Football Hires Darrick Yray as General Manager
December 23, 2025 | Football
The UCLA football program has hired Darrick Yray (pronounced "Ray") as the team's general manager, as announced Tuesday by Bruins' head coach Bob Chesney.
"I'm honored and excited to step into the role of General Manager on Coach Chesney's staff at UCLA," Yray said. "This tremendous opportunity represents a new chapter, and I'm grateful to be joining an institution with such a strong tradition of excellence."
Yray arrives in Westwood after four seasons as the general manager of personnel at Florida State. He was instrumental in assembling the Seminoles' 13-win Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Championship season in 2023. That 2023 squad produced a program-record 25 All-ACC selections and an ACC-best 10 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, led by first-round selection Jared Verse. For his efforts, Yray was named Football Scoops' Player Personnel Director of the Year.
Yray helped bring in a top-20 signing class, per 247Sports, in each of his four seasons on staff at Florida State. His 2025 signing class made an immediate impact, with 17 of the Seminoles' 24 true freshmen seeing game action in their first year in Tallahassee. That group was led by defensive tackle Mandrell Desir, who was named All-ACC Honorable Mention and a True Freshman All-American by media outlets 247Sports and On3.
Prior to Florida State, Yray spent seven years at Oregon State where he was elevated to the role of director of player personnel. He also served as director of recruiting operations, coordinator of on-campus recruiting and assistant director of player personnel for the Beavers. Oregon State's 2022 signing class was its highest-rated national since 2011. The Beavers' 2021 team produced 17 All-Pac-12 Conference honorees, the program's most since 2008, while advancing to a bowl game for the first time since 2013.
Yray was responsible for managing all aspects of Oregon State's recruiting operation, including identifying potential student-athletes and scheduling official and unofficial visits to campus, while also serving as the Beavers' pro liaison.
Before Corvallis, Yray spent four years as an offensive assistant and three as assistant director of football operations at Fresno State from 2008-14. He was the Bulldog's pro liaison along with his recruiting, team travel, player personnel and miscellaneous operations duties. As an offensive assistant from 2008-11, he was tasked with preparing scouting reports, charts, film breakdown, academics and special teams. In 2010, Yray was a guest coach with the Canadian Football League's Saskatchewan Roughriders working with special teams and the defensive line.
A native of Linden, Calif., Yray earned his bachelor's degree in communications from Fresno State in 2011 and completed his master's degree in kinesiology at Fresno State in 2013.
Yray and his wife, Minda, have one son.
Yray's Professional Experience
2008-11 – Offensive Assistant, Fresno State
2011-14 – Assistant Director of Football Operations, Fresno State
2015, 2016 – Assistant Director of Player Personnel, Oregon State
2016, 2017 – Coordinator of On-Campus Recruiting, Oregon State
2018 – Director of Recruiting Operations, Oregon State
2019-21 – Director of Player Personnel, Oregon State
2022-25 – General Manager of Personnel, Florida State
2026 – General Manager, UCLA
"I'm honored and excited to step into the role of General Manager on Coach Chesney's staff at UCLA," Yray said. "This tremendous opportunity represents a new chapter, and I'm grateful to be joining an institution with such a strong tradition of excellence."
Yray arrives in Westwood after four seasons as the general manager of personnel at Florida State. He was instrumental in assembling the Seminoles' 13-win Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Championship season in 2023. That 2023 squad produced a program-record 25 All-ACC selections and an ACC-best 10 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, led by first-round selection Jared Verse. For his efforts, Yray was named Football Scoops' Player Personnel Director of the Year.
Yray helped bring in a top-20 signing class, per 247Sports, in each of his four seasons on staff at Florida State. His 2025 signing class made an immediate impact, with 17 of the Seminoles' 24 true freshmen seeing game action in their first year in Tallahassee. That group was led by defensive tackle Mandrell Desir, who was named All-ACC Honorable Mention and a True Freshman All-American by media outlets 247Sports and On3.
Prior to Florida State, Yray spent seven years at Oregon State where he was elevated to the role of director of player personnel. He also served as director of recruiting operations, coordinator of on-campus recruiting and assistant director of player personnel for the Beavers. Oregon State's 2022 signing class was its highest-rated national since 2011. The Beavers' 2021 team produced 17 All-Pac-12 Conference honorees, the program's most since 2008, while advancing to a bowl game for the first time since 2013.
Yray was responsible for managing all aspects of Oregon State's recruiting operation, including identifying potential student-athletes and scheduling official and unofficial visits to campus, while also serving as the Beavers' pro liaison.
Before Corvallis, Yray spent four years as an offensive assistant and three as assistant director of football operations at Fresno State from 2008-14. He was the Bulldog's pro liaison along with his recruiting, team travel, player personnel and miscellaneous operations duties. As an offensive assistant from 2008-11, he was tasked with preparing scouting reports, charts, film breakdown, academics and special teams. In 2010, Yray was a guest coach with the Canadian Football League's Saskatchewan Roughriders working with special teams and the defensive line.
A native of Linden, Calif., Yray earned his bachelor's degree in communications from Fresno State in 2011 and completed his master's degree in kinesiology at Fresno State in 2013.
Yray and his wife, Minda, have one son.
Yray's Professional Experience
2008-11 – Offensive Assistant, Fresno State
2011-14 – Assistant Director of Football Operations, Fresno State
2015, 2016 – Assistant Director of Player Personnel, Oregon State
2016, 2017 – Coordinator of On-Campus Recruiting, Oregon State
2018 – Director of Recruiting Operations, Oregon State
2019-21 – Director of Player Personnel, Oregon State
2022-25 – General Manager of Personnel, Florida State
2026 – General Manager, UCLA
The First 48 Hours - Head Coach Bob Chesney Welcomed at UCLA
Friday, December 12
Bruin Insider Show - Bob Chesney (Dec. 10, 2025)
Wednesday, December 10
Cinematic Recap - UCLA Introduces Head Coach Bob Chesney (Dec. 9, 2025)
Tuesday, December 09
Bob Chesney Introductory Press Conference (Dec. 9, 2025)
Tuesday, December 09