Rudy Carlton, who most recently served as the head coach at Azusa Pacific, joined the UWF staff in February as the Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach.
Carlton spent the past 12 years at APU with 10 as the offensive coordinator before being named head coach in February of 2020. He starred at quarterback for the Cougars from 2003-07, playing for Shinnick from 2003-05.
In his time running the APU offense from 2010-19, the Cougars averaged 406.4 yards of total offense and 33.0 points per game. The team also went 63-17 (.788) and scored at least 35 points in 47 games.
"It is great to have Rudy join our staff," Shinnick said. "I have known him for the past 18 years and it has been fun to watch him go from player to assistant coach to coordinator to Head Coach and now join us as Offensive Coordinator. He will be a great addition to our staff, he understands our culture and I am looking forward to him having a positive impact on our program."
"The standard of excellence from top to bottom at UWF is evident from the second you step on campus," Carlton said. "I am so excited to continue to build upon the program that has been established. Having played for Coach Shinnick and knowing the culture here I knew it would be a great fit. I look forward to pushing these players to live up to their fullest potential through the vehicle of football!"
During Carlton's first full season in 2010 as the offensive coordinator, Azusa Pacific reached the NAIA playoffs with an offense that put up 35.9 points per game, rushed for 2,523 yards and passed for 1,717 yards. The Cougars found the end zone 44 times, with 29 rushing touchdowns and 15 passing touchdowns.
He followed up his rookie play-calling campaign by leading a 2011 offense that set school records in total offense (5,957 yards), rushing offense (3,915 yards) and points scored (547), culminating in a second-straight trip to the NAIA playoffs.
From the time in which the Cougars joined the NCAA in 2013, Azusa Pacific went 56-38 overall, winning four Great Northwest Athletic Conference titles and making two trips to the NCAA playoffs. From 2013-19, Carlton has mentored 26 All-GNAC first-team selections, including three Offensive Player of the Year recipients and two Freshman of the Year honorees.
In 2013 and 2014, the Cougars turned in back-to-back 10-win seasons. Azusa Pacific went 10-1 in 2014, as Carlton orchestrated an offense led by future NFL running back Terrell Watson. Watson ran for a program-record 2,153 yards, and led all NCAA college football divisions in rushing average (195.7 yards per game) on his way to an NFLPA Collegiate Bowl MVP performance. He signed a free agent NFL contract with the Cincinnati Bengals.
In 2016, the Cougars reached the NCAA playoffs for the first time in program history. During that season, Carlton coached GNAC Offensive Player of the Year quarterback Andrew Elfers, who finished the season top-20 in Division II in passing efficiency, throwing for 2,120 yards and 21 touchdowns. The Cougars scored 36.3 points per game that year, which put them 30th in the country.
Azusa Pacific reached the NCAA playoffs again in 2018, in large part due to the Cougars' offensive attack. They averaged 27.5 points per game, tallying 4,771 yards and 43 touchdowns. Through the air, Carlton's offense averaged 259.3 passing yards and had 26 touchdown passes, while the running game posted 138.3 rushing yards per game and scored 15 touchdowns.
Prior to leading the Cougar offense from up top in the booth, Carlton had a four-year playing career that began when Shinnick was the head coach at APU. As a senior, Carlton threw for 2,605 yards and 28 touchdown passes, while completing 197-of-344 (.573) attempts. He is fifth in Azusa Pacific history for career touchdown passes (38) and completions (331), sixth in passing yards (4,373) and seventh in completion percentage (.535).
Before joining the Cougar coaching staff full-time in 2009, Carlton played two seasons in the Arena Football League II. He threw for over 2,600 yards while playing for the Texas Copperheads in 2008 and the Boise Burn in 2009.
Carlton came to APU out of Dakota Ridge High School in Littleton, Colo., where he is the school's No. 2 all-time passer with 2,323 yards and 12 TDs.
He earned his bachelor's degree from APU in 2008 and added a master's degree from APU in organizational leadership.
Carlton and his wife, Calyn, have a daughter, Everly, who was born in March 2020.
