Just when Mike Norvell thought he could bounce back from a disappointing 5-7 season, a major staff shakeup crushed his comeback hopes. The mastermind behind Florida State’s 13-win season in 2023 has left the team after two years of relentless struggles and constant grind. Now he’s packing up for a fresh start at UCLA.

“Florida State GM Darrick Yray has now accepted the general manager job at UCLA, sources tell me, @chris_hummer, @BSonnone, and @ZBlostein247,” CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz confirmed on X.

Yray played a key role in assembling the 2023 FSU team that narrowly missed the College Football Playoffs. That same team produced 25 players with All-ACC honors and 10 draft picks. But then he was also part of the struggling 2024 and 2025 seasons, which compiled a 7-17 record. Now, in search of consistency, Yray is heading back to his home state of California.

He is a Linden native and Fresno State graduate, and even started his career at Fresno State. Before Florida State, Yray spent seven years at Oregon State and became director of player personnel.