Utah QB Rising answers questions ahead of Rose Bowl against Ohio State
Utah quarterback Cameron Rising answers reporters questions during his media availability ahead of the Rose Bowl game Tuesday in Los Angeles.
Joe Curley, Ventura County Star
- Recently retired college quarterback Cameron Rising is the new offensive coordinator at Newbury Park High School.
- Rising will coach top quarterback recruit Brady Smigiel.
- Rising retired after suffering a hand injury while playing for the University of Utah.
Cameron Rising and Brady Smigiel are teaming up again at Panther Stadium.
Hours after announcing his medical retirement from football on May 7, Rising, 25, was named as offensive coordinator at his alma mater, Newbury Park High School.
That means the quarterback who powered the University of Utah to two Rose Bowls will be calling plays this fall for the quarterback who just committed in April to the University of Michigan.
Smigiel, 18, has already gone from Rising’s ballboy to Cal-Hi Sports’ Mr. Football. Now Ventura County’s all-time leading passer has his mentor on the headset to help him find another level.
“I literally couldn’t have a better scenario, having my role model my entire life growing up to be my offensive coordinator and quarterback coach,” said Smigiel, who wears No. 7 in Rising’s honor.
“I used to be stoked when Cam would come out to a practice where I trained with him in the offseason,” he said. “Right now, I get to work with him and pick his brain every single day.”
How Newbury Park football hired Cameron Rising as its offensive coordinator
The opportunity arose from a recent conversation with Newbury Park head coach Joe Smigiel, who coached Rising in high school.
“I told him my situation, how I’m still injured and it’s kind of not looking too bright,” Rising said. “He came up with the idea… It’s a great opportunity to help Brady and help the Newbury Park Panthers.”
Newbury Park had an opening at offensive coordinator. Branden Anderson, who called plays for 2024’s CIF-Southern Section Division 2 championship team, has been hired as the head coach at rival Thousand Oaks High.
“He gets immediate respect from our players and brings with him a college scheme,” Joe Smigiel said. “Cam raises the bar for everyone.
“Brady has previously played with so much instinct. Now, he really is going to be taught what it is expected out of a college quarterback.”
Why Former Utah QB Cameron Rising medically retired from playing football
Rising, 25, shared in a social media post that he’s been advised by two orthopedists that he will be unable to continue playing, due to a hand injury suffered in September against Baylor University.
“It’s not something that’s easy for me,” Rising said of his retirement. “I’m a guy that loves to compete, loves to go out there and practice. I really just fell in love with the grind of football.
“I’m grateful for my coaches and teammates who were a part of this journey.”
As he embraces on a new chapter in his life, Rising has returned to his hometown of Ventura, finding a place near the beach in Pierpoint.
“It’s always nice to come home and see the waves and just be by the water,” Rising said.
The MVP of the 2022 Pacific-12 Conference championship game threw for 6,127 yards and 53 touchdowns in 30 games at Utah from 2020 to 2024, driving the Utes to the 2022 and 2023 Rose Bowl games against Ohio State and Penn State.
He plans to continue to rehab in an attempt to regain the ability to play professionally.
“Unfortunately, injuries are part of the game and yeah, I have kind of accrued a good amount of them,” Rising said. “It’s not ideal for my situation, but for the most part, my body feels pretty healthy.”
In the meantime, he plans to use the lessons learned from Utah offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig to potentially launch his own coaching career.
“Over the years, I’ve been able to talk to him about how he calls plays, how he sets it up,” Rising said. “In all honesty, I don’t think there’s any better teacher to teach you offense than coach Ludwig… He’s just somebody that I value.”
Former college football players join Newbury Park coaching staff
Rising isn’t the only big name to join the Newbury Park staff this offseason. Lorenzo Booker and Whitney Lewis, who played at Florida State and USC, respectively, after starring at St. Bonaventure, will join running backs and wide receivers for the Panthers.
“They’re just awesome to work with,” Rising said. “Anytime you’re around football for a long time like that, you’re going to pick up the little details that make the difference. Those are guys who know the details and understand the game.”
Cameron Rising to mentor Michigan QB commit Brady Smigiel
Rising sees his new role as imparting those details on his new pupil.
“I get to really coach him up and teach him the correct way to approach football,” Rising said. “That’s pretty much my goal, just to make sure he’s focused on getting better.”
Smigiel made a Star Wars’ reference to describe their relationship, labeling Rising as the Jedi and himself as the apprentice.
“He’s learned from veteran offensive coordinators and quarterbacks,” Smigiel said. “He’s been around the block. He has so much knowledge… So I understand the opportunity that I have, and I want to take full advantage of it.”
Joe Curley covers high school, collegiate and professional football for The Star. He can be reached at joe.curley@vcstar.com. For more coverage, follow @vcsjoecurley on Twitter/X, Instagram/Threads, Facebook and Bluesky.