UCLA Football Welcomes Darrick Yray as General Manager: Building a Strong West Coast Recruiting Pipeline
UCLA has appointed Darrick Yray as the football general manager for head coach Bob Chesney's team. Yray, who previously served as the general manager of personnel at Florida State, brings his expertise in roster building to the West Coast. Prior to his time at Florida State, Yray worked at Oregon State as the director of player personnel. He expressed his excitement about joining UCLA and looks forward to contributing to the program's tradition of excellence.
During his tenure at Florida State, Yray played a key role in recruiting top talent, consistently bringing in top-20 recruiting classes. He takes over the position from Khari Darlington, who recently discussed the Bruins' recruiting efforts during the early national signing day. The current recruiting class is ranked 68th in the nation according to 247Sports. Marshawn Friloux, UCLA's senior director of football recruiting operations, continues to work with Yray to build the incoming freshman class.
Yray wasted no time in getting started with his new role. He recently met with members of Mater Dei, a prominent high school football program in Southern California, including head coach Raul Lara. Chesney, who is new to recruiting in the West Coast, will need to establish relationships with key programs like St. John Bosco and Santa Margarita. Chesney emphasized the importance of hiring staff with deep ties to the West Coast during his introductory press conference.
The addition of Yray to the coaching staff aligns with Chesney's vision of building a strong team with a focus on the West Coast recruiting landscape. Michael Moriarty, assistant director of player personnel at James Madison, has also announced his move to UCLA's recruiting staff. Nathan Applebaum, JMU's director of player personnel, may also join the Bruins' staff in the future. The team is gearing up for a new era under Chesney's leadership, with a strong emphasis on recruiting and building a competitive program.