Former NFL receiver Ed McCaffrey has been named the head coach at Northern Colorado, he announced Thursday.
"I am excited to be joining the University of Northern Colorado as their Head Football Coach!" McCaffrey wrote on Instagram. "Thank you to President Andy Feinstein and Director of Athletics Darren Dunn for the opportunity to lead this football program."
For the past two seasons, McCaffrey has served as the head coach at Valor Christian High (Highlands Ranch, Colo.), guiding the team to a 26-2 record, including a state championship in 2018. McCaffrey and his wife, Lisa, who played soccer at Stanford, have four sons who all had accomplished football careers at Valor Christian before moving on to college and beyond.
Their second-oldest, Christian, is a star running back for the Carolina Panthers and their youngest two, Dylan and Luke, are quarterbacks at Michigan and Nebraska, respectively. Their oldest, Max, is a receiver on the roster of the DC Defenders in the XFL and had stints with five NFL teams.
A press conference to formally introduce McCaffrey will be held Friday, according to the FCS school.
"The University of Northern Colorado has a great reputation for both academics and athletics that attracts a diverse group of talented student-athletes," McCaffrey wrote. "I look forward to immersing myself into the Bears family and coaching young men to be strong leaders on and off the field. Let's bring championship football back to UNC!"
Northern Colorado athletics director Darren Dunn announced last month that coach Earnest Collins Jr. would not be retained after compiling a 28-72 record in nine seasons. The Bears, who play in the Big Sky Conference, won two games in each of the last two seasons.