Northwestern University Athletics
Football
Jerry Neuheisel
- Title:
- Quarterbacks Coach
Jerry Neuheisel joined Northwestern's staff as the new quarterbacks coach in January 2026.
Neuheisel joins the Northwestern staff following eight seasons at UCLA. This past year marked a significant expansion of his responsibilities, as he was promoted to assistant head coach in December 2024 before taking over offensive playcalling duties midway through the Bruins' 2025 campaign.
A former UCLA quarterback, Neuheisel coached the Bruins' tight ends from 2024-25. Prior to that, he spent three seasons as UCLA's wide receivers coach (2021–23) and three seasons as a graduate assistant (2018–20) under current Northwestern offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.
Neuheisel's ascension to offensive playcaller coincided with an immediate turnaround for UCLA after an 0-4 start to the season. In his first game calling plays, he helped guide the Bruins to a 42–37 victory over then-No. 7 Penn State at the Rose Bowl on Oct. 4. The win marked UCLA's first victory over an AP top-10 opponent since 2010 and the first time since 1985 that a team starting 0–4 or worse defeated a top-10 opponent. UCLA's 42 points were also its highest output since the 2023 season.
The win over the Nittany Lions sparked a three-game winning streak against Big Ten opponents that garnered national attention. UCLA followed with a 38–13 road victory at Michigan State, its largest margin of victory since 2023, before closing the streak with a 20–17 win over Maryland that featured a game-winning drive in the final 35 seconds.
During the streak, UCLA averaged 422 yards of total offense, 33 points per game and converted 50 percent of its third-down attempts — all marked improvements from the season's first four games. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava (AP National Player of the Week following the Penn State win), offensive lineman Garrett DiGiorgio (All-Big Ten honorable mention), running back Jalen Berger (UCLA Student-Athlete of the Week after the Michigan State win) and running back Anthony Frias II (UCLA Student-Athlete of the Week after the Maryland win) each delivered standout performances under Neuheisel's direction.
Tight end Moliki Matavao starred in 2024 under Neuheisel's tutelage, leading the Bruins in receptions (41) and receiving yards (506). The senior recorded two 100-yard receiving performances, both in UCLA victories, and was presented with the Jackie R. Robinson Award for excellence in athletics and academics at the program's year-end banquet.
Wide receiver Logan Loya enjoyed a breakout season under Neuheisel in 2023, leading the team with 59 receptions, 655 receiving yards and five touchdowns. J. Michael Sturdivant paced UCLA's receiving corps with a 16.6 yards-per-catch average and added four touchdown receptions.
UCLA's 2022 offense eclipsed 500 yards per game for the first time in program history, with Duke transfer Jake Bobo emerging as Neuheisel's top target. Bobo led the team with 57 receptions while posting career highs in receiving yards (817) and touchdown receptions (seven) on a unit that saw five wide receivers set career-best marks for receptions.
In 2021, Neuheisel was named to 247Sports' 30 Under 30 list, recognizing the nation's top young coaches. In his first season as wide receivers coach and fourth year on staff, Kyle Philips led the Pac-12 with 10 receiving touchdowns. Philips finished his UCLA career ranked fourth on the program's all-time receptions list with 163 catches. He also contributed to the Bruins' conference-leading 18 receiving touchdowns during the shortened 2020 season, which marked quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson's first of three consecutive years with a passing efficiency rating of at least 153.94. That UCLA squad averaged 455.0 yards of total offense per game, ranking second in the Pac-12 and representing an improvement of nearly 50 yards per game from the previous season.
Neuheisel began his coaching career at Texas A&M in 2017 as an offensive quality control coach working under offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone. During that season, he helped mentor first-year quarterbacks Kellen Mond and Nick Starkel as they delivered record-setting performances.
A graduate of Loyola High School in Los Angeles, Neuheisel earned UCLA's Charles Pike Memorial Award as the most outstanding scout-team player on offense after the 2012 season, his first with the Bruins. He saw his first game action in 2013 as UCLA's backup quarterback and holder.
On Sept. 13, 2014, Neuheisel entered in relief of injured starter Brett Hundley and led UCLA to a 20–17 comeback victory over Texas at AT&T Stadium in Dallas. He completed 23 of 30 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns, including a 33-yard game-winning touchdown pass to Jordan Payton with three minutes remaining. Neuheisel was named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week for his performance.
A nine-time UCLA Athletic Director's Honor Roll selection and four-time Pac-12 All-Academic honoree, Neuheisel continued his playing career overseas. In 2016, he led the Obic Seagulls of the Japanese X League to the Japan X Bowl, completing 67.5 percent of his passes for 1,456 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Neuheisel married his wife, Nicole, in the summer of 2020. His father, Rick Neuheisel, played quarterback for the Bruins from 1981–83 before beginning his coaching career at UCLA in 1986. After serving in multiple assistant roles, he became head coach at Colorado (1995–98), Washington (1999–2002) and UCLA (2008–11). He was most recently named head coach of the Dallas Renegades of the United Football League
Neuheisel joins the Northwestern staff following eight seasons at UCLA. This past year marked a significant expansion of his responsibilities, as he was promoted to assistant head coach in December 2024 before taking over offensive playcalling duties midway through the Bruins' 2025 campaign.
A former UCLA quarterback, Neuheisel coached the Bruins' tight ends from 2024-25. Prior to that, he spent three seasons as UCLA's wide receivers coach (2021–23) and three seasons as a graduate assistant (2018–20) under current Northwestern offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.
Neuheisel's ascension to offensive playcaller coincided with an immediate turnaround for UCLA after an 0-4 start to the season. In his first game calling plays, he helped guide the Bruins to a 42–37 victory over then-No. 7 Penn State at the Rose Bowl on Oct. 4. The win marked UCLA's first victory over an AP top-10 opponent since 2010 and the first time since 1985 that a team starting 0–4 or worse defeated a top-10 opponent. UCLA's 42 points were also its highest output since the 2023 season.
The win over the Nittany Lions sparked a three-game winning streak against Big Ten opponents that garnered national attention. UCLA followed with a 38–13 road victory at Michigan State, its largest margin of victory since 2023, before closing the streak with a 20–17 win over Maryland that featured a game-winning drive in the final 35 seconds.
During the streak, UCLA averaged 422 yards of total offense, 33 points per game and converted 50 percent of its third-down attempts — all marked improvements from the season's first four games. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava (AP National Player of the Week following the Penn State win), offensive lineman Garrett DiGiorgio (All-Big Ten honorable mention), running back Jalen Berger (UCLA Student-Athlete of the Week after the Michigan State win) and running back Anthony Frias II (UCLA Student-Athlete of the Week after the Maryland win) each delivered standout performances under Neuheisel's direction.
Tight end Moliki Matavao starred in 2024 under Neuheisel's tutelage, leading the Bruins in receptions (41) and receiving yards (506). The senior recorded two 100-yard receiving performances, both in UCLA victories, and was presented with the Jackie R. Robinson Award for excellence in athletics and academics at the program's year-end banquet.
Wide receiver Logan Loya enjoyed a breakout season under Neuheisel in 2023, leading the team with 59 receptions, 655 receiving yards and five touchdowns. J. Michael Sturdivant paced UCLA's receiving corps with a 16.6 yards-per-catch average and added four touchdown receptions.
UCLA's 2022 offense eclipsed 500 yards per game for the first time in program history, with Duke transfer Jake Bobo emerging as Neuheisel's top target. Bobo led the team with 57 receptions while posting career highs in receiving yards (817) and touchdown receptions (seven) on a unit that saw five wide receivers set career-best marks for receptions.
In 2021, Neuheisel was named to 247Sports' 30 Under 30 list, recognizing the nation's top young coaches. In his first season as wide receivers coach and fourth year on staff, Kyle Philips led the Pac-12 with 10 receiving touchdowns. Philips finished his UCLA career ranked fourth on the program's all-time receptions list with 163 catches. He also contributed to the Bruins' conference-leading 18 receiving touchdowns during the shortened 2020 season, which marked quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson's first of three consecutive years with a passing efficiency rating of at least 153.94. That UCLA squad averaged 455.0 yards of total offense per game, ranking second in the Pac-12 and representing an improvement of nearly 50 yards per game from the previous season.
Neuheisel began his coaching career at Texas A&M in 2017 as an offensive quality control coach working under offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone. During that season, he helped mentor first-year quarterbacks Kellen Mond and Nick Starkel as they delivered record-setting performances.
A graduate of Loyola High School in Los Angeles, Neuheisel earned UCLA's Charles Pike Memorial Award as the most outstanding scout-team player on offense after the 2012 season, his first with the Bruins. He saw his first game action in 2013 as UCLA's backup quarterback and holder.
On Sept. 13, 2014, Neuheisel entered in relief of injured starter Brett Hundley and led UCLA to a 20–17 comeback victory over Texas at AT&T Stadium in Dallas. He completed 23 of 30 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns, including a 33-yard game-winning touchdown pass to Jordan Payton with three minutes remaining. Neuheisel was named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week for his performance.
A nine-time UCLA Athletic Director's Honor Roll selection and four-time Pac-12 All-Academic honoree, Neuheisel continued his playing career overseas. In 2016, he led the Obic Seagulls of the Japanese X League to the Japan X Bowl, completing 67.5 percent of his passes for 1,456 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Neuheisel married his wife, Nicole, in the summer of 2020. His father, Rick Neuheisel, played quarterback for the Bruins from 1981–83 before beginning his coaching career at UCLA in 1986. After serving in multiple assistant roles, he became head coach at Colorado (1995–98), Washington (1999–2002) and UCLA (2008–11). He was most recently named head coach of the Dallas Renegades of the United Football League
Coaching Assignments
| Years | Position | Institution |
| 2025 | Interim Offensive Coordinator / Assistant Head Coach / Tight Ends Coach | UCLA |
| 2024 | Tight Ends Coach | UCLA |
| 2021-23 | Wide Receivers Coach | UCLA |
| 2018-20 | Graduate Assistant | UCLA |
| 2017 | Offensive Quality Control Coach | Texas A&M |
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