assemble a 2025 roster that reached the program's first-ever College Football Playoff and win its first-ever Sun Belt Championship. He also served for two seasons under head coach Curt Cignetti in 2022-23 with James Madison going 19-4 during its transition to the FBS level. Horner graduated from James Madison in 2026 with a bachelor's degree in sports management.

Richard Rodgers enters his first season as special assistant to the head coach for the UCLA football program in 2026. He brings 36 years of coaching experience, including 25 as a college assistant and 12 at the NFL ranks. Most recently, Rodgers served on head coach Bob Chesney's 2025 staff at James Madison as associate head coach where he helped the Dukes win the Sun Belt Championship and earn a College Football Playoff for the first time in program history. Rodgers spent four seasons coaching the secondary in DMV area with the Washington Commanders from 2020-23 before joining James Madison. He was an assistant defensive backs coach for the first three seasons before being promoted to senior defensive assistant and safeties coach for his final campaign in 2023. Prior to his move to D.C., Rodgers coached in numerous capacities over eight seasons with the Carolina Panthers from 2012-19. He was part of four playoff teams, which was highlighted by the 2015 season in which the Panthers went 15-1 and advanced to Super Bowl 50. Before his jump to the NFL, Rodgers spent 23 years coaching college football across five institutions. Rodgers graduated from the University of California with a bachelor's degree in political science and government. He was a two-time All-Pac 10 Second Team selection for the Golden Bears between 1980-84 and was special teams captain for three seasons. He called 'The Play' in the huddle to defeat Stanford in the iconic finish in 1982 and was the second and fou

Sam Daniels enters his first season as defensive ends coach for the UCLA football program in 2026. He arrived in Westwood after spending the last two seasons as the defensive line coach at his alma mater, James Madison University, under head coach Bob Chesney. The 2026 season marks Daniels’s 15th year in coaching. He made multi-year stops at the USCAA (2012-13), Division III (2014-19), FCS (2021-23), and FBS (2024-present) levels. Daniels, alongside head coach Bob Chesney, helped James Madison reach new heights in their two years together in Harrisonburg, Va. In 2025, the Dukes recorded just the 10th unbeaten conference record in Sun Belt history, going 8-0, and captured the program’s first Sun Belt Championship. James Madison secured a spot in the College Football Playoff (CFP) for the first time in school history with the No. 12 seed and earned its highest AP ranking in program history at No. 19. The Dukes finished the season with a 12-2 record following their CFP First Round appearance. The JMU defense ranked fifth in FBS with 266.6 yards allowed per game and 13th with 18.4 points allowed per game. James Madison was also sixth in the country in third down defense (29.4%), 10th in defensive touchdowns (3), 28th in sacks per game (2.57) and 33rd in tackles for loss per game (6.2). Under Daniels’s tutelage, defensive linemen Immanuel Bush and Sahir West both earned All-Sun Belt honors. West ranked second among all freshmen in the nation with 7.0 sacks and seventh in the Sun B

Steven Price enters his second season as the assistant general manager for the UCLA football program in 2026. Price owns 18 years of experience in football front offices and talent evaluation and acquisition. The bulk of Price's experience comes at the NFL level where he has spent 15 years as a scout or assistant in either player personnel, operations or media relations. His time in the NFL included stints with the New York Giants (2021-22), Houston Texans (2018-20), Minnesota Vikings (2008-09; 2010-17) and the Carolina Panthers (2002-07; 2010). Price also served one year at the collegiate ranks before UCLA as an assistant recruiting coordinator at San Diego State in 2009. Prior to UCLA, Price most recently served the New York Giants for two seasons as a personnel manager (2021) and pro scout (2022). A native of Charlotte, N.C., Price graduated with a bachelor's degree in speech communication from North Carolina A&T in 2007. He later earned his MBA from San Diego State in 2010.

Trey Lane enters his first season as a recruiting analyst for the UCLA football program in 2026. He arrives in Westwood after spending the 2025 season at James Madison. Under head coach Bob Chesney as an assistant director of player personnel, he helped the Dukes assemble a roster that reached the College Football Playoff and win the Sun Belt Championship for the first time in program history. Prior to James Madison, Lane worked as a data scout for six months for a stats analytics company Sports Info Solutions. Lane graduated from Ohio State University in 2025 with a bachelor's degree in hospitality management.

Ukoh Essang enters his first season as a defensive analyst working with the defensive line at UCLA in 2026. Essang arrives in Westwood after spending the 2024 and 2025 seasons as a defensive graduate assistant at James Madison. JMU’s 2025 defense ranked fifth in FBS with 266.6 yards allowed per game and 13th with 18.4 points allowed per game. The Dukes were also sixth in the country in third down defense (29.4%), 10th in defensive touchdowns (3), 28th in sacks per game (2.57) and 33rd in tackles for loss per game (6.2). During Essang's first season at James Madison in 2024, the Dukes led the nation in turnover margin (1.54) and ranked third in takeaways (29), fifth in defensive touchdowns (four) and sixth in sacks per game (3.15). The D-line alone led the country in interceptions for the position group, as four different linemen recorded an interception. Essang’s unit produced a pair of defensive touchdowns on pick-sixes while also tallying 49.5 tackles for loss, 30.0 sacks, 12 breakups, three fumble recoveries and a pair of forced fumbles. Defensive linemen Eric O'Neill and Khairi Manns highlighted the group, both earning All-America honors. O’Neill registered 18.5 tackles for loss and 13 sacks while Manns added 12.5 TFLs and 9.0 sacks. As a whole, JMU’s defensive line produced a pair of defensive touchdowns on pick-sixes while also tallying 49.5 tackles for loss, 30.0 sacks, 12 breakups, three fumble recoveries and a pair of forced fumbles. Essang joined the Dukes after spe