Tony White had interest in the UCLA job back when it opened up about 18 months ago. Chip Kelly left UCLA to become Ohio State’s offensive coordinator, and Bruins administrators began a job search.
White had wrapped up his first season at Nebraska and admits he was excited.
“The first time anything comes up like that, you don’t know how to handle it,” White said Sunday afternoon. “So you’re all giddy and that kind of stuff. you’re trying to juggle two things at once. You go through the process and you learn in life.”
UCLA fired DeShaun Foster after an 0-3 start. It’s a healthy debate if the job is a good one, especially considering the Bruins haven’t had a 10-win season since 2013 and ‘14. Kelly even struggled early in his time at UCLA, winning a combined 10 games from 2018-20 before turning the Bruins into a contending program.
There are also a number of published reports that state UCLA’s commitment to NIL, including in recent years, has lagged far behind its peers. That could be changing, though, in a revenue sharing landscape.
Regardless, White is a 2002 graduate of UCLA and has been a name on hot boards as a candidate for the job. It could be a distraction for some coaches. But White thinks it won’t, in part because of his prior experience with job openings.
“I have not been contacted,” White said. “There is no other job. There is no other privilege greater than the one I have right now in leading these guys on defense, being with coach (Mike) Norvell and the guy that gave me a chance, Mr. (Michael) Alford. There is nothing until there is something. I’m not going to fall into that trap again.”
On Sunday, in his regularly scheduled session with the media, White insisted the focus is completely on FSU’s game against Virginia on Friday night.
White is clearly a rising star in the coaching profession after finding success as a coordinator at Syracuse, Nebraska and now FSU. The Seminoles have the No. 12 scoring defense (10 points per game) and the No. 15 rush defense (78.3 yards) in the FBS. White also had top-10 rush defenses at Nebraska.
FSU up in coaches’ poll, drops in AP poll
FSU shredded Kent State 66-10 on Saturday, moving up one spot to No. 8 in the coaches’ poll. The Seminoles slipped one spot in the AP’s top 25 to No. 8.
While that seems wild, it’s still mid-September and voters were clearly impressed with Oklahoma’s win over Auburn in a top-25 matchup. The Sooners moved up four spots to No. 7.
Schedule shifts for short week
Monday is typically a day off for FSU players. But the Seminoles will instead practice in the morning.
Coach Mike Norvell will speak to the media on Monday at 11:30 a.m. But there will not be an “Inside Seminole Football” show on Monday night given the short week.
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