UCLA staff turnover begins as Scott White, Demetrice Martin leave

Defensive backs coach Demetrice Martin. Photo by Rachel Luna/San Bernardino Sun, SCNG

Linebackers coach Scott White and defensive backs coach Demetrice Martin have left the UCLA coaching staff, sources close to the situation said, two weeks before UCLA’s bowl game against Kansas State and one week before the early signing period.

Although the assistants were initially expected to coach the Bruins through their bowl game on Dec. 26, the new recruiting structure prompted the departures last week. New head coach Chip Kelly hired linebackers coach Don Pellum and defensive backs coach Paul Rhoads and needed to trim the staff to stay under the NCAA limit while the new assistants begin recruiting to prepare for the signing period on Dec. 20.

The school has also already announced the hire of new defensive coordinator Jerry Azzinaro.

White and Martin were paid through their contracts.

Graduate assistants Dalton Hilliard and Kyle Weiss will take over the defensive backs and linebackers as the team prepares for the Cactus Bowl on Dec. 26 in Phoenix.

UCLA assistants were third highest-paid Pac-12 staff in 2017

Offensive coordinator Jedd FIsch runs drills at practice. (Photo by Brittany Murray/SCNG)

Offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch was the third-highest paid assistant coach at a public Pac-12 school this year, according to USA Today’s assistant coaching data base, and UCLA’s entire nine-man staff was the third-highest paid in the conference.

Fisch, who signed a two-year deal in January, made $810,000 this year. Only Oregon defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt ($1.15 million) and Washington defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski ($867,500) made more as public-school assistants in the Pac-12.

UCLA’s assistant coaches made more than $3.7 million combined. Washington’s staff was the highest-paid Pac-12 group, making more than $4.67 million, followed by Oregon’s that fell just shy of $4 million.

Here’s a list of UCLA’s assistant salaries and how they stack up to other schools in the Pac-12. (Stanford and USC, the conference’s two private schools, are not included) Continue reading “UCLA assistants were third highest-paid Pac-12 staff in 2017” »