UCLA head football coach Rick Neuheisel announced today that Mike Johnson, who spent the 2010 season as offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers, has been named offensive coordinator at UCLA. Johnson and Neuheisel will be reunited after working together with the Baltimore Ravens in 2006 and 2007 and he is one of five Bruin assistants with NFL experience.
In addition to serving as the offensive coordinator, Johnson will coach the wide receivers and Neuheisel will coach the quarterbacks.
"During my assessment of our program, I felt it was necessary for me to be more involved in the day-to-day operation of the offense," Neuheisel said. "I decided that going forward, I will coach the quarterbacks and will be more hands-on in the area of play calling with a new coordinator.
"Mike is a great addition to our staff. He has a background with a multitude of offensive schemes, has coached several different positions and has experience in our conference as well as in the National Football League. Mike brings a wealth of knowledge and adds versatility to our offense and I can't wait to get in the film room and start planning for 2011 and the Pac-12.
"In addition, Mike is a dynamic and tireless recruiter who is familiar with the Pac-12 area and, in particular, southern California. He will be a great plus for our program in this important area.
Johnson, 43, spent two seasons (2009-10) with the 49ers, coaching the quarterbacks. He took over the offensive coordinator duties early in the 2010 season (September 27). In 2010, the 49ers ranked No. 18 in the NFL in passing yards (209.8), No. 18 in yards per pass attempt (7.2), No. 19 in rushing yards (103.6) and T-No. 17 in yards per carry (4.1). Alex Smith completed 59.6% of his passes for 2,370 yards
