Ron Caragher, recruiting coordinator and running backs coach at Kentucky, has resigned in order to accept the head coaching position at the University of San Diego.

Caragher was an original member of Rich Brooks? coaching staff and coached the running backs for four years. In his first season, Kentucky scored 24 rushing touchdowns, the most since 1995 and the third-highest in school history. Individually, Caragher has helped develop Arliss Beach, a member of the Green Bay Packers, and Rafael Little, currently the No. 6 rusher in school history.

Caragher added the recruiting coordinator duties in 2005 and oversaw the ?06 signing class that was considered to be Kentucky?s best in several years.

?I?m very pleased for Ron that he got a head coaching job. I wish him nothing but the best,? UK Coach Rich Brooks said. ?Ron has done a tremendous job coaching the running backs and the last two years as recruiting coordinator.

?We?ll try to get someone in place in the near future. We could reassign the recruiting coordinator responsibility internally or do it as a new hire.?

In accepting the position at San Diego, Caragher returns to his home state. A native of Morgan Hill, Calif., Ron and his wife Wendy were student-athletes at UCLA.

Caragher will be formally introduced at San Diego in a news conference on Tuesday. He replaces Jim Harbaugh, who resigned in December to accept the head coaching role at Stanford.