Jerry Neuheisel is promoted to UCLA’s wide receivers coach

Jerry Neuheisel has taken the next step in his coaching ascent at his alma mater, being promoted to UCLA’s wide receivers coach to replace the departed Jimmie Dougherty.

Neuheisel, who spent the last three seasons as a graduate assistant, has said that he eventually wants to become the Bruins’ head coach, following in the footsteps of his father Rick, another onetime UCLA quarterback-turned-coach. Jerry Neuheisel will take over for Dougherty, who joined Jedd Fisch’s staff as passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Arizona.

Known for his infectious enthusiasm and attention to detail, Jerry Neuheisel has become a wildly popular figure among Bruins players. Receiver Chase Cota credited Neuheisel’s sideline passion with helping the team rally from a 32-point deficit during a 67-63 victory over Washington State in 2019.

“I know for us receivers, he was getting us excited when we were down,” Cota said at the time. “He’s always like, ‘This is what we’re gonna do. We’re gonna drive, we’re gonna get a stop,’ and he tells us how the game’s gonna go and so we were just confident in that.”

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A backup during his playing days with the Bruins, Neuheisel led his team to a comeback victory over Texas in September 2014 after starter Brett Hundley was injured. Neuheisel fired a 33-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Payton with three minutes left to provide the winning points in a 20-17 triumph.

He spent one season with the Obic Seagulls of Japan’s X League before working under Noel Mazzone, his former UCLA offensive coordinator, at Texas A&M in 2017. Chip Kelly lured Neuheisel away before his first season with the Bruins in 2018.

Neuheisel acknowledged during a 2018 interview with The Times that Kelly knew he eventually wanted to hold his job.

“I’m sure he does,” Neuheisel said, “but I think he knows I’ll give him everything I’ve got to make sure we go win a national championship before that happens.”