On Wednesday, UCLAΒ officially announced the hiring of Jeff Faris as the program’s new tight ends coach. Faris was recently the co-offensive coordinator (with play-calling duties) and quarterbacks coach at Duke.

Farisβ€”a former Duke safety and magna cum laude graduate from Duke’s economics program after only three years (quite an accomplishment)β€”had been with the Blue Devils since the 2012 season and served in a number of different capacities. Now, he’ll take over for the departed Derek Sage, who left to join the Nevada coaching staff as the offensive coordinator.

He first joined the staff in 2012 as a graduate assistant coach, a role he held for two seasons. He was then promoted to an on-field assistant in March 2014, where he coached the Duke wideouts for the next four seasons. In 2018, he took over as the team’s tight ends coach until in January of 2021 he was promoted to co-OC and quarterbacks coach. Faris also served as the Blue Devils’ offensive recruiting coordinator from 2017 to 2020.

That’s a breadth of offensive coaching experience that should serve the Bruins well.

At Duke, Faris earned AFCA FBS assistant coach of the year honors in 2018, coached tight end Noah Gray to a second-team All-America selection from the Walter Camp Foundation (2019), saw tight end Davis Koppenhaver tie the program record for receiving touchdowns in a season by a tight end (2018), and helped wideout Jamison Crowder to the first season 100-reception season by a wideout in ACC history (2014).

Gray was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2021 NFL Draft. Crowder, whose 3,641 receiving yards ranked third all-time in ACC history, was drafted by Washington in the 2015 NFL Draft.

It’s worth noting that Faris’ title does not include special teams coordinator, a role his predecessor also filled in addition to coaching the tight ends. That role will still need filling in some shape or form.