The UCLA Bruins’ football program made an announcement on Monday that the program will be bringing on four-time NFL Pro Bowler Derek Carr as a special advisor to first-year head coach Bob Chesney.
Carr is not a UCLA alum, attending Fresno State before spending a decade in the NFL with the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders and the New Orleans Saints. The move doesn’t come out of thin air, with Carr visiting the UCLA football program earlier this year
.It’s not crystal clear what sort of advising Carr will be doing to Chesney but the addition of the longtime NFL starter will only help UCLA’s recruiting efforts.
Adding an 11-year NFL vet and 4x Pro Bowler to the staff. Welcome to Westwood, @derekcarrqb!#4sup | ℹ️: https://t.co/jZlGjhWjov pic.twitter.com/447EdVgvwZ
— UCLA Football (@UCLAFootball) August 10, 2026
"We are excited to welcome Derek to our program," Chesney said in the team’s release on Monday. "He has played the quarterback position at a high level for more than a decade, and his experience, leadership and football knowledge will be an incredible resource for our coaching staff and student-athletes. What stands out most is his passion for the game and his commitment to developing young people. Derek will have a tremendous impact on our players and is a great addition to our program.”
The connection between Carr and UCLA likely stems from the Bruins’ general manager, Darrick Yray, who was a part of the Fresno State coaching staff during Carr’s time with the Bulldogs.
"I've known Darrick for a long time and have great respect for the work he's done throughout his career," Carr said in the release. "The opportunity to help Coach Chesney, the staff and the quarterbacks at UCLA was one that really excited me. I'm looking forward to sharing my experiences and helping support the program in any way I can."
While Carr had a different skillset from current UCLA starting quarterback, Nico Iamaleava, the wisdom of an NFL vet is still valuable as Iamaleava seeks to earn an opportunity at the NFL level.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Former NFL Pro Bowler Derek Carr joins UCLA's coaching staff
