UCLA OC Noel Mazzone agrees to 3-year deal with Texas A&M

Mazzone will become the Aggies’ fourth offensive coordinator in five seasons under Sumlin.

In 2016, the new guy will be well-traveled Noel Mazzone, according to multiple reports.

Mazzone, who has been at UCLA for the last four seasons, led the Bruins’ offense to 45th-, 36th-, 20th- and 31st-ranked finishes in the country, respectively, in scoring offense. He was recently hospitalized for a blood clot in his lung and worked UCLA’s Foster Farms Bowl loss to Nebraska from the press box instead of his usual spot on the field.

Under Mazzone, 58, UCLA’s offense this season had six games of more than 500 yards. Mazzone was also a coach in the National Football League, working as the wide receivers coach and personnel consultant for the New York Jets from 2006 to 2009. His son, Taylor Mazzone, is UCLA’s quarterbacks coach.

Mazzone and Sumlin were assistants at Minnesota in the early 1990’s and attended “one-back clinics” in the off-season, invite-only gatherings for coaches who like to throw the ball around, as Sumlin has described them. On the surface, it’s rather puzzling: While Kevin Sumlin and the Aggies have run a freelancing, adaptable spread system over the past few years under the direction of OC Jake Spavital, Mazzone’s Bruins offenses have been rigid, predictable, conservative and mostly run out of NFL-like formations.

UCLA football won’t have to wait long to be reunited with the Mazzones – the Bruins’ schedule opens at Texas A&M in September.