Derek Carr Joins UCLA Coaching Staff After Former Pro Bowl QB Teased NFL Return

Former NFL quarterback Derek Carr is returning to the college game.

As a coaching advisor, that is.

UCLA announced Monday it hired Carr as a special advisor to head coach Bob Chesney. According to the announcement, Carr will help with offensive game-planning and work with the Bruins' quarterbacks.

This comes after NFL Network reported in February that Carr previously said he would "never say never" about coming out of retirement. However, he remains retired with the 2026 NFL season looming, and he is now taking a coaching role with the Bruins.

Notably, that NFL Network report pointed out the quarterback "doesn't seem to be actively chasing a return to the NFL."

This development is the latest and clearest sign that is the case. It could also be the first step toward a lengthy coaching career, especially if he helps Nico Iamaleava take another step for UCLA.

That Carr is working with the quarterbacks comes as no surprise given his own NFL career. He played 11 seasons for the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders and New Orleans Saints during a career that started when he was a second-round pick in the 2014 NFL draft.

Carr was a four-time Pro Bowler who threw for more than 4,000 yards four times and 3,000 yards in all but one of his 11 seasons. He also threw for 25 or more touchdowns four different times, including when he had 32 in his second season in 2015.

What's more, he knows how to thrive under the spotlight in the college game seeing how he threw for 5,083 yards and 50 touchdowns in his final season at Fresno State.

UCLA general manager Darrick Yray was an offensive assistant and assistant director of football operations at Fresno State during Carr's time with the program.

"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 announcement. "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."

Whether Carr is able to get the best out of Iamaleava will ultimately determine UCLA's ceiling while facing a difficult schedule that includes games against Oregon, Michigan, USC and Illinois, among others.

Iamaleava was a 5-star recruit and the No. 2 quarterback in the class of 2023, per 247Sports' composite rankings, but is yet to fully live up to expectations after starting with Tennessee and transferring to UCLA before the 2025 campaign.

Now he will be working with a four-time Pro Bowler during what figures to be an important season in his own development.