Tim Skipper joins Cal Poly after leading UCLA for 9 games

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Tim Skipper, the veteran assistant who served as UCLA's interim football coach for the final nine games of the current season, has been hired as the new head coach at Cal Poly.

The FCS school announced the hiring Wednesday. Skipper replaces Paul Wulff, who was fired by Cal Poly last month after going 10-24 over two seasons.

Skipper agreed to a five-year deal, sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel.

Skipper went 3-6 after taking over the Bruins from DeShaun Foster, who was fired three games into his second season in charge.

Skipper also served as the acting head coach and interim head coach at Fresno State for 14 games in 2023 and 2024. Skipper coached the entire 2024 season at his alma mater on an interim basis after Jeff Tedford stepped down, going 7-7 over the two seasons.

Skipper spent just one season in Westwood but earned praise for his ability to rally a Bruins team that looked noncompetitive while starting 0-3. Foster got the permanent job at his own alma mater in tough circumstances in February 2024 after Chip Kelly abruptly left the program.

Skipper improbably led the Bruins to consecutive victories over Penn State, Michigan State and Maryland in October before they lost their final five games. Skipper's tenure ended with a 29-10 loss to Southern California at the Coliseum last weekend.

UCLA is expected to hire James Madison coach Bob Chesney as its new head coach after he leads his 11-1 Dukes in the Sun Belt championship game on Friday.

Skipper, the son of longtime NFL assistant coach Jim Skipper, has also held assistant jobs at Florida and UNLV. He has another challenging job on his hands as he takes over the Mustangs, who haven't had a winning season since 2016.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.