Beleaguered UCLA defensive coordinator Jerry Azzinaro signs one-year, $700,000 contract

UCLA defensive coordinator Jerry Azzinaro, who presided over a defense that ranked No. 112 out of 130 Football Bowl Subdivision teams last season, recently signed a new one-year contract that will pay him $700,000, The Times has learned.

Azzinaro’s contract, which takes effect Saturday, calls from him to make that amount in base salary and talent fee next season, his third with the Bruins. In a restructuring of his contract, his take-home pay remains the same even though he made $650,000 in base salary and talent fee his first two seasons, when he earned $50,000 each season in signing and retention bonuses.

Asked about the need for staff changes given UCLA’s 7-17 record in its first two seasons under coach Chip Kelly, Bruins athletic director Dan Guerrero said last month that he continually engaged in discussions “about every facet of the program.”

“But we hired the football coach to run the football program and our jobs are to be supportive of that endeavor,” Guerrero said. “Ultimately, the coach will make those decisions that he feels are best for the program and we will be supportive of that.”

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Offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Justin Frye’s two-year contract calls for him to make $700,000 per season with up to $100,000 in performance bonuses. The cumulative bonus structure is the same for all the assistants, including $15,000 for an appearance in the Pac-12 Conference championship game; $10,000 for an appearance in a bowl game; $20,000 for an appearance in a New Year’s Six Bowl; $10,000 for an appearance in a College Football Playoff semifinal; $20,000 for an appearance in a College Football Playoff final; and $25,000 for winning the national championship.

Brian Norwood, the new assistant head coach, defensive passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach, will make $500,000 per season; quarterbacks coach Dana Bible will make $450,000 per season; inside linebackers coach Don Pellum will make $400,000 per season; tight ends and special teams coach Derek Sage will make $350,000 per season; wide receivers coach Jimmie Dougherty will make $340,400 per season; and running backs coach DeShaun Foster will make $290,400 per season.

Kelly’s contract remained unchanged heading into the third year of the five-year, $23.5-million deal he agreed to in November 2017, according to a school spokesperson. Outside linebackers coach Jason Kaufusi’s contract remains unchanged because he signed a two-year deal upon his hiring before last season.

UCLA has not hired a defensive line coach to replace the departed Vince Oghobaase with only a few days before the scheduled start of spring practice on Tuesday.