The UCLA Bruins relied heavily on their defense throughout their first season in the Big Ten under head coach DeShaun Foster in 2024. This week, UCLA football added to its defensive coaching staff, welcoming a familiar face and hiring defensive line coach Jethro Franklin the team announced.
Franklin boasts a 33-year coaching career in the NCAA and making NFL stops with the Green Bay Packers, Las Vegas Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Seattle Seahawks.
The veteran defensive coach Franklin coached the Bruins in 1999 as the assistant defensive line coach and, over the last three seasons, headed the Fresno State Bulldogs defensive front.
When the Bruins met the Bulldogs in their regular-season finale, Franklin’s defensive line held the Bruins to 74 yards on 32 carries on the ground. Moreover, Franklin led the 50th-best defense against the run in all of college football, allowing only 3.82 yards per attempt.
Before Franklin’s hiring, the Bruins’ coaching staff consisted of young, up-and-coming coaches. With the hiring of Franklin, the Bruins added a veteran leader to the locker room and coaching staff, something that should serve the budding Big Ten program well in 2025.
