COACHES & STAFF From 2005-2006, Linn served as the Director of the Velocity Sports Performance franchise in St. Louis, MO. While at the St. Louis location, he collaborated on the training, injury prevention and rehabilitation of over 500 area athletes. He also directed professional athlete development programs for numerous NFL, MLB, NHL and MLS athletes. Linn’s collegiate experience includes a stint from 2002-2005 as the Director of Strength and Conditioning at St. Louis University. At SLU, he was responsible for all aspects of athletic performance for the over 350 student-athletes at the university that participated in 16 Division I sports. Mike previously served as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at UCLA from 1999-2002.While managing all areas of the strength and conditioning department for over 700 student-athletes, Linn designed and administered weight training, conditioning, agility, plyometric and speed development programs for football and basketball. Prior to becoming the head of the UCLA program in 1999, he worked with the Olympic sports teams as an assistant strength and conditioning coach from 199299. Five of his Bruin teams captured national championships during his tenure as an assistant (men’s volleyball, men’s water polo (2), men’s soccer and women’s softball). In addition, the women’s basketball team won its first Pac-10 Championship and advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament. Linn came to UCLA as a freshman recruit in 1987 after starring as an offensive lineman and track and field performer at Esperanza High School in Orange County, CA. He was named the No. 17 prep lineman in the country by one publication and earned Tacoma News-Tribune and Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West team honors. Linn was also a school record-holder and All-CIF performer in the discus. The 1993 UCLA graduate was a member of two bowl teams and a starter in two seasons. The Bruins averaged 164 yards on the ground during Linn’s starts at right guard, including one of UCLA’s all-time best efforts of 358 yards versus Arizona in 1991. He also was a starter for UCLA’s stunning upset at No. 2-ranked Washington in the 1990 season. One of the top Bruins in the weight room as a player, Linn set a team-high in the three main lifts -- squat, bench, and clean -- of 1,366 pounds during his junior season. Following the conclusion of his playing days, Mike served as a undergraduate assistant coach during the 1992 season at UCLA. PERSONAL — Education: Bachelor‘s of Arts, UCLA, 1993; At UCLA: Third year of second tenure (joined staff in February, 2007) - 13th year overall; Born: November 7, 1969; Family: Linn is married to the former Karen Nelson, a UCLA gymnast who was a two-time All-American in the Vault and the 1994 Pac-10 Vault champion.They have two children, Kylie and Ryker.
BOB FIELD
ASSOCIATE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR/FOOTBALL-32ND YEAR ARKANSAS ’71
Bob Field is an associate athletic director and has served as a member of UCLA’s athletic administration since January of 2001. Field oversees men’s and women’s golf and women’s rowing and serves as an aide to Dan Guerrero in all football matters. He was instrumental in the coaching search that resulted in the selection of Rick Neuheisel. Field also oversees housing, parking, training table, video services, agent relations and coaches’ development. Prior to his switch to administration, Field spent 22 seasons as an assistant coach with the Bruin football team. He was the assistant head coach during his final five seasons (1996-2000) and served as defensive coordinator for 16 seasons (1982-95 and 19992000) while tutoring outside linebackers, place kickers and defensive backs at various times in his career. Field has been at UCLA since 1978, with the exception of the 1980 season. Over the years, he tutored some of the top athletes in school history and crafted numerous defenses ranked in the Top 20 in various categories. He began his coaching career under the legendary Bear Bryant at Alabama (1971-72) and moved to Mississippi State in 1973. During his five-year tenure at MSU, he coached the secondary and served as defensive coordinator in his final four seasons with the Bulldogs. Field earned a Bachelor’s degree in Science Education at Arkansas in 1971 and was named to the All-Southwest Conference Academic Team his senior year. He was a three-year varsity letterman and two-year starter in the secondary. In his three varsity seasons, the Razorbacks were 28-5. As a player and coach, Field participated in 20 bowl games, including one Orange, two Sugar, three Cotton, two Fiesta and five Rose Bowls. During his tenure at UCLA, the Bruins recorded eight consecutive bowl wins, eight straight wins over USC and won or tied for seven Pac-10 championships. PERSONAL — He is married to Valorie Kondos Field, UCLA’s current women’s gymnastics coach. He has three sons: Kyle, Brian and Michael. Brian and his wife Carmell have two daughters, Selah and Micah.
TONY PERRI
DIRECTOR OF EQUIPMENT OPERATIONS-26TH YEAR UCLA ’84
Tony Perri is in his fifth year as the Director of Equipment Operations at UCLA and his 26th as a full-time staff member in the equipment room (Feb. 1985). He also worked part-time as a student employee. He is responsible for overseeing the purchasing, fitting, maintenance, and distribution of equipment for all 24 of UCLA's athletic teams. Perri works primarily with the football and men's basketball squads. In addition, Perri supervises the student manager program along with his equipment staff - Pete Maglieri, Sean Markus, Phil Hollenbaugh, Kyle Steve, Kristen Beer and Eddie Valencia. Perri is also responsible for managing an annual equipment budget of over $1.5 million. He and his staff are in charge of coordinating the equipment and apparel needs for the football program's practices, games and travel. Perri is a certified member of Athletic Equipment Managers Association and was the AEMA District Equipment Manager of the Year in 1999. A former Bruin baseball player (1980-83) who earned his BA in 1984, Perri and his wife Lenora have two children, Bryan and Laureen.
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ANTHONY VENUTE
HEAD ATHLETIC TRAINER FOR FOOTBALL-2ND SEASON UCLA ’02
Anthony Venute joined the UCLA athletic training staff in May of 2005.A UCLA graduate, he is set to begin his sixth season working with Bruin football and his second as the head athletic trainer for the team. While his duties at UCLA have been primarily with the football team, Anthony has also worked with the women’s water polo squad and the women’s golf program. He was a student athletic trainer at UCLA as an undergraduate while pursuing his degree in Physiological Science and assisted with the football and softball teams from 1999-2001. Venute earned his Masters degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Athletic Training from Michigan State where he served as a graduate assistant from 2002-04 on the athletic training staff for the sports of football and baseball. He then went on to perform an internship with the Buffalo Bills training staff during the 2004-05 NFL season.Venute gained additional NFL experience during the summer of 2001 when he was an intern on the training staff of the Cleveland Browns. Anthony has been NATA (National Athletic Trainers’ Association) certified since 2002.