UCLA Bruins Insider Podcast: Bruins Coaching Carousel and More

In this episode of the UCLA Bruins Insider Podcast, Bruins on SI beat writer Tom Cavanaugh breaks down the latest breaking news surrounding the Bruins coaching carousel at the offensive coordinator position and evaluates who the offensive MVP was this season for the Bruins.

You can watch the episode below:

The Bruins parted ways with their former offensive coordinator, Eric Bieniemy, after just one season. It has been reported that Bieniemy was always planning on making his way back into the NFL, where he has spent 16 seasons and was just helping Coach DeShaun Foster for the single season.

Wasting no time at all, the Bruins quickly hired current Indiana Hoosiers quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri as their newest offensive mind. Sunseri will finish out his duties with the Hoosiers who have a chance at the College Football Playoff with an 11-1 record.

Sunseri was a starting quarterback at Pitt for three seasons and played in the Canadian Football League from 2013-2015. He would begin coaching at the collegiate level directly after playing and has followed Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti from James Madison last year to the Hoosiers program.

The 35-year-old will be a fresh set of eyes on an offense that is in need of a scheme change and offensive explosion. Sunseri helped develop Hoosiers quarterback Kurtis Rourke into having a 2,800 passing yards, 27-touchdown, four-interception season. He should find success with the Bruins.

In regards to the current team, there is one player that was the offensive MVP and helped to lead this team back towards a somewhat successful season in the back half of the year. Senior quarterback Ethan Garbers had one of the best midseason turnarounds and deserves the season MVP.

Garbers started his senior campaign with a 1-5 record, totaling four touchdown passes and nine interceptions in his first six games. A switch was flipped for the So-Cal kid as he tossed 12 touchdowns and just two picks in his final six games, earning a 4-2 record in that span.

After a very disappointing start to the season, Garbers helped lead his group to three straight Big Ten wins, upsetting some of the historical programs of the conference. He finished the season with 2,727 passing yards with 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while completing 64.7% of his passes.

Garbers could also run the ball a little bit as well as he finished with 137 rushing yards on 83 carries with one score. He ripped off a season-long 57-yard run during the Bruins' upset win on the road against Nebraska. He had a knack for contact and was always willing to sacrifice his body for a play.

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