The UCLA football team had a slight improvement in its pass rush last season, collecting two more sacks than the previous year to finish with 28. It was good enough to tie for the 57th-best mark, jumping 17 spots thanks to the addition of outside linebackers coach Ikaika Malloe.

This spring, Malloe will have even more control after adding the title of defensive line coach following the departure of Chad Kauha’aha’a after just one season.

While it remains to be seen what the continuity does to both areas, it was clear last season that Bruins could have been more aggressive in getting to opposing quarterbacks.

It was said over and over last year that the defensive scheme was a collaboration of ideas under previous coordinator Bill McGovern, who battled unspecified health issues midway through the season and has since been re-assigned as the program’s director of football administration. Enter new first-year coordinator D’Anton Lynn, whose previous coaching stops were all in the NFL and most recently as the Baltimore Ravens’ safeties coach.