Skip to main content
Inside The Huskies

UW Quality Assistant Joins Schmidt at San Diego State as Safeties Coach

C.J. McGorisk spent just one season with the Huskies working with the defense.
Dan Raley|
UW Quality Assistant Joins Schmidt at San Diego State as Safeties Coach
UW Quality Assistant Joins Schmidt at San Diego State as Safeties Coach

In this story:

Washington Huskies

University of Washington fans didn't necessarily know C.J. McGorisk, but Husky football players praised the defensive quality coach after he was promoted to a full-time assistant by San Diego State.

UW edge-rusher coach Eric Schmidt and McGorisk each will join Sean Lewis' Aztecs staff as the defensive coordinator and safeties coach, respectively.

McGorisk is considered a rising star in the business after putting in seven years in various roles at Fresno State, Wake Forest, Indiana and the UW. The quality coach previously was known as a graduate assistant before the change in terminology.

He joined Kalen DeBoer's Husky staff just this year.

"Literally one of the coaches that kept me motivated each and every day," UW sophomore safety Makell Esteen wrote on social media.

"No better man for the job!" defensive tackle Faatui Tuitele posted about McGorisk.

McGorisk played only high school football in Wixon, Michigan, as a quarterback and team captain.

At the University of Michigan, he graduated with a degree in movement science and worked with the Wolverines football team as an equipment manager, strength and conditioning intern and a defensive student assistant. 

McGorisk and Schmidt, who reportedly will remain with the Huskies through College Football Playoff against Texas and beyond if it goes that way, worked together just this past season at the UW.

Yet the younger coach apparently made a lasting impression that led to him getting his first full-time job.

San Diego State recently has had a strong Husky influence with three former UW players in tight end Mark Redman, edge rusher Cooper McDonald and offensive guard/tackle Myles Murao in the Aztecs starting lineup this past season. 

Redman since has transferred to Louisville, McDonald to TCU, while Murao remains.

Go to si.com/college/washington to read the latest Inside the Huskies stories — as soon as they’re published. Not all stories are posted on the fan sites.

Find Inside the Huskies on Facebook by searching: Inside Huskies/FanNation at SI.com or https://www.facebook.com/dan.raley.12

Follow Dan Raley of Inside the Huskies on Twitter: @DanRaley1 or @UWFanNation or @DanRaley3

Have a question, direct message me on Facebook or Twitter.

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

Home/Football