Karl Dorrell joined the Houston Texans coaching staff as quarterbacks coach on Feb. 10, 2012. Dorrell brings 24 years of collegiate and professional coaching experience to the Texans, including the last four seasons with the Miami Dolphins.
In 2011, Dorrell oversaw a career season for Dolphins quarterback Matt Moore, who took over as the team’s starter in Week 5. Moore set career highs with 210 completions on 347 attempts for 2,497 yards and 16 touchdowns. He ranked fourth among AFC passers with an 88.7 passer rating after taking over as the starter and tied or set single-game career highs for passer rating, touchdown passes and longest touchdown pass.
Karl Dorrell joined the Houston Texans coaching staff as quarterbacks coach on Feb. 10, 2012. Dorrell brings 24 years of collegiate and professional coaching experience to the Texans, including the last four seasons with the Miami Dolphins.
In 2011, Dorrell oversaw a career season for Dolphins quarterback Matt Moore, who took over as the team’s starter in Week 5. Moore set career highs with 210 completions on 347 attempts for 2,497 yards and 16 touchdowns. He ranked fourth among AFC passers with an 88.7 passer rating after taking over as the starter and tied or set single-game career highs for passer rating, touchdown passes and longest touchdown pass.
From 2008-10, Dorrell served as the Dolphins’ wide receivers coach. In 2010, Dolphins wide receivers Brandon Marshall and Davone Bess combined for 165 receptions, the fourth-highest total by a duo in the NFL. Bess totaled 209 receptions from 2008-10 under Dorrell’s guidance, the most by any Dolphins player in his first three years with the team.
Dorrell joined the Dolphins following a five-year stint as head coach at UCLA, where he compiled a 35-27 record and led the Bruins to a bowl appearance each year from 2003-07. In 2005, Dorrell was named the Pac-10 Conference co-Coach of the Year after leading UCLA to a 10-2 record, a No. 13 national ranking in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll and a Sun Bowl victory against Northwestern.
Prior to coaching at UCLA, Dorrell was wide receivers coach with the Denver Broncos from 2000-02, serving with current Texans head coach Gary Kubiak, offensive coordinator Rick Dennison and tight ends coach Brian Pariani. Wide receiver Rod Smith posted a pair of 100-reception seasons, earned his first two Pro Bowl selections and eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark three times under Dorrell. In 2000, wide receiver Ed McCaffrey posted 101 receptions for 1,317 yards and combined with Smith for 201 receptions, 2,919 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns.
Dorrell also worked with the Broncos’ staff during training camp in 1993 and 1999 as part of the NFL’s Minority Coaching Fellowship program.
In 17 seasons as a head coach or assistant coach at the collegiate level, Dorrell was part of 10 winning records and 12 bowl appearances. Dorrell served as a collegiate assistant for 12 seasons, including seven years as an offensive coordinator. He began his coaching career at UCLA as a graduate assistant in 1988 before moving on to Central Florida (wide receivers, 1989), Northern Arizona (offensive coordinator/wide receivers, 1990-91), Colorado (wide receivers, 1992-93) and Arizona State (wide receivers, 1994); Dorrell returned to Colorado from 1995-98 (offensive coordinator/wide receivers) before coaching at Washington (offensive coordinator/wide receivers, 1999).
Dorrell played wide receiver at UCLA from 1982-86, where he helped the Bruins win three Rose Bowls. He was an honorable mention All-America receiver at Helix High School in San Diego, where he was a classmate and teammate of Texans offensive assistant Dan Hammerschmidt.
Dorrell and his wife, Kim, have two children, Chandler and Lauren.
DORRELL’S COACHING LEDGER
2012: Quarterbacks, Houston Texans
2011: Quarterbacks, Miami Dolphins
2008-10: Wide receivers, Miami Dolphins
2003-07: Head coach, UCLA
2000-02: Wide receivers, Denver Broncos
1999: Offensive coordinator, University of Washington
1995-98: Offensive coordinator, Colorado
1994: Wide receivers, Arizona State
1992-93: Wide receivers, Colorado State
1990-91: Offensive coordinator, Northern Arizona
1989: Wide receivers, Central Florida
