Karl Dorrell
Encyclopedia
Karl Dorrell is a football
coach, currently an assistant coach with the Miami Dolphins
of the NFL
. He was previously the head coach
of the UCLA Bruins
, the first African American
head football coach in the school's history. He and his wife Kim have two children, Chandler and Lauren.
in La Mesa, California
, where he played football. He was a two-time all-league selection and an honorable mention All-American as a senior. He led Helix to the CIF
San Diego Section second place in 1981.
, earning four varsity letters in football. He was one of the most successful wide receivers at UCLA with 1,517 receiving yards on 108 receptions. He suffered a shoulder injury in 1984 and was granted an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA
. He played on a team that won the Rose Bowl in 1983, 1984, and 1986, and that won the Freedom Bowl
in 1986.
During the 1983 season, he was a teammate of quarterback Rick Neuheisel
, who would be his eventual successor as UCLA head coach. He caught touchdowns from Neuheisel during the season, including two in the 1984 Rose Bowl
.
In the 1986 UCLA vs. USC
game, Dorrell was on the receiving end of a play that the Los Angeles Times
dubbed "Hail Mary, and in your face.."
" On the last play of the first half, UCLA quarterback Matt Stevens
faked a kneeldown, then pulled up and threw a Hail Mary pass, which was tipped into the hands of the flanker, Dorrell, to put the Bruins up 31-0 at the half. They would go on to win 45-20.
He had a brief career as a player in the NFL
with the Dallas Cowboys
in the 1987 season, but he was placed on the injured reserve.
at UCLA. That season the Bruins finished the season with a record of 10-2 and defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks
in the Cotton Bowl Classic.
In 1989, he became a wide receivers coach at Central Florida
. In 1990 and 1991 he was the offensive coordinator
and receivers coach at Northern Arizona
. Under his tutelage, the NAU offense set a school record with 255 first downs in 1991, amassing the second-most total offense (4,539 yards) in a season.
From 1992 to 1993, Dorrell coached wide receivers at Colorado
. In his first year with the Buffaloes, two of his receivers, Charles Johnson and Michael Westbrook
, became just the fourth pair of receivers on the same team in NCAA history to each have over 1,000 receiving yards.
He then served as wide receivers coach at Arizona State
in 1994 before returning to Colorado when they hired his former UCLA teammate, Rick Neuheisel, as their head coach. This time, he would serve as wide receivers coach and offensive coordinator from 1995 to 1998. When Neuheisel left Colorado for Washington
, he brought four assistant coaches with him - including Dorrell, who served as the Huskies' offensive coordinator and receivers coach in 1999.
Minority Coaching Fellowships, which allowed him to spend time in the Broncos' training camp. He would return to the team in 2000 to serve as the receivers coach under head coach Mike Shanahan
He held this position for three years, coaching players like Rod Smith, a two time selection to the NFL's Pro Bowl
, and Ed McCaffrey
, a one time Pro Bowl selection. With the help of Dorrell, Smith and McCaffrey became only the 2nd wide receiver duo to each catch 100 passes in a single season (2000).
, replacing Bob Toledo
, who was released at the end of the 2002 regular season. Between Toledo and Dorrell, Ed Kezirian
, an athletic department official who oversees the academics for the football team, served as interim coach for the 2002 Las Vegas Bowl
. Under Kezirian, the Bruins won the bowl game
over New Mexico 27-13. Dorrell's hiring as head coach was announced on December 19, 2002 by UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero. Ed Kezirian remained on the football staff. Dorrell was brought in at UCLA to clean up a program marred by off-the-field problems in the final years of Bob Toledo's tenure.
.
In 2004, his second season, the team finished with a record of 6 wins, 6 losses and an appearance in the Las Vegas Bowl
, with a loss to Wyoming
.
, featuring Adrian Peterson.
On October 1, 2005, head coach Tyrone Willingham
and his Washington Huskies
came to the Rose Bowl
for a Pacific-10 Conference game to play UCLA. This was the first time two black head coaches faced each other in a Pac-10 conference game. At the time, Sylvester Croom
of Mississippi State
was the only other black coach heading an NCAA Division I football program. Dorrell achieved his first win against a top-ten opponent with a 47-40 upset win over No. 10-ranked Cal.
Three Bruin wins in the 2005 season set new school records for biggest comebacks earning the nickname "The Cardiac Kids." They came thanks largely to the heroics of quarterback Drew Olson
and tailback Maurice Jones-Drew
. In the regular season the Bruins came from down 21 points to win in overtime against both Washington State and Stanford. In the Stanford comeback, the Bruins scored 21 points in the final 7:04 of the fourth quarter. In the Sun Bowl, the Bruins set the record again by coming back from 22 points down.
The Bruins were ranked No. 7 in the nation until a 52-14 blowout loss to a 3-8 Arizona team. The Bruins came into the UCLA-USC rivalry
last regular season game ranked No. 11. They suffered a 66-19 defeat, to the No. 1 2005 USC Trojans football team
. This was the largest margin of defeat since the series began in 1929 with a 76-0 defeat. The Bruins finished 3rd in the Pac-10 standings.
On December 30, 2005 his Bruins defeated the Northwestern Wildcats
in the Sun Bowl
50-38, finishing the season with a 10-2 record. At the end of the 2005 season, Dorrell and fellow UCLA coach Ben Howland
received pay bonuses for coaching successful seasons. Karl was named Pac-10 co-coach of the year along with USC head coach Pete Carroll
.
In 2006, the fourth season, Dorrell guided the Bruins to a 7-6 season (5-4 PAC-10) and a fourth-place Pac-10 finish.
UCLA played its first game at the University of Notre Dame
since the 1960s and was leading 17-13, but the Irish
scored a touchdown in the final minute to win.
The most notable victory of his coaching career at UCLA was a 13-9 defeat of No. 2-ranked and Bowl Championship Series
title-game-bound USC on December 2, 2006. The win kept the Trojans out of the title game and broke a 7-game UCLA losing streak to the Trojans (thereby preserving the Bruins' 8-game win streak in the rivalry from 1991-1998 as the longest run in the history of the rivalry). The victory also clinched a winning season for UCLA.
The Bruins played in the Emerald Bowl
in San Francisco against a Bobby Bowden
coached Florida State
Seminoles team on December 27, 2006 and lost 44-27.
, and achieving a No. 11 Associated Press
ranking, however, UCLA stumbled against an injured, winless, and unranked Utah Utes
team, 44-6. Four weeks later, Dorrell's Bruins fell again; this time 20-6 to an unranked, winless Notre Dame
team. The Bruins did, however, post wins against seemingly more difficult PAC-10 opponents, including a No. 10 Cal team. However; the bad taste of losses to teams the Bruins were favored to beat (including an embarrassing 27-7 loss to Washington State
) raised questions about Dorrell's play-calling and ability to motivate his players.
After the Washington State loss, UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero
addressed UCLA's inconsistent football performances for the first time, stating "I will be very interested to see how we finish the season. And you can use that." Many took this as a hint that Dorrell's job might be in serious jeopardy. The Bruins would go on to lose to Arizona and Arizona State by a combined score of 58-47, but surprisingly shut out an Oregon Ducks team that a week earlier lost starting quarterback and Heisman Trophy Candidate Dennis Dixon to a knee injury. Heading into the final game of the regular season against crosstown-rival USC, the Bruins still had an outside chance at a Rose Bowl berth that might have saved Dorrell's job; with a victory over USC and some help from Arizona (with a win over ASU), the Bruins could have been the first-ever five-loss team to play in the Rose Bowl. It wasn't to be, however, and the Bruins finished the 2007 Regular season with a miserable offensive performance in a 24-7 loss to USC and a record of 6-6.
On December 3, 2007, Los Angeles papers and the Associated Press
reported that Karl Dorrell was fired during a meeting with athletic director Dan Guerrero. Dorrell was offered the choice, but decided not to coach in the Las Vegas Bowl. Defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker
served as interim coach for the game, where UCLA lost to BYU. UCLA selected a former teammate, Rick Neuheisel
, as his successor.
and was a finalist along with eventual hire David Cutcliffe
for the head coaching position vacated by Ted Roof
. He was also dealt as a candidate for the vacant offensive coordinator
position for the Houston Texans
. Former Texans offensive coordinator Mike Sherman
left for Texas A&M University
in November 2007. That position, however, eventually went to Kyle Shanahan
.
After rumors that he was a candidate to succeed Mike Heimerdinger
as Denver Broncos
assistant head coach, Dorrell eventually was hired as wide receivers coach for the Miami Dolphins
, after having also interviewed with the Kansas City Chiefs
.
He was named Quarterbacks Coach on January 26, 2011.
* Dorrell left before the bowl game
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach, currently an assistant coach with the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was previously the head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of the UCLA Bruins
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
, the first African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
head football coach in the school's history. He and his wife Kim have two children, Chandler and Lauren.
High school
Karl attended Helix High SchoolHelix High School
Helix High School, in La Mesa, California, is a charter high school built in 1952. It received its charter in 1998. Part of the Grossmont Union High School District, it serves a low to mid-level socioeconomic community and has a student body of approximately 2,400 pupils...
in La Mesa, California
La Mesa, California
La Mesa is a city in San Diego County, California. The population was 57,065 at the 2010 census, up from 54,749 at the 2000 census. It was founded in 1869 and officially incorporated as a city on February 16, 1912. Its official flower is the bougainvillea....
, where he played football. He was a two-time all-league selection and an honorable mention All-American as a senior. He led Helix to the CIF
California Interscholastic Federation
The California Interscholastic Federation is the governing body for high school sports in the state of California. It mirrors similar governing bodies in other states; however, it differs from some of the others in that it covers most high schools in the state of California, both public and...
San Diego Section second place in 1981.
Career as a player
Karl went on to play football at UCLAUCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
, earning four varsity letters in football. He was one of the most successful wide receivers at UCLA with 1,517 receiving yards on 108 receptions. He suffered a shoulder injury in 1984 and was granted an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
. He played on a team that won the Rose Bowl in 1983, 1984, and 1986, and that won the Freedom Bowl
Freedom Bowl
The Freedom Bowl was an annual post-season college football bowl game played at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, California, from 1984 to 1994. Beginning with the 1995 season, the Freedom Bowl's WAC tie-ins were merged with that of the Holiday Bowl and the game was dissolved...
in 1986.
During the 1983 season, he was a teammate of quarterback Rick Neuheisel
Rick Neuheisel
Richard Gerald "Rick" Neuheisel, Jr. , is an American football coach, former player, and attorney. He was most recently the head football coach at University of California, Los Angeles, a position he held from 2008 to 2011...
, who would be his eventual successor as UCLA head coach. He caught touchdowns from Neuheisel during the season, including two in the 1984 Rose Bowl
1984 Rose Bowl
The 1984 Rose Bowl game, played on January 2, was the 70th Rose Bowl game. The UCLA Bruins defeated the Illinois Fighting Illini by a score of 45-9. Rick Neuheisel, UCLA quarterback, was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game. He completed 22 of 32 passes for 298 yards and four touchdowns...
.
In the 1986 UCLA vs. USC
UCLA-USC rivalry
The UCLA–USC rivalry is the American college rivalry between the UCLA Bruins sports teams of the University of California, Los Angeles and the USC Trojans sports teams of the University of Southern California ....
game, Dorrell was on the receiving end of a play that the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
dubbed "Hail Mary, and in your face.."
" On the last play of the first half, UCLA quarterback Matt Stevens
Matt Stevens (quarterback)
Matthew Anthony Stevens is a former professional American football quarterback who played one season in the National Football League. He played for the Kansas City Chiefs following the 1987 NFL strike. He played in three games for the Chiefs, starting two of them. He played collegiate football at...
faked a kneeldown, then pulled up and threw a Hail Mary pass, which was tipped into the hands of the flanker, Dorrell, to put the Bruins up 31-0 at the half. They would go on to win 45-20.
He had a brief career as a player in the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
with the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
in the 1987 season, but he was placed on the injured reserve.
College assistant coach - 1988-99
Dorrell's first job as a coach was in 1988, as a graduate assistant for Terry DonahueTerry Donahue
Terry Donahue is a former American football, player, coach, and executive and, currently, a football analyst. He served as the head football coach at the University of California, Los Angeles from 1976 to 1995, compiling a record of 151–74–8. From 2001 to 2005, Donahue served as...
at UCLA. That season the Bruins finished the season with a record of 10-2 and defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks
Arkansas Razorbacks
The Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the names of college sports teams at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The term Arkansas Razorbacks properly applies to any of the sports teams at the university. The Razorbacks take their name from the feral pig of the same name...
in the Cotton Bowl Classic.
In 1989, he became a wide receivers coach at Central Florida
University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...
. In 1990 and 1991 he was the offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
and receivers coach at Northern Arizona
Northern Arizona University
Northern Arizona University is a public university located in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. It is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and has 39 satellite campuses in the state of Arizona. The university offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees.As of...
. Under his tutelage, the NAU offense set a school record with 255 first downs in 1991, amassing the second-most total offense (4,539 yards) in a season.
From 1992 to 1993, Dorrell coached wide receivers at Colorado
Colorado Buffaloes football
The Colorado Buffaloes football program represents the University of Colorado at Boulder in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, having previously been a charter member of the Big 12 Conference. Before joining the Big 12,...
. In his first year with the Buffaloes, two of his receivers, Charles Johnson and Michael Westbrook
Michael Westbrook
Michael Deanailo Westbrook is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. Westbrook spent 7 seasons with the Washington Redskins from 1995 to 2001 and the 2002 season with the Cincinnati Bengals before retiring...
, became just the fourth pair of receivers on the same team in NCAA history to each have over 1,000 receiving yards.
He then served as wide receivers coach at Arizona State
Arizona State Sun Devils football
The Arizona State Sun Devils' football program represents Arizona State University in college football, and competes in NCAA Division I FBS as a member of the Pacific-12 Conference....
in 1994 before returning to Colorado when they hired his former UCLA teammate, Rick Neuheisel, as their head coach. This time, he would serve as wide receivers coach and offensive coordinator from 1995 to 1998. When Neuheisel left Colorado for Washington
Washington Huskies football
College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by...
, he brought four assistant coaches with him - including Dorrell, who served as the Huskies' offensive coordinator and receivers coach in 1999.
NFL assistant coach - 2000-02
In both 1993 and 1999, Dorrell was a recipient of Denver BroncosDenver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
Minority Coaching Fellowships, which allowed him to spend time in the Broncos' training camp. He would return to the team in 2000 to serve as the receivers coach under head coach Mike Shanahan
Mike Shanahan
Michael Edward "Mike" Shanahan is the 28th and current head coach of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. Shanahan also holds the title of Vice President of Football Operations with the Redskins, giving him full control over player personnel with the team. Shanahan previously...
He held this position for three years, coaching players like Rod Smith, a two time selection to the NFL's Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
, and Ed McCaffrey
Ed McCaffrey
Edward Thomas McCaffrey is a former American football wide receiver who played for the New York Giants , San Francisco 49ers and the Denver Broncos of the National Football League...
, a one time Pro Bowl selection. With the help of Dorrell, Smith and McCaffrey became only the 2nd wide receiver duo to each catch 100 passes in a single season (2000).
UCLA Bruins head coach - 2003-07
Karl Dorrell was hired as the head coach at UCLAUCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
, replacing Bob Toledo
Bob Toledo
Bob Toledo is a former American football coach and player. Toledo served as the head coach at University of California, Riverside , the University of the Pacific , the University of California, Los Angeles , and Tulane University...
, who was released at the end of the 2002 regular season. Between Toledo and Dorrell, Ed Kezirian
Ed Kezirian
Ed Kezirian was the interim head coach of the UCLA Bruins football team for one game. As of the 2007 college football season, Kezirian is the Football Academic Coordinator at UCLA. Kezirian is known for waving a towel on the sidelines to inspire the fans during football games...
, an athletic department official who oversees the academics for the football team, served as interim coach for the 2002 Las Vegas Bowl
Las Vegas Bowl
The Maaco Bowl Las Vegas is an NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A post-season college football bowl game that has been played annually at 40,000-seat Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. since 1992. From 1992 to 1996, matchups featured the champion teams from the Big West and Mid-American...
. Under Kezirian, the Bruins won the bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
over New Mexico 27-13. Dorrell's hiring as head coach was announced on December 19, 2002 by UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero. Ed Kezirian remained on the football staff. Dorrell was brought in at UCLA to clean up a program marred by off-the-field problems in the final years of Bob Toledo's tenure.
2003-04 seasons
The UCLA Bruins football team under Dorrell recorded a mark of 6 wins, 7 losses in his first season as head coach in 2003, with an appearance in the Silicon Valley Bowl, and a loss to Fresno StateFresno State Bulldogs football
The Fresno State Bulldogs football team represents California State University, Fresno in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The green “V” on the Bulldogs' helmets, uniforms, field symbolize California Central Valley, specifically the San Joaquin Valley, the agricultural valley from which they...
.
In 2004, his second season, the team finished with a record of 6 wins, 6 losses and an appearance in the Las Vegas Bowl
Las Vegas Bowl
The Maaco Bowl Las Vegas is an NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A post-season college football bowl game that has been played annually at 40,000-seat Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. since 1992. From 1992 to 1996, matchups featured the champion teams from the Big West and Mid-American...
, with a loss to Wyoming
Wyoming Cowboys football
The Wyoming Cowboys are a college football team that represents the University of Wyoming. They compete in the Mountain West Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I. The team has won 15 conference titles...
.
2005 season
In 2005, his third season as head football coach, Dorrell was able get his first win against a ranked opponent, No. 21 OklahomaOklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
, featuring Adrian Peterson.
On October 1, 2005, head coach Tyrone Willingham
Tyrone Willingham
Lionel Tyrone "Ty" Willingham is a former American football player and coach. He was the head coach at Stanford University , the University of Notre Dame , and the University of Washington , compiling a career college football record of 76–88–1.-Early career:Willingham attended...
and his Washington Huskies
Washington Huskies football
College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by...
came to the Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl (stadium)
The Rose Bowl is an outdoor athletic stadium in Pasadena, California, U.S., in Los Angeles County. The stadium is the site of the annual college football bowl game, the Rose Bowl, held on New Year's Day. In 1982, it became the home field of the UCLA Bruins college football team of the Pac-12...
for a Pacific-10 Conference game to play UCLA. This was the first time two black head coaches faced each other in a Pac-10 conference game. At the time, Sylvester Croom
Sylvester Croom
Sylvester Croom, Jr. is the former football head coach at Mississippi State University and current running backs coach of the St. Louis Rams. He was the first African American head football coach in the Southeastern Conference...
of Mississippi State
Mississippi State Bulldogs football
The Mississippi State Bulldogs football program represents Mississippi State University in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing as a member of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference. Mississippi State has produced 38 All-Americans, 171 All-SEC selections, and 124...
was the only other black coach heading an NCAA Division I football program. Dorrell achieved his first win against a top-ten opponent with a 47-40 upset win over No. 10-ranked Cal.
Three Bruin wins in the 2005 season set new school records for biggest comebacks earning the nickname "The Cardiac Kids." They came thanks largely to the heroics of quarterback Drew Olson
Drew Olson
Drew Martin Olson is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at UCLA...
and tailback Maurice Jones-Drew
Maurice Jones-Drew
Maurice Christopher Jones-Drew is a professional American football player who currently plays running back for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League . He was drafted in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
. In the regular season the Bruins came from down 21 points to win in overtime against both Washington State and Stanford. In the Stanford comeback, the Bruins scored 21 points in the final 7:04 of the fourth quarter. In the Sun Bowl, the Bruins set the record again by coming back from 22 points down.
The Bruins were ranked No. 7 in the nation until a 52-14 blowout loss to a 3-8 Arizona team. The Bruins came into the UCLA-USC rivalry
UCLA-USC rivalry
The UCLA–USC rivalry is the American college rivalry between the UCLA Bruins sports teams of the University of California, Los Angeles and the USC Trojans sports teams of the University of Southern California ....
last regular season game ranked No. 11. They suffered a 66-19 defeat, to the No. 1 2005 USC Trojans football team
2005 USC Trojans football team
The 2005 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in the college football season of 2005–2006, winning the Pacific-10 Conference , and playing for the NCAA Division I-A national championship...
. This was the largest margin of defeat since the series began in 1929 with a 76-0 defeat. The Bruins finished 3rd in the Pac-10 standings.
On December 30, 2005 his Bruins defeated the Northwestern Wildcats
Northwestern Wildcats football
The Northwestern Wildcats football team, representing Northwestern University, is a NCAA Division I team and member of the Big Ten Conference, with evidence of organization in 1876...
in the Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl
The Sun Bowl is an annual U.S. college football bowl game that is usually played at the end of December in El Paso, Texas. The Sun Bowl, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the Rose Bowl...
50-38, finishing the season with a 10-2 record. At the end of the 2005 season, Dorrell and fellow UCLA coach Ben Howland
Ben Howland
Ben Howland is an American college head coach of men's basketball.He has been the head coach of the University of California, Los Angeles since 2003, and in 2008 signed an extension of his contract to run through 2015. Aggressive man-to-man defense is the trademark of Ben Howland-coached...
received pay bonuses for coaching successful seasons. Karl was named Pac-10 co-coach of the year along with USC head coach Pete Carroll
Pete Carroll
Peter Clay Carroll is the head coach and executive Vice-President of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He is a former head coach of the New York Jets, New England Patriots and the University of Southern California Trojans football team.-Early life:Carroll attended Redwood High...
.
2006 season
UCLA played its first game at the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
since the 1960s and was leading 17-13, but the Irish
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
scored a touchdown in the final minute to win.
The most notable victory of his coaching career at UCLA was a 13-9 defeat of No. 2-ranked and Bowl Championship Series
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
title-game-bound USC on December 2, 2006. The win kept the Trojans out of the title game and broke a 7-game UCLA losing streak to the Trojans (thereby preserving the Bruins' 8-game win streak in the rivalry from 1991-1998 as the longest run in the history of the rivalry). The victory also clinched a winning season for UCLA.
The Bruins played in the Emerald Bowl
Emerald Bowl
The Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl is a post-season college football bowl game certified by the NCAA that has been played annually at 40,800-seat AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, in San Francisco, California, since 2002...
in San Francisco against a Bobby Bowden
Bobby Bowden
Robert Cleckler "Bobby" Bowden is a retired college football coach. He coached the Florida State Seminoles football team from the 1976 to 2009 seasons...
coached Florida State
Florida State Seminoles football
The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
Seminoles team on December 27, 2006 and lost 44-27.
2007 season
In Dorrell's fifth season at UCLA, with 20 returning starters and a team of his own recruits, hopes were high for the Bruins in 2007. After starting the season with a couple of wins over Stanford and BYUBYU
-Education:* Brigham Young University, a university located in Provo, Utah, USA administered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.**BYU Salt Lake Center, a satellite center in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA...
, and achieving a No. 11 Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
ranking, however, UCLA stumbled against an injured, winless, and unranked Utah Utes
Utah Utes
The Utah Utes are the athletics teams of the University of Utah. They are named after the Ute tribe of Native Americans. The men's basketball team is known as the "Runnin' Utes"; the women's basketball team, formerly known as the "Lady Utes," now prefers to be referred to as the "Utes"; and the...
team, 44-6. Four weeks later, Dorrell's Bruins fell again; this time 20-6 to an unranked, winless Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
team. The Bruins did, however, post wins against seemingly more difficult PAC-10 opponents, including a No. 10 Cal team. However; the bad taste of losses to teams the Bruins were favored to beat (including an embarrassing 27-7 loss to Washington State
Washington State Cougars football
The Washington State Cougars football team is the intercollegiate football team of Washington State University. The team is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference...
) raised questions about Dorrell's play-calling and ability to motivate his players.
After the Washington State loss, UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero
Dan Guerrero
Dan Guerrero is the athletic director for the University of California, Los Angeles . He is currently serving on the Selection Committee for the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, and will take over as chairman in 2010.-Work history:Prior to his current position, Guerrero was athletic...
addressed UCLA's inconsistent football performances for the first time, stating "I will be very interested to see how we finish the season. And you can use that." Many took this as a hint that Dorrell's job might be in serious jeopardy. The Bruins would go on to lose to Arizona and Arizona State by a combined score of 58-47, but surprisingly shut out an Oregon Ducks team that a week earlier lost starting quarterback and Heisman Trophy Candidate Dennis Dixon to a knee injury. Heading into the final game of the regular season against crosstown-rival USC, the Bruins still had an outside chance at a Rose Bowl berth that might have saved Dorrell's job; with a victory over USC and some help from Arizona (with a win over ASU), the Bruins could have been the first-ever five-loss team to play in the Rose Bowl. It wasn't to be, however, and the Bruins finished the 2007 Regular season with a miserable offensive performance in a 24-7 loss to USC and a record of 6-6.
On December 3, 2007, Los Angeles papers and the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
reported that Karl Dorrell was fired during a meeting with athletic director Dan Guerrero. Dorrell was offered the choice, but decided not to coach in the Las Vegas Bowl. Defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker
DeWayne Walker
-External links:* *...
served as interim coach for the game, where UCLA lost to BYU. UCLA selected a former teammate, Rick Neuheisel
Rick Neuheisel
Richard Gerald "Rick" Neuheisel, Jr. , is an American football coach, former player, and attorney. He was most recently the head football coach at University of California, Los Angeles, a position he held from 2008 to 2011...
, as his successor.
NFL assistant coach - 2008-present
Dorrell interviewed at Duke UniversityDuke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
and was a finalist along with eventual hire David Cutcliffe
David Cutcliffe
David Cutcliffe is the head football coach of the Duke University Blue Devils. He is best known for coaching Super Bowl MVP Peyton Manning at the University of Tennessee, and Manning's younger brother and fellow Super Bowl Champion Eli at the University of Mississippi...
for the head coaching position vacated by Ted Roof
Ted Roof
Terrence Edwin Roof, Jr. is an American football coach and former player. Currently, he is the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Auburn University. Roof served as the head coach at Duke University from 2003 to 2007, compiling a 6–45 record...
. He was also dealt as a candidate for the vacant offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
position for the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Former Texans offensive coordinator Mike Sherman
Mike Sherman
Michael Francis "Mike" Sherman is the head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies football team. Prior to coaching the Aggies, he served as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers from the 2000–05 seasons. Sherman led the Packers to five consecutive winning seasons from 2000–04 and three divisional titles...
left for Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
in November 2007. That position, however, eventually went to Kyle Shanahan
Kyle Shanahan
Kyle Shanahan is an NFL offensive coordinator for the Washington Redskins. Shanahan, at 28 years, 26 days old, became the youngest coordinator in the NFL when he was promoted by the Houston Texans on January 11, 2008...
.
After rumors that he was a candidate to succeed Mike Heimerdinger
Mike Heimerdinger
Michael "Mike" Heimerdinger was a football coach in the National Football League.-Career:Heimerdinger was most recently the offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans, a position he had served in from 2000-2004 and again from 2008-2010...
as Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
assistant head coach, Dorrell eventually was hired as wide receivers coach for the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, after having also interviewed with the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
.
He was named Quarterbacks Coach on January 26, 2011.
Coaching record
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
.