Former Bruins LB to Return to Coaching Staff in 2025

The UCLA Bruins have one of their former players returning to help mentor the 2025 team.

Nov 30, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach DeShaun Foster greets his players after a Bruins touchdown against the Fresno State Bulldogs in the third quarter at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins are one of the many programs that value having former players join the coaching staff to help mentor the incoming team. Coach DeShaun Foster is a perfect example of that from his playing days in the early 2000s, and they will have another on staff in 2025.

Former UCLA linebacker Shea Pitts will be back to help coach the Bruins in 2025, per James H. Williams of USA Today. Pitts played for the Bruins from 2018 to 2022, recording 24 total tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumble in his five-year career in Westwood.

He’s back!

Shea Pitts will be back with the UCLA football program in 2025. https://t.co/ASpXTMNIIs

— James H. Williams | USA Today (@JHWreporter) January 3, 2025

Pitts will be entering his third season as a graduate assistant -- he worked as a assistant defensive analyst for the team under Chip Kelly. His role included film breakdown, analyzing opponent film and building opponent game plans for the upcoming matchups.

In 2024, Pitts joined the Kansas City Chiefs organization, working under the Bill Walsh Coaching Fellowship as an intern for defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo for preseason camp. He spent just a few months with the team, but that NFL experience is invaluable for his future coaching endeavors.

Besides Foster, current tight ends coach and assistant head coach Jerry Neuheisel was a former quarterback for the Bruins and is another former player to join the staff and succeed. Pitts fits the mold very well for what UCLA is looking from their former players, making an impact as a coach.

The importance of having former players on the staff helps in a myriad of ways. Pitts knows the culture and is aware of what it takes to play for a marquee program like UCLA and how to avoid the outside distractions. His youth is a major factor as well, helping relate to many of the players.

The Agoura Hills, California native has lived and breathed UCLA football for the past seven years and has a bright future within the program. All head coaches have started out as graduate assistants, much like Foster was with the Bruins in 2014. He could find extreme success in years to come with the Bruins.

Pitts' addition adds to the plethora of new coaching hires UCLA has made this offseason.

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