Chip Kelly didn’t venture far to find his new defensive coordinator, the UCLA coach on Wednesday promoting Ikaika Malloe to fill the void left by the departure of D’Anton Lynn to USC.
Malloe, who served as the acting defensive coordinator during the Bruins’ L.A. Bowl victory over Boise State, had also presided over the best unit on the team in 2023 while coaching the defensive line and outside linebackers.
Edge rusher Laiatu Latu led the nation with 1.8 tackles for loss per game on the way to becoming the first player in school history to win the Lombardi Award that’s given to the nation’s top lineman.