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UCLA’s football staff continues to undergo massive change midway through the 2025 season. Head coach DeShaun Foster was fired after the third game of the year. More attrition has followed.
Bruins defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe exited under mysterious circumstances. Details to this point are unclear, though his attempt to shield Nico Iamaleava from blame has become a talking point.
Tim Skipper said UCLA DC Ikaika Malloe and the school have parted ways.
— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) September 17, 2025
Excitement was high in Los Angeles following an offseason of portal additions. Iamaleava was the headliner in a transfer class that ranked 20th in the nation.
Despite the additions, the team has struggled. UCLA is off to an 0-3 start with losses to UNLV, Utah, and New Mexico.
Foster could not survive the early struggles after going 5-7 in his head coaching debut. He was canned after his 15th game and replaced by Tim Skipper.
UCLA football is in disarray.
Skipper holds the interim tag as the Bruins attempt to navigate the remainder of the ’25 campaign. His coaching staff took an immediate hit with the departure of its defensive coordinator.
Ikaika Malloe is no longer a part of the program. That decision was said to have been mutual, though speculation on the reasoning hints otherwise.
I don’t know, the fact that they said it was mutual. I feel like Malloe resigned because the interim coach title was given to Skipper over him. In reality Skipper has only been with the team for a month.
— ALLDayyyLolo (@LoLoSauceda94) September 17, 2025
There are some that believe Malloe was unhappy with Skipper’s promotion. Both are defensive minded coaches, though Malloe has been with the school much longer.
Skipper joined the staff this past offseason. He was previously a defensive assistant and interim head coach at Fresno State.
Malloe has been in Los Angeles since 2021. He was elevated to coordinator in ’24. His first season was viewed as a success as the Bruins boasted the nation’s sixth-best rush defense.
Still, he was passed over for the interim tag.
Did unhappiness lead to his departure? Possibly. Ben Bolch of the LA Times suggests there was another reason for his exit.
Ikaika Malloe shielded Nico Iamaleava from blame.
UCLA has struggled mightily on both sides of the ball. The offense has experienced slow starts in each of its three losses, falling in holes of 20-0, 23-0, and 14-0 in consecutive weeks. The unit remains scoreless in the first quarter.
Iamaleava has caught the brunt of the blame. He’s thrown as many picks as touchdowns while averaging just over 200 yards per game in comeback efforts.
The defense isn’t undeserving of criticism either, though. The group has been one of college football’s worst through three weeks.
UCLA defensive ranks
Total defense: 117th (431 ypg)
Scoring defense: 121st (36 ppg)
Run defense: 132nd (244 ypg)
Sacks: 123rd (2)
Third-down defense: T-last (62.2%)
Ben Bolch insists that IkaIka Malloe recognized his group’s shortcomings. He says the coach “couldn’t get past blaming himself.”
Have been told by a person close to the UCLA coaching staff that Ikaika Malloe couldn’t get past blaming himself, even suggesting that he be fired instead of DeShaun Foster, so it was thought that it would be best if he took time to regroup and focus on himself.
— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) September 17, 2025
Malloe reportedly asked UCLA to fire him rather than make its head football coach the scapegoat. He clearly believes his defense was the issue, not Nico Iamaleava and the offense.
In the end, both coaches are now jobless. Iamaleava’s future, meanwhile, is still being discussed.
The quarterback has the option to enter the transfer portal during a 30-day window that started earlier this week. His camp has remained tight-lipped on his intentions.
Iamaleava has been at practice, and it appears he’s preparing for a matchup vs. Northwestern which will come after a bye week. He may be asked to do a bit more scoring with the defense in disarray.