Report: UCLA Football Tight Ends Coach, Special Teams Coordinator Derek Sage Connected to Nevada Job

The Athletic's Bruce Feldman was the first to disclose the Wolf Pack's interest in hiring the Bruins' position coach.

The Bruins have another coach at risk of leaving Westwood.

Nevada is interested in hiring UCLA football tight ends coach and special teams coordinator Derek Sage to be their next offensive coordinator, The Athletic's Bruce Feldman reported Sunday afternoon. Sage has been part of the Bruins' staff for four seasons, but has his roots back in Nevada.

Sage went to high school just outside of Reno, Nevada, and after playing tight end for Sacramento Community College and CSUN, he was a graduate assistant for the Wolf Pack from 2003 to 2004.

SOURCE: UCLA special teams coordinator/TE coach Derek Sage is being targeted by Nevada to become the new offensive coordinator under new head coach Ken Wilson. The 43-year Sage, a former GA at Nevada, also coached with Wilson on Mike Leach’s staff at Washington State.

— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) December 19, 2021

If he were to leave, Sage would be the third UCLA coach to officially exit the program this offseason. Defensive line coach Johnny Nansen and outside linebackers coach Jason Kaufusi moved on to join the staff at Arizona – Nansen getting a title upgrade to defensive coordinator in the process – but the coaching carousel has yet to impact that Bruins in the other two phases.

Sage's departure would not only impact UCLA's special teams, but also at one of the most productive position groups in the Pac-12 – their tight ends. Since Sage joined coach Chip Kelly's staff ahead of the 2018 season, the Bruins have churned out productive, NFL-caliber tight ends again and again.

In Sage's first season in the role, Caleb Wilson had 60 receptions, 965 yards and four touchdowns, which was enough to convince the Arizona Cardinals to pick him at the tail end of the 2019 NFL Draft. Devin Asiasi was up next, filling in for Wilson's production by racked up 641 yards and four touchdowns on 44 receptions before getting scooped up by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Following in the footsteps of those two future pros was Greg Dulcich, who immediately went from walk-on to All-Pac-12 Second Team in 2020 before taking a step up to First Team in 2021. Across those two seasons, Dulcich didn't miss one of the Bruins' 19 games and ended up with 1,242 yards and 10 touchdowns on 68 catches.

For as much success as he has had in turning UCLA into a tight end factory, Sage's first full-time gig was as the receivers coach at New Hampshire under Kelly, who was the team's offensive coordinator.

Nevada is looking to retool its staff with Ken Wilson stepping coming on as the new head coach after leaving his co-defensive coordinator job at Oregon. Sage and Wilson coached together at Washington State in 2017, with Sage being the Cougars' receivers coach and Wilson being the linebackers coach and associate head coach.

UCLA's lone special team commit of the 2022 recruiting class, preferred walk-on punter Chase Barry, did not sign his national letter of intent during the early signing period. Barry made a connection with Sage during his recruitment process, but he cited special teams analyst Will Rodriguez as a major draw as well.

Rodriguez also does a lot of work with tight ends, making him a clear in-house successor to Sage if he were to leave. If that isn't the plan, Kelly would likely have to go on a search to find the next coach who can lead his most reliable position group since arriving in Westwood, and possibly another to handle the third phase of the game.

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