Even after he officially hung up his cleats last May, the football bug never left former NFL quarterback Derek Carr. Carr has been linked to multiple teams, including the Las Vegas Raiders, because the man himself hasn’t let the rumors die out. But instead of coming back to get hit by opposing defenses, he decided to coach kids at UCLA. While the announcement was made weeks ago, Carr himself has now made it official.

The 35-year-old recently took to his Instagram handle to share a picture of his entire family at the Rose Bowl – UCLA’s football home. The picture featured three of his sons in UCLA Bruins jerseys, with his wife, Heather, cradling their fifth child, Dayton Cannon Carr. Carr’s daughter, Brooklyn, is also seen smiling at the camera as Carr stands behind his kids wearing a white UCLA tee. Under the post, with just two words, Carr captioned the beginning of his new journey.

“Next chapter. @uclafootball,” Carr wrote.

When the announcement first dropped about him joining UCLA as a special advisor to head coach Bob Chesney, Carr had posted another Instagram update, captioning it, ‘Next stop, Westwood.” At the time of the announcement, Coach Chesney had issued a big vote of confidence in what the former QB could bring to the table.

“We are excited to welcome Derek to our program,” Chesney said. “He has played the quarterback position at a high level for more than a decade, and his experience, leadership and football knowledge will be an incredible resource for our coaching staff and student-athletes. What stands out most is his passion for the game and his commitment to developing young people. Derek will have a tremendous impact on our players and is a great addition to our program.”

This passion was already visible in Carr when he was throwing dimes for the Raiders. Former head coach Jon Gruden had even told him he’s “going to be a great coach” someday. While Carr has been constantly coaching his kids, he also got a taste of coaching a real team last fall when he helped his brothers, David and Darren Carr, polish their offensive game plans for Bakersfield Christian High. But even then, Carr knew he wanted to be part of something even bigger.

“Right now, I’m coaching fourth through sixth grade and the scheme that I’m putting in is about 1% of my brain power, and I have the itch to want to share all of that, and I have the itch to want to share all of that, to put 11 people out there and scheme people up,” Carr had said in a 2025 interview. “I have a passion for that, and a passion honestly to raise the next generation, not just for who they are on the football field but who they can be off the field, too, in our communities and those kinds of things.”

Now, in the summer of 2024, Carr had even helped coach his nephew, Tyler, who was preparing for a season with the Fresno State Bulldogs as their tight end before a knee injury sidelined him. While there, Carr also advised a few key players and changed their perspective on football forever. But when it came down to taking up an official position, he chose UCLA because of his familiarity with first-year UCLA general manager Darrick Yray – whose time at Fresno State overlapped with Carr’s.

“I’ve known Darrick for a long time and have great respect for the work he’s done throughout his career,” Carr said when the announcement was made. “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.”

That drive has notably brought Derek Carr to UCLA even without the prospect of a paycheck. Working in a volunteer capacity, he won’t be getting paid, but he doesn’t really need to. Carr has made around $205.6 million across a decade of his NFL career with the Raiders and the New Orleans Saints. With this role, he gets to do what he has always wanted to do: nurture young talent. In that endeavor, no amount on a check will come close to the satisfaction he feels right now.

Beyond this, the very fact that Carr is now associated with UCLA will bring premium talent to the program, inspired by the chance to learn from a quarterback who’s played the game at the highest level. For now, though, Carr has his work laid out for him. And if he can help UCLA find success this year, Carr could quickly rise through the ranks and begin his coaching career in earnest.