COSTA MESA — When Tino Sunseri shuffled in front of the makeshift, fall-camp podium Saturday, early-morning blues were nonexistent. The 36-year-old offensive coordinator, fit with glimmering, almost pompadour-like jet-black hair, exuded a cheek-to-cheek grin as he spoke to the media for the first time since spring camp.
There was good reason.
The Sunseri family just tossed a game-winning touchdown in the national championship game, the coach said his wife quipped.
His three-month-old son, Santino Michael Sunseri Jr. — or as Sunseri said, “Sonny, like The Godfather” — giggled for the first time. The first-year Bruins coach’s bodacious energy was understandable; his newfound career highlight as a father may be the only type of milestone that outshines the excitement Sunseri feels over UCLA football’s evolving offense.
“You can tell he wants to win,” running back Jalen Berger said.
In Sunseri’s career as a quarterbacks coach, much like getting to know his young child on FaceTime calls from the East Coast – while he’s training with UCLA in Costa Mesa – in the early stages of his young son’s life, he’s also had to make a quick impression on every starting quarterback he’s coached.
First, there was Cole Johnson, Todd Centeio and Jordan McCloud at James Madison – each taking the reins under Sunseri across three seasons. Then, a year ago at Indiana, he lifted Kurtis Rourke to unprecedented highs, turning the University of Ohio transfer into a bona fide playmaker, recording 3,042 passing yards, 29 touchdowns and five interceptions on his way to becoming one of the San Francisco 49ers’ NFL draft selections.
Having just a few months with instilling his tutelage over redshirt sophomore quarterback Nico Iamaleava – after spending spring camp with Joey Aguilar, who eventually transferred to Tennessee – doesn’t faze Sunseri.
“He has a certain standard of how he wants to be able to operate each day,” said Sunseri, the son of longtime football coach Sal Sunseri. “And the great thing about my past is I’ve been around a lot of guys that have this same kind of feel and thought process.”
Whether it’s the early plights of fatherhood or turning UCLA’s offense around from a dire 18.4 points per game a year ago, Sunseri is ready for the challenge.
“It’s not about how much time that you have with these guys,” Sunseri said. “It’s about how you utilize the time based on what they’re able to think and do. So the biggest thing that we have to be able to do is make sure that we can decently make sure that we’re surrounding [Iamaleava] with what he needs to be able to do to make sure that he’s able to consistently learn.”
One-two punch
Jaivian Thomas visited Westwood during UCLA’s Friday Night Lights spring practice.
After Thomas transferred out of the University of California, that late-night event convinced the Oakland native to make a decision – one that will now likely see him lead the Bruins’ running back room in 2025.
“The intensity of the practice made me really realize, like this team really gets after it,” Thomas said. “I knew this was somewhere I needed to be.”
On Wednesday, Oregon State transfer linebacker Isaiah Chisom referenced how difficult it was to stop Thomas a year ago, when the 5-foot-11, 195-pound bundle of muscle completed a lateral trick play to get past the Beavers’ defense for a touchdown. Thomas’ Golden Bears won 44-7.
“It’s good to have him on the team,” Chisom said.
Coach DeShaun Foster has referred to the junior, who led the Golden Bears with 626 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns a year ago, as a “one-two punch,” a “perfect complement” to Berger, a returning redshirt senior who tallied 178 rushing yards on 48 attempts in 2024.
After recovering from a sprained ankle that hindered him at the end of last season, Berger said he’s full go ahead of the home opener against Utah on Aug. 30.
“We’re all on the same page, so we’re going to be dangerous this year,” Berger said.
Sunseri said the Bruins will plan to run a mix of pass and rush plays, but will need to be physical – a trait instilled in the coach from learning under Nick Saban at Alabama. Sunseri knows it’s not just Thomas and Berger who can cause an impact.
Anthony Frias II and Anthony Woods could. Even tight end Jack Pedersen has been handed carries in practices.
“There’s a bunch there, [so] you don’t wear out the tires,” Sunseri said. “We want to be able to put our guys on the field, allowing them to be able to play as fast as they can and as fresh as they can while building depth.”
If all goes to plan, Thomas – who goes by his childhood nickname “Jet” – could shred his tires to the end zone, bringing Bay Area celebrations to the Rose Bowl.
“I told myself, when I get here, at the Rose Bowl, it’s gonna be live,” Thomas said. “I gotta show a little something.”
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