A new coach and a new playbook have UCLA QB Nico Iamaleava feeling energized
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nico Iamaleava chose to stick around for a final season at UCLA after one of his first conversations with new coach Bob Chesney . "He was very excited to see me, I was very excited to see him,” Iamaleava said Saturday in his first public comments since Chesney's hiring in December. "We just got to chop it up about life and how the past year went.
” Chesney comes to Westwood after leading James Madison to a 12-win season and a College Football Playoff berth. The Bruins, on the other hand, went 3-9 after DeShaun Foster was fired after an 0-3 start to the season and replaced by interim coach Tim Skipper. Iamaleava threw for 1,928 yards, with 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
He was the Bruins' leading rusher with 505 yards, having transferred from Tennessee last April. He wasn't with the team for spring practice last year. Now, he's getting a full spring camp under his belt and learning a new offensive playbook.
“It's a lot of stuff that we're installing,” Iamaleava said. “Last year when I got in, everything was fast forwarded for me. I went into fall camp still learning the offense.
Being able to come in and get a whole spring with the guys, it’s been great bonding with them. ” The hiring of Chesney and offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy, who came over from James Madison, has injected new enthusiasm into the program. Iamaleava described Chesney as “high energy and very charismatic.