Is Tim Skipper Cementing Himself as UCLA’s Top Choice?

The Bruins' interim head coach is proving weekly that he's ready for a permanent gig.

UCLA's interim head coach Tim Skipper celebrates after a Bruins touchdown against Michigan State during the third quarter on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. / Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Another week as the UCLA Bruins' interim head coach, another dominant win for Tim Skipper.

Westwood is reeling off two consecutive statement wins after the Bruins scored 38 unanswered points to defeat Michigan State 38-13 on the road early Saturday morning.

What Skipper has done to this UCLA program since being promoted to interim head coach in place of DeShaun Foster nearly four weeks ago has been astonishing. It's got to beg the question -- should Tim Skipper be at the forefront of UCLA's head coaching search?

Michigan State's head coach Jonathan Smith, right, talks with UCLA's interim head coach Tim Skipper before the football game on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. / Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Between established names like Curt Cignetti, Mike Gundy and even Nick Saban, and some of the hottest risers like G.J. Kinne, Kenny Dillingham and Alex Golesh, the Bruins might just have to look in-house for their next lead man.

UCLA's season outlook was dreadful when Skipper took the reins. But now, the sky's the limit for what the program can accomplish.

UCLA's assistant head coach Jerry Neuheisel adjusts his headset during the third quarter in the game against Michigan State on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. / Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Skipper Addressed Buzz Earlier in the Week

Naturally, after leading the Bruins to a stunning win over No. 7 Penn State, followed by Saturday's commanding win over MSU, Skipper's name has to be buzzing around the coaching gig. It's only right his name is thrown in the ring, right? Still, the interim coach isn't focused on that.

Oct 11, 2025; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; UCLA Bruins interim head coach Tim Skipper looks up at the video board in the fourth quarter at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images / Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images

• "I'll be honest with you, I have not thought about that one ounce," Skipper said during Monday's media availability. "So much stuff I have to do here, I mean, to think about the future, I'm not that guy. I'm not a dwell-on-the-past or dream-about-the-future kind of guy. Wherever my feet, that's where I'm gon' be.

• "So, I'm excited about the opportunity that I have here. Coaching these guys, man, we're just getting better every day. Always being on the rise. I always wanted to be a head coach, I really did. That's just me, I like to be at the highest of the highest, no matter what I'm doing."

Michigan State's head coach Jonathan Smith, right, talks with UCLA's interim head coach Tim Skipper before the football game on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. / Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

• "Head coaching jobs are the highest peak you can be in the coaching profession, so I enjoy that and that's my goal. But, right now, sitting here today, I am all about getting ready to go play Michigan State. That is the focus and all I care about."

Don't let these two wins fool you, Skipper has been ready to break off from assistant and interim status for a long time.

Skip is Ready

Soon after Skipper was named Westwood's interim head coach, he expressed his desire to be a head coach in the future.

Oct 4, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins interim head coach Tim Skipper (left) and new offensive coordinator Jerry Neuheisel (right) on the sideline during second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

• "I'm one of those people [where], if I'm doing something, I want to get to the top," he said in his first media availability as UCLA's interim. "So, if that's the top of the mountain in this profession, I want to do that. Whatever job it is, I'm going full speed ahead. That's just my nature.

• "I actually experienced this last year, a full season. I enjoyed it. Wish you win some more games and things like that, but when you become a head coach, it's a lot less about the ball and more about the off-the-field stuff. So you either like it or you don't, and I rather enjoyed it. We're going to keep on building from that."

Nov 30, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins helmets during pregame warmups before playing the Fresno State Bulldogs at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Despite coaching just 17 games overall as an interim coach over the last three seasons -- which is 17 more than DeShaun Foster had before being hired -- Skipper's resume speaks for itself. He has a 9-8 overall record; his first being a bowl game win and his latest being a shellacking over a Big Ten opponent.

Skipper is ready to take on a more permanent role. But will it be in Westwood?

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Sep 27, 2025; Evanston, Illinois, USA; UCLA Bruins interim head coach Tim Skipper during the second half at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images / David Banks-Imagn Images

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