Tino Sunseri's Legacy: Developing UCLA Star Iamaleava

UCLA offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri, a coach known for his unwavering dedication, has been closely monitoring the progress of quarterback Nico Iamaleava.

Sunseri's commitment to developing first-year quarterbacks is a testament to his coaching prowess. His tireless work at the Bruins' training camp in Costa Mesa is a clear reflection of his dedication to the game.    

Nico Iamaleava marks the fifth consecutive quarterback that Sunseri has worked with. Sunseri has worked with first-year quarterbacks, all of whom have achieved success in their first season under his guidance at James Madison University and the University of Indiana, where he served as the quarterback coach.

Tino Sunseri’s Quarterback Legacy

Sunseri worked closely with Cole Johnson in 2021, who led JMU to the playoffs' semifinals. Working under Sunseri, Johnson had an incredible season as well, and he won the CFPA FCS national performer of the year.

Johnson earned multiple All-American honors, as Johnson was voted CAA offensive player of the year. Sunseri's close work with the quarterback helped the Dukes rank fifth nationally in scoring. The work that Sunseri has put into his quarterbacks has been nothing short of successful. 

Sunseri has worked with Todd Centeio, who was a transfer from Colorado State, in his first year playing for JMU. Centeio led James Madison in 2022, where they had a successful season with an 11-2 record. Todd Centeio was voted Sun Belt Conference Player and Newcomer of the Year later that year.

Centeio was voted the Virginia Sports Information Director Offensive Player of the year. Todd Centeio had a successful season working under Tino Sunseri. He became a four-time SBC offensive player of the week and a three-time Manning Award Star of the Week. 

Sunseri's winning mentality is infectious to every quarterback he begins to work with; he turns them into winning machines with just a season of working together. In 2023, Sunseri worked with Jordan McCloud, earning him the Sun Belt Conference offensive player of the year and Newcomer, a testament to Sunseri's coaching prowess. 

In the 2024 season, Sunseri led Kurtis Rourke into an incredible season in Indiana, having an 11-2 record and making it into the college football playoffs.