Karl Dorrell facts for kids

Karl James Dorrell, born on December 18, 1963, is a well-known American football coach. He has been the main coach for the UCLA Bruins and Colorado Buffaloes football teams. He even won the Pac-12 Coach of the Year award twice! Coach Dorrell led the UCLA Bruins to play in five big bowl games. He was also the first African American head football coach in UCLA's history.

Early Life and Playing Football

Karl Dorrell grew up in La Mesa, California, and went to Helix High School. He was a great football player there. He was chosen as an all-league player twice and was even an honorable mention All-American in his last year. In 1981, he helped his team reach second place in the CIF San Diego Section.

Playing at UCLA

Karl then went to UCLA to play football. He earned four varsity letters, which means he played on the team for four years. He became one of UCLA's best wide receivers, catching 108 passes for a total of 1,517 yards.

In 1984, he got a shoulder injury. The NCAA gave him an extra year to play because of this. He was part of UCLA teams that won the Rose Bowl in 1983, 1984, and 1986. His team also won the Freedom Bowl in 1986.

During the 1983 season, he played with quarterback Rick Neuheisel. Years later, Neuheisel would become the head coach at UCLA, just like Dorrell. Dorrell caught many touchdown passes from Neuheisel, including two in the 1984 Rose Bowl.

In a big game against USC in 1986, Dorrell was part of a famous play. Just before halftime, UCLA's quarterback faked kneeling down, then threw a long pass. The ball was tipped and landed in Dorrell's hands for a touchdown! This play helped UCLA lead 31–0 at halftime, and they won the game 45–20.

Short NFL Career

After college, Karl Dorrell had a short time playing in the NFL. He joined the Dallas Cowboys in 1987 but was placed on the injured reserve list.

Coaching Career Highlights

Starting as an Assistant Coach

Karl Dorrell began his coaching journey in 1988 as a graduate assistant at UCLA. The team finished that season with a 10–2 record and won the Cotton Bowl Classic.

In 1989, he became a wide receivers coach at UCF. Then, from 1990 to 1991, he worked as the offensive coordinator and receivers coach at Northern Arizona. Under his guidance, the Northern Arizona offense set a school record for first downs in 1991.

From 1992 to 1993, Dorrell coached wide receivers at Colorado. In his first year there, two of his receivers, Charles Johnson and Michael Westbrook, each gained over 1,000 receiving yards. This was a rare achievement in NCAA history.

He then coached wide receivers at Arizona State in 1994. After that, he returned to Colorado when his former UCLA teammate, Rick Neuheisel, became the head coach. Dorrell was the wide receivers coach and offensive coordinator from 1995 to 1998. When Neuheisel moved to Washington, Dorrell went with him and coached there in 1999.

Dorrell also spent time with the Denver Broncos in 1993 and 1999 through special coaching programs. He later joined the Broncos full-time in 2000 as the receivers coach under head coach Mike Shanahan. He coached for three years, helping players like Rod Smith and Ed McCaffrey become top players. In 2000, Smith and McCaffrey became only the second pair of wide receivers in NFL history to each catch 100 passes in one season.

Leading the UCLA Bruins

Karl Dorrell became the head coach at UCLA in 2003. He took over from Bob Toledo. Dorrell's job was to help the team improve.

First Seasons at UCLA (2003–2004)

In his first year as head coach in 2003, the UCLA Bruins had a 6–7 record. They played in the Silicon Valley Bowl but lost. In 2004, his second season, the team finished 6–6 and played in the Las Vegas Bowl, where they also lost.

Breakthrough Season (2005)

In 2005, his third year, Dorrell's team started to shine. They got their first win against a ranked team, beating No. 21 Oklahoma.

On October 1, 2005, UCLA played against the Washington Huskies. This game was special because it was the first time two black head coaches faced each other in a Pac-10 conference game. Dorrell led UCLA to a big 47–40 upset win over No. 10-ranked Washington.

The Bruins became known as "The Cardiac Kids" that season because they made amazing comebacks. They came back from 21 points down to win in overtime against Washington State and Stanford. In the 2005 Sun Bowl, they set another record by coming back from 22 points down to win.

UCLA was ranked No. 7 in the country at one point. They finished the season with a great 10–2 record after beating the Northwestern Wildcats 50–38 in the 2005 Sun Bowl. Karl Dorrell was named Pac-10 co-coach of the year for his success.

Continuing Success (2006)

Emerald Bowl, UCLA vs FSU, 2006

In 2006, Dorrell's fourth season, the Bruins had a 7–6 record.

A very important win for UCLA was their 13–9 victory over No. 2-ranked USC on December 2, 2006. This win stopped USC from playing in the national championship game and ended UCLA's seven-game losing streak against their rival. This victory also meant UCLA had a winning season.

The Bruins played in the Emerald Bowl against Florida State and lost 44–27.

Final Season at UCLA (2007)

In Dorrell's fifth season at UCLA, hopes were high. The team started with two wins and reached a No. 11 ranking. However, they had some tough losses to teams they were expected to beat.

After a 24–7 loss to USC, Karl Dorrell was let go as head coach on December 3, 2007. He chose not to coach in the Las Vegas Bowl. His former UCLA teammate, Rick Neuheisel, became the new head coach.

Returning as an Assistant Coach

Miami Dolphins (2008–2011)

After leaving UCLA, Dorrell became the wide receivers coach for the Miami Dolphins. He was later named the quarterbacks coach for the Dolphins in 2011.

Houston Texans (2012–2013)

In 2012, Dorrell joined the Houston Texans as their quarterbacks coach. He coached Matt Schaub during a season where the Texans went 12–4. He left the team after the 2013 season.

Vanderbilt (2014)

In 2014, Dorrell became the offensive coordinator at Vanderbilt University. He worked with head coach Derek Mason, who had been a player at Northern Arizona when Dorrell coached there. Dorrell's time at Vanderbilt lasted only one season.

New York Jets (2015–2018)

On January 23, 2015, Dorrell was named the wide receivers coach for the New York Jets. In the 2015 New York Jets season, he helped Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker become a top wide receiver duo. They both had over 1,000 receiving yards and combined for an NFL record 26 touchdowns.

Even though the 2016 New York Jets season was difficult for the team, the wide receivers still played well. Quincy Enunwa and Robby Anderson had good seasons under Dorrell's coaching.

Second Time with Miami Dolphins (2019)

On February 8, 2019, Dorrell returned to the Miami Dolphins as the wide receivers coach under new head coach Brian Flores.

Leading the Colorado Buffaloes

On February 23, 2020, Karl Dorrell was named the head coach for the University of Colorado. He signed a five-year contract. He was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year after the Buffaloes had a winning record (4–1) in the 2020 season, which was shortened due to COVID. This was Colorado's first winning record since 2016.

Colorado let go of Dorrell on October 2, 2022, after the team started the 2022 season with five losses.

Family Life

Karl Dorrell is married to Kim, and they have two children, Chandler and Lauren.

Coaching Record