UCLA Coordinators Justin Frye, Derek Sage Departure – Orange County Register

It is the fifth and final year of Chip Kelly’s current contract with UCLA starting Sunday and contract negotiations still ongoing, the head coach must now fill third and fourth place for his staff this season.

Coordinators Justin Frye (offender) and Derek Sage (special team) have officially confirmed that they will be moving from Westwood to take up jobs with other college programs.

Frye will go to Ohio State as head coach in charge of offensive and offensive team coach. Sage was hired as Nevada’s offensive coordinator on Monday.

Frye’s recruitment reunites him with Coach Ryan Day, who led the Buckeyes to 48-45 victory over Utah in the Rose Bowl on January 1. The two previously worked together at Temple and Boston College.

Frye played a key role in the development of UCLA’s offense over the past four years. He spent the previous three seasons as the Bruins’ offensive coordinator after being promoted from the role of running game coordinator after one season.

UCLA’s rush match was one of the nation’s best last season and ranked 14th nationally after averaging 215 yards per game behind efforts from Zach Charbonnet and Brittain Brown. The Bruins are 12th (230.6 ypg) in 2020. Charbonnet is eligible to return next season. Brown does not and has stated for the 2022 NFL Draft.

Frye has also coached the attack for the past four seasons and is responsible for the recruitment and development of players such as left-back Sean Rhyan.

Rhyan, a four-star ex-player from San Juan Hills High, started as a real freshman and started all 31 games in his three seasons with the show. On Monday, he became the third UCLA offensive lineman to announce his participation in the draft, along with right-back Alec Anderson (Etiwanda High) and sixth-year senior defender Paul Grattan.

Sage returned to Nevada, where he began his coaching career as a graduate assistant, for his first chance at becoming an offensive coordinator. He will also continue to train tight ends, as he did with the Bruins.

Sage has helped develop talent at the NFL level since arriving at UCLA in 2018. Sage was hired as an intensive coach before adding to the role of special teams coordinator in 2019.

Redshirt Greg Dulcich base became tight ended Tuesday to announce early for the draft during Sage’s time at UCLA.

Dulcich, a product of St. Francis High, having gone from prowling, was selected by Sage to be a semi-finalist for the 2021 John Mackey Awards, which are awarded for the tightest ending in the country.

Kelly has filled two defensive coaching positions this season, adding Chad Kauha’aha’a (defensive midfielder) and Ikaika Malloe (outside full-back).

NEW COMMITMENT

Florida center transfer Titus Mokiao-Atimalala tweeted his commitment to the Bruins on Tuesday.

The 6-foot-1, 175-pound athlete is a former four-star prospect of Campbell High School in Hawai’i. He had 170 tackles for 2,915 yards and 37 touchdowns in 32 high school games.