Sep 25, 2014; Tempe, AZ, USA; UCLA Bruins passing game coordinator coach Demetrice Martin against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Spring Reset for UCLA's Secondary

Originally posted on UCLA Bruins on SI
By Madeleine Considine | Last updated Apr 19, 2025 6:00 AM ET

UCLA’s secondary is under new leadership this spring, but it’s hardly unfamiliar.

Assistant coach and passing game coordinator Demetrice Martin is back in Westwood, and while the program has changed in the years since he last wore the four letters, his enthusiasm for developing talent remains the same.

“Man, it's great to be back home,” Martin said. “Just the atmosphere, just the feel. ... I'm excited about it.”

Martin, who previously coached at UCLA during the Jim Mora era, has rejoined the Bruins as part of Head Coach DeShaun Foster’s staff. While the coaching roster is full of fresh faces, Martin emphasized that chemistry is already forming behind the scenes.

“We know good coaches and circle ourselves with that,” Martin said. “And that's what Coach Foster is doing. He's putting together a heck of a staff. ... I'm picking up nuggets and putting them in my back pocket every day.”

Spring practice has given Martin an early look at a defensive backfield in transition. The Bruins are replacing all 11 defensive starters from last season, and Martin is tasked with helping rebuild the unit from the ground up.

“I like what I'm seeing. I'm liking how the guys are getting more and more physical with each practice,” Martin said. “That's a sign of them understanding the scheme. ... Now they're starting to turn it loose.”

While he praised the group's physicality and responsiveness, Martin made it clear that every area still needs refinement.

“All areas, all areas,” he said. “We got a lot of new guys from different places. A lot of things we're trying to un-teach so we can teach ... but they're coming along.”

Martin’s experience coaching in the Big Ten is also informing how he prepares the unit for that style of play.

“When it gets colder, obviously, people like to go three yards in a cloud of dust... they’ll pick you out and have you unblocked,” Martin explained. “Playing a little bit more big boy ball, that’s a difference... So in recruiting, we try to go get guys that are better than their guys and get after it.”

One of Martin’s major challenges this offseason is adjusting to the new dynamics of roster management in the era of the transfer portal and NIL.

“Now, we have to constantly recruit the guys that are on our roster,” Martin said. “And then ... you got to go recruit other colleges’ guys that are in the portal to fit the needs you may have.”

It’s added a layer of uncertainty to even the most basic planning.

“I don’t know who’s going to be here and who’s not,” Martin said. “So, it’s just kind of developing relationships and trying to get everybody to a starter level ... and let the chips fall where they may.”