UCLA football navigated past a torrid start with Tim Skipper leading the way. Now Skipper has found a new role: Cal Poly football head coach at the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level.
ESPN college football insider Pete Thamel dropped the news on Wednesday afternoon.
“Source: Former UCLA interim coach Tim Skipper has agreed to a five-year deal to be the head coach at Cal Poly. Skipper led UCLA to wins over Penn State, Michigan State and Maryland as UCLA's interim and led Fresno State to a bowl last year as that school's interim,” Thamel posted on the social media website X, formerly Twitter.
Skipper pulled UCLA out of the 0-3 start that costed DeShaun Foster his job.
UCLA interim HC Tim Skipper previously pursued Cal Poly
This isn't the first time “Skip” became connected to the FCS program.
Multiple sources revealed Skipper pursued the 2019 opening when longtime head coach Tim Walsh retired. However, Cal Poly handed the reins to Beau Baldwin. He previously led Eastern Washington and left his post as Cal offensive coordinator.
Baldwin, however, needed to guide CP during the COVID-19 pandemic and didn't have a full season until 2021. He ultimately continued to coach in San Luis Obispo before joining Kenny Dillingham's staff at Arizona State in 2023.
Cal Poly pivoted to Paul Wulff in Baldwin's departure, who shared an EWU connection with him. The Mustangs eventually fired Wulff after three seasons.
Skipper will now be the main head coach in California's 805 region. The program transitioned to Division I in 1994. Cal Poly is known as the alma mater of John Madden, who has an on-campus football facility named after him.
