Ed Kezirian
Encyclopedia
Ed Kezirian was the interim head coach
of the UCLA Bruins football
team for one game. As of the 2007 college football season, Kezirian is the Football Academic Coordinator at UCLA. Kezirian is known for waving a towel on the sidelines to inspire the fans during football games. "Coach K", as he is more affectionately known, has retired from UCLA after the 2007 season and is moving back to the central part of California.
and was a student and a letterman in football.
in Reedley, California
before transferring to UCLA
in 1973. He was part of coach Pepper Rodgers
' very powerful offensive line at the time. His son Blane also played football for UCLA as a tight end
and on special teams.
under Terry Donahue
and Bob Toledo
. When Toledo was fired on December 10, 2002, Kezirian became the interim head coach
for the game against the New Mexico
Lobos in the Las Vegas Bowl
on December 25, 2002. He was victorious in his only game as Bruin head coach; UCLA won 27-13. An interesting note from that game was that when New Mexico sent Katie Hnida
out to kick an extra point
, Katie became the first woman to play in a Division I-A college football
game. The kick was blocked, so UCLA was not the first team to be scored upon by a woman in a Division I-A game.
After the game, Kezirian retired from coaching undefeated and was replaced by Karl Dorrell
. He remained on the staff to continue overseeing academics for the Bruins football team. When Karl Dorrell was fired in 2007, defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker
took the interim coaching duty for the 2007 Las Vegas Bowl
. The Bruins lost that game.
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of the UCLA Bruins football
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
team for one game. As of the 2007 college football season, Kezirian is the Football Academic Coordinator at UCLA. Kezirian is known for waving a towel on the sidelines to inspire the fans during football games. "Coach K", as he is more affectionately known, has retired from UCLA after the 2007 season and is moving back to the central part of California.
High School Years
Ed Kezirian attended Central Union High School in Fresno, CaliforniaFresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
and was a student and a letterman in football.
Personal life and college career
He spent two seasons at Reedley Junior CollegeReedley College
Reedley College often referred to as Reedley, RC, or known to locals as The College is a public community college located in Reedley, California, USA southeast of the Fresno Metropolitan Area and only a 3 hour drive south to Los Angeles or 3 hour drive north to San Francisco...
in Reedley, California
Reedley, California
Reedley is a city in Fresno County, California, United States. Reedley is located east-southeast of Fresno, at an elevation of 348 feet . The population at the 2010 census was 24,194. Its chief economic source is agriculture, particularly fruit and vegetable cultivation. The city is dubbed as...
before transferring to UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
in 1973. He was part of coach Pepper Rodgers
Pepper Rodgers
Franklin C. "Pepper" Rodgers is a former American football player and coach in the United States. He served as the head coach at the University of Kansas , University of California, Los Angeles , and the Georgia Institute of Technology , compiling a career college football record of...
' very powerful offensive line at the time. His son Blane also played football for UCLA as a tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
and on special teams.
Coaching career
Kezirian was an offensive line coachOffensive line coach
The offensive line coach is a coaching position in gridiron football that is in charge of the offensive line. This role is very common in the CFL, NFL, and college football programs. The offensive line coach serves the offense, which is led by the offensive coordinator....
under Terry Donahue
Terry Donahue
Terry Donahue is a former American football, player, coach, and executive and, currently, a football analyst. He served as the head football coach at the University of California, Los Angeles from 1976 to 1995, compiling a record of 151–74–8. From 2001 to 2005, Donahue served as...
and Bob Toledo
Bob Toledo
Bob Toledo is a former American football coach and player. Toledo served as the head coach at University of California, Riverside , the University of the Pacific , the University of California, Los Angeles , and Tulane University...
. When Toledo was fired on December 10, 2002, Kezirian became the interim head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
for the game against the New Mexico
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
Lobos in the Las Vegas Bowl
Las Vegas Bowl
The Maaco Bowl Las Vegas is an NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A post-season college football bowl game that has been played annually at 40,000-seat Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. since 1992. From 1992 to 1996, matchups featured the champion teams from the Big West and Mid-American...
on December 25, 2002. He was victorious in his only game as Bruin head coach; UCLA won 27-13. An interesting note from that game was that when New Mexico sent Katie Hnida
Katie Hnida
Katharine Anne "Katie" Hnida is an American football player who became the first woman to score in an NCAA Division I-A game, college football's highest level...
out to kick an extra point
Extra Point
Extra Point is a twice-daily, two-minute segment on ESPN Radio that covers generic sports-related topical news and opinion. The AM edition airs Monday through Saturday at various times between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, and the PM edition airs Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET...
, Katie became the first woman to play in a Division I-A college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
game. The kick was blocked, so UCLA was not the first team to be scored upon by a woman in a Division I-A game.
After the game, Kezirian retired from coaching undefeated and was replaced by Karl Dorrell
Karl Dorrell
Karl Dorrell is a football coach, currently an assistant coach with the Miami Dolphins of the NFL. He was previously the head coach of the UCLA Bruins, the first African American head football coach in the school's history...
. He remained on the staff to continue overseeing academics for the Bruins football team. When Karl Dorrell was fired in 2007, defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker
DeWayne Walker
-External links:* *...
took the interim coaching duty for the 2007 Las Vegas Bowl
2007 Las Vegas Bowl
The 2007 Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl was an NCAA-sanctioned Division I post-season college football bowl game between the UCLA Bruins and the Brigham Young University Cougars. The Las Vegas Bowl gets its first choice of bowl-eligible teams from the Mountain West Conference and the fourth/fifth choice ...
. The Bruins lost that game.