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Aaron Craver landed quickly on his coaching feet on Friday.

Craver, who was fired as Woodbridge’s football coach on Wednesday, became the defensive coordinator with head coaching duties at rival University, he and Trojans football coach Vince Mesa said.

“It’s good to be wanted,” Craver said. “It’s a great next step for me.”

Craver confirmed that he was fired after five seasons at Woodbridge. He was informed that the school wanted to “go in a different direction” after the Warriors finished 4-7 this past season.

Craver, who hoped to continue coaching football at Woodbridge, said the main feedback that he received from administration concerned his coaching staff not being large enough.

He said his season-ending suspension for not completing a league game against Pacifica on Oct. 11 didn’t factor in his departure.

The Omicron League game, Craver said in October, was heated and featured a skirmish after Pacifica opened a 29-0 lead with 8:32 left in the fourth quarter.

Irvine Unified stated that Woodbridge “initiated the end of the game” and was notified by the CIF Southern Section of a violation of bylaw 125.2, which covers “failure to complete a contest.”

The usual penalty in the section for the violation is for the coach to be suspended for the remainder of the season.

Woodbridge finished third in the Omicron League behind Pacifica and Portola and fell to Palmdale 48-7 in the first round of the Division 12 playoffs.

In league, the Warriors defeated rival University 19-14.

“We’re familiar with how good of a coach he is,” Mesa said of Craver. “We’re excited.”

Woodbridge finished 1-9 in 2023 but made the playoffs in 2021 and 2022 under Craver. In 2021, the Warriors reached the Division 12 semifinals.

Craver remains a track coach at Woodbridge, the district confirmed. He said two of his children — ages 12 and 10 — project to attend University.

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