One of the UCLA football team’s coaching voids was filled
Sunday when UCLA coach Karl Dorrell announced the hiring of D.J.
McCarthy.
McCarthy takes over the position of wide receivers coach Dino
Babers, who was promoted Sunday to running backs coach and
recruiting coordinator.
McCarthy spent the last two years coaching wide receivers at the
University of Central Florida.
“I think D.J. is a great fit for our staff,”
football coach Karl Dorrell said. “He has a great track
record of developing productive receivers and he is an outstanding,
energetic recruiter.”
McCarthy developed several great wide receivers in his time at
UCF, which was 8-5 last season and the Conference USA Eastern
Division Champions.
McCarthy will bring his talents to Westwood to improve
UCLA’s passing offense, which ranked No. 23 in the nation
last season.
“Words cannot express how excited I am to join the UCLA
football program with head coach Karl Dorrell and his staff,”
McCarthy said. “I am looking forward to the opportunity to
help continue the development of their talented group of current
receivers as well as the incoming freshmen.”
McCarthy also brings with him a knowledge of the Southeast that
could expand UCLA’s recruiting base.
“He is very familiar with Florida and the surrounding
states and I think that will be a big plus for our recruiting
efforts,” Dorrell said.
Before his tenure at UCF, McCarthy coached the receivers at the
University of Nevada for four seasons, where he helped to develop
three NFL receivers including current Minnesota Viking star Nate
Burleson.
Prior to his arrival at Nevada, McCarthy was a coaches’
assistant in the NFL with the Oakland Raiders for two years.
McCarthy graduated from the University of Washington in 1994,
where he was a receiver and a member of the 1991 National
Championship team. He then spent parts of four seasons in the Arena
Football League.
“I feel fortunate to be back in the Pac-10 as a coach and
excited to be a part of the great winning tradition at UCLA,”
McCarthy said.
Although he has spent the last two seasons coaching wide
receivers at UCLA, Babers is not ill-prepared to take over the
responsibilities of recruiting and coaching the running backs from
Bieniemy, who accepted a position as running backs coach with the
Minnesota Vikings.
Babers was the running backs coach at the University of
Pittsburgh in 2003 and coached running backs for part of the six
years he was at the University of Arizona. He also was a running
back when he played at the University of Hawai’i.
“I am confident that we will continue to have an
outstanding running game with Dino coaching our backs,”
Dorrell said. “He has great versatility in his background and
I know this will be a smooth transition. Dino is also a great
recruiter and will do a fine job of following the philosophy we
have established in recruiting.”
Dorrell has yet to name a new defensive coordinator to replace
Larry Kerr, who was fired last week after leading the Bruins to the
113th-ranked overall defense in the nation in 2005.
But Dorrell is confident that the team will benefit from the
extensive search taking place.
“The school has made a very concerted effort in making a
substantial hiring at the position,” Dorrell said.
“I’m very encouraged by the interest at that
position.”
With reports from Sagar Parikh, Bruin Sports senior
staff