Wolf Pack lures ace recruiter Angus McClure away from UCLA

During a press conference to introduce his 2018 recruiting class earlier this month, Nevada head coach Jay Norvell set an ambitious goal for how he wants his coaching staff to be looked upon.

“We want to be the best in the West in recruiting,” Norvell said.

Nevada took a step toward that goal Friday when multiple outlets reported UCLA tight end coach Angus McClure will leave the Bruins to coach Nevada’s offensive line. McClure, who was on Nevada’s staff in 1996, is considered one of the nation's best recruiters, specifically in Northern California. The move was first reported by Fox Sports’ Bruce Feldman. Neither Nevada nor UCLA has confirmed the hire.

McClure joined UCLA’s staff in 2007 when he was hired by Karl Dorrell. Norvell was the Bruins’ offensive coordinator that season before moving on to Oklahoma, but McClure has survived three head-coaching changes at UCLA. He was retained when Rick Neuheisel, Jim Mora and Chip Kelly became the Bruins' coach. McClure was the longest-tenured coach in the Pac-12.

McClure is a versatile coach – he’s coached both lines, tight ends and special teams – but his ability to recruit has been his greatest strength. He’s been UCLA’s recruiting coordinator as the Bruins have regularly reeled in top-25 recruiting classes. UCLA had the 18th-best 2018 class, according to 247Sports.com, despite a coaching change. In 2014, Rivals named McClure one of college football’s top-25 recruiters.

A San Francisco native, McClure has deep ties in the Bay Area and Sacramento. He played for Sac State from 1987-91 and was the Hornets' line coach from 1997-2004. His coaching career began at Sacramento’s McClatchy High from 1992-95. Nevada hired in him in 1996 and he helped the Wolf Pack win Big West and Las Vegas Bowl titles. His tight ends scored a school-record 13 times that season.

McClure coached at Nebraska on Bill Callahan’s staff from 2004-05 when Norvell was the Cornhuskers’ offensive coordinator. McClure moved on to Buffalo to be an assistant for the Bulls in 2006 before being hired the following season by UCLA, where he had spent the last 11 seasons.

Nicknamed “Uncle Angus” on the North California recruiting trail, McClure should help boost the Wolf Pack’s presence in Sacramento and the Bay Area, an area Norvell has targeted in addition to Los Angeles, where assistant Eric Scott has done yeoman’s work, and Fresno, where assistant Chip Viney is highly regarded.

The offensive line position opened when Mason Miller accepted the same position at Washington State earlier this month. Nevada still has one vacant position on its full-time assistant staff after safeties coach Matt Kirk parted ways with Nevada following the 2017 season.

McClure's son, Hamish, has signed to play quarterback at Sac State next season, so the move from Southern California to Reno will get the McClure family closer to his college.