Reports: UCLA Outside Linebackers Coach Jason Kaufusi Set to Take Job at Arizona

Kaufusi will be joining the Wildcats, following the Bruins' former defensive line coach Johnny Nansen to Tucson.

(Jared Tay/All Bruins)

The Bruins are on the verge of losing their second coach this month.

UCLA football outside linebackers coach Jason Kaufusi is close to finalizing a deal with Arizona to take over that same role, according to 247Sports' WildcatAuthority.com. Kaufusi held the position in Westwood since January 2019.

Kaufusi will be following the Bruins' former defensive line coach Johnny Nansen to Tucson, as he signed on to become the Wildcats' defensive coordinator on Dec. 1.

Under Kaufusi, UCLA's run defense ranked No. 2 in the Pac-12 in 2020 and No. 3 in 2021. The 2020 Bruins also led the Pac-12 in sacks per game with 3.3 and came in second this season with 2.2. Bo Calvert joined Kaufusi's position group this season and racked up career-highs with 38 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks, and Mitchell Agude improved on his 2020 numbers by record 6.5 tackles for loss and leading the conference with four forced fumbles.

Kaufusi came to Westwood from Nevada, where he was the defensive line coach for two seasons. Before that, Kaufusi spent three years on the staff at Weber State, even earning the defensive coordinator title in 2016, and was a graduate assistant at BYU from 2012 to 2013.

Prior to entering the coaching realm, Kaufusi was a defensive end at Utah, where he was co-Mountain West Freshman of the Year in 2000 and an All-Mountain West First Team member in 2001 and 2002.

In his first full recruiting cycle with the Bruins, Kaufusi helped reel in commitments from Damian Sellers and JonJon Vaughns, both four-star prospects, according to the 247Sports Composite. The following year, Kaufusi's biggest get was true freshman Notre Dame transfer Devin Aupiu.

Sellers, Vaughns and Aupiu all stand out as potential centerpieces of UCLA's linebacking corps in the near future, with Agude, Calvert, Caleb Johnson and Carl Jones all likely being gone after the 2022 season.

Edge rusher Myles Jackson was another young player Kaufusi had been working with this fall, but he is already leaving UCLA after entering the transfer portal at the end of November.

Defensive analyst Clancy Pendergast, who used to be the defensive coordinator at USC, stepped up to replace Nansen on the defensive line leading up to the Bruins' upcoming appearance in the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 28. It remains to be seen what coach Chip Kelly will do for the time being at outside linebackers, whether he promotes someone or adds the position to Pendergast or inside linebackers coach Don Pellum's responsibilities.

Although the Oregon head coaching job may be filled soon, there was serious buzz around Kelly leaving after Oregon requested to interview him Thursday. Assuming Kelly returns, the belief is that he would be asked to replace Jerry Azzinaro as defensive coordinator, so no matter what happens with Kelly at Oregon, UCLA is poised to sport a very different defensive coaching staff come 2022.

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