Following his retirement from the NFL, former quarterback Derek Carr is going back to California.
The Fresno native who played college ball at Fresno State and in the NFL for the Raiders before and after their move from Oakland to Las Vegas is headed south. UCLA announced Monday that Carr is joining its football coaching staff as an adviser to head coach Bob Chesney.
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UCLA general manager Darrick Yray was an offensive assistant and assistant director of football at Fresno State when Carr played for the Bullodgs from 2009-13.
“I’ve known Darrick for a long time and have great respect for the work he’s done throughout his career,” Carr said, per UCLA’s announcement. “The opportunity to help coach Chesney, the staff and the quarterbacks at UCLA was one that really excited me.”
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Can Carr help turn UCLA into a winner?
Carr, 35, played 11 seasons in the NFL with the Raiders and New Orleans Saints. A shoulder injury ultimately forced him to cut his playing career short after the 2024 season. Now he’ll be back in the game on the sidelines.
How involved Carr will be in UCLA’s offense isn’t clear. UCLA’s announcement didn’t go into detail about the specifics of his role. But he’ll obviously work with quarterbacks and offer offensive input to a coach in Chesney with a defensive background.
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Chesney, 49, is a former defensive back who’s been involved in college football coaching since 2000. This will be his first year on the job at UCLA after two seasons as James Madison’s head coach. He brings with him great hope and expectations.
Chesney is tasked with reviving a dormant program that hasn’t played in its home stadium’s Rose Bowl Game since 1998 and has struggled to adapt to the move from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten.
The Bruins have posted 3-9 and 5-7 records since joining the Big Ten as an afterthought in the football superpower conference. But UCLA’s woes date back before the move with seven losing seasons in the last 10.
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Carr raises the profile of the program while facing the daunting task of helping Chesney and Wray turn it back into a winner.
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