Kennedy Begins Demanding Task of Resurrecting UCLA's Offense

UCLA offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy is no stranger to creating and navigating successful offenses. He's done it and seen it in action everywhere he's been -- from the JUCO ranks to low-level assistant jobs in the SEC to his current offensive coordinator post.

UCLA is Kennedy's third stop as an offensive coordinator, following head coach Bob Chesney after serving in the same role on his coaching staffs at James Madison and Holy Cross. Now, he has the task of transforming an abysmal UCLA offense into one of his master projects.

"There's a lot of competitive spirit out there, and that's such a huge aspect of it," Kennedy told reporters at practice on Saturday. "... We've been talking about just being process-oriented with it all, each step of the way. Today's practice might be worse or better than the next day, but our goal as a group is to just keep getting better."

Things couldn't get much worse as UCLA's offense scored just over 18 points per game last season. But Kennedy and the rest of this staff have a history of success, especially when it comes to efficiency and scoring points, so if there's anyone who can right the ship, this might be the group.

Dean Kennedy's Offensive Coordinator Success

ucla footbal — Dec 30, 2020; Arlington, TX, USA; Florida Gators quarterback Kyle Trask (11) throws a pass against the Oklahoma Sooners in the second quarter at ATT Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Dean Kennedy has been a college football coach for 12 years, with the last 10 coming at the Division I level. Before linking up with Chesney's staff at Holy Cross, he spent time with Mississippi State and Florida, most notably playing a role in the development of Gators' quarterback Kyle Trask, as the assistant quarterbacks coach for the eventual second-round NFL Draft pick.

Since that time, Kennedy has become an elite offensive mind. His offenses routinely rank among the nation's best, and he has even done it with lesser pieces. When he first arrived at James Madison, the offense had only three returning starters after many players followed Curt Cignetti to Indiana. Even with that disadvantage, Kennedy's unit had a top-30 season and rarely committed a turnover while helping the Dukes win their first bowl game

Their encore? A 12-1 season and College Football Playoff berth led by a top-15 offensive unit that finished ninth in scoring and sixth in rushing while tying a program record with five games of 50 points or more.

Plus, Kennedy has a great track record with quarterbacks, which is good news for Nico Iamaleava. Other than Trask, the offensive coordinator has helped develop Alonza Barnett II into a star at JMU, and his work with Matthew Sluka at Holy Cross helped the quarterback earn a promotion to the DI level at UNLV before reuniting with his former staff at James Madison.

The Spring Approach at UCLA

ucla offens — Nov 22, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins tight end Jack Pedersen (28) hangs on to the ball before he is forced out of bounds by Washington Huskies linebacker Xe'Ree Alexander (10) during the first half at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

UCLA is approaching its spring practices with intent. The new staff wants to instill strong habits and preparation techniques in its players that will translate into success on the field, especially since it's just the beginning and there are limited full-contact, fully padded practices at this time of year.

For the offense, especially, that means using the learning curve now and hopefully eliminating those mistakes in the future.

Look it in 🏈 pic.twitter.com/qXpcrrmiIT
— UCLA Football (@UCLAFootball) April 3, 2026

"We're not winning any games in spring ball," Kennedy added. "We can lose games by not attacking each day, but I think the biggest thing is to come to work. If they come to work, we can get the little things cleaned up. There's going to be mistakes. ... To think that we're going to be out there and perfect is a long shot. That's not our goal - to be perfect on Day 1 - but just keep practicing over and over."

No one's going to be perfect, especially within the first few days of practicing with an offense that has so many new pieces and parts to it. But the important parts are the approach and the process. Once those clicks are made, it becomes much easier for the offense to operate at its full potential.

Jan 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head football coach Bob Chesney is introduced during the basketball game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

It's worked for this staff everywhere else. Can it work again for UCLA in the Big Ten?