Want more ways to catch up on the latest in Bay Area sports? Sign up for the Section 415 email newsletter here and subscribe to the Section 415 podcast wherever you listen.
The pressure is on, and Cal general manager Ron Rivera knows it.
In his first year on the job, Rivera has put plenty of pressure on himself in an effort to turn the Bears into a nationally relevant program. But there are external forces too, including a rival program that’s just as eager to become a force in the ACC and beyond.
Days after a Big Game loss compelled Rivera to part with ninth-year head coach Justin Wilcox, Stanford finalized a deal to hire Tavita Pritchard as the Cardinal’s next head coach.
It’s unlikely Pritchard, a former Stanford quarterback and longtime Cardinal assistant, would have been a candidate for the Cal job, but he does have a connection to Rivera. When Pritchard left Stanford for the NFL ahead of the 2023 season, he joined Rivera’s Washington Commanders staff as the quarterbacks coach.
3 days ago
Friday, Nov. 21
Tuesday, Nov. 18
Rivera indicated he’s in no rush to fill Cal’s head coaching vacancy as soon as possible, but Stanford gains a bit of an edge by having a coach in place ahead of the start of the early signing period on Dec. 3 and to begin backchannel conversations ahead of the official opening of the transfer portal on Jan. 2.
Who should Rivera consider as Wilcox’s successor? Here’s a look at nine potential candidates.
Ron Rivera is tasked with choosing Cal’s next head coach. | Source: Amber Pietz/The Standard
Brian Callahan: The former head coach of the Tennessee Titans was fired in October after a 1-5 start this season. Callahan hasn’t worked at the college level in two decades but attended De La Salle (Concord) and coached at Serra High (San Mateo), and his experience working with Joe Burrow as the Bengals’ offensive coordinator could help Cal convince Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele that he’ll receive pro-level coaching by staying in Berkeley.
Bob Chesney: Rivera has often cited Indiana’s program as a model for Cal, and the Hoosiers hired former James Madison coach Curt Cignetti to make their turnaround possible. Like Cignetti, Chesney has won everywhere, including at the FCS, Division II, and Division III levels. As Cignetti’s successor at JMU, he’s the mastermind behind the nation’s sixth-ranked rushing offense, so he should appeal to Rivera.
Ken Dorsey: The Miramonte High grad (Orinda) spent the first five years of his coaching career as an assistant with Rivera’s Panthers, but he and coordinator Mike Shula were fired in the middle of the 2017 season. Dorsey has also been fired by the Bills and the Browns and now works for the Cowboys, so it’s possible Rivera would consider reuniting with the Bay Area native and offering him some stability if he has the itch to recruit.
Jason Eck: He is responsible for turning the Idaho program around and has New Mexico bowl-eligible for the first time since 2016. The former Wisconsin offensive lineman should be on the shortlist for every Power 5 program, and his success west of Texas should intrigue Cal. The Lobos rank 72nd nationally in rushing yards per game, but given Eck’s experience building offensive lines, there’s little doubt his experience would mesh with Rivera’s vision for building up the talent around Sagapolutele.
Tosh Lupoi: The first of two Oregon coordinators to make this list, Lupoi has deep roots with Cal, as he played along the defensive line during the Jeff Tedford era. Considered an outstanding recruiter who also has experience as an assistant at Washington, Alabama, and in the NFL, Lupoi might be the favorite if he’s interested in the job.
Tim Plough: The former UC Davis starting quarterback took over the Aggies in 2024 and promptly set a program record with 11 wins. Plough spent one season working under Wilcox as the Bears’ tight end coach and has FBS experience as a former offensive coordinator at Boise State. This season, the Aggies are 8-3 and have secured a first-round bye in the FCS playoffs.
Nick Rolovich: The Cal interim coach is a Bay Area native and former head coach and Hawaii and Washington State who has been looking for another opportunity since being fired by the Cougars for failing to comply with a Covid-19 vaccine mandate for state employees. Rolovich has prior head coaching experience, understands how to recruit on the West Coast, and is passionate about Cal, so he checks three key boxes.
Will Stein: If Rivera is willing to gamble on an assistant without head-coaching experience, the co-offensive coordinator at Oregon makes a lot of sense. Stein’s Ducks average 6.13 yards per carry (No. 3 in the country), and he has helped turn quarterback Dante Moore into one of college football’s most accurate passers (72.9% completion rate). The last Oregon offensive coordinator who left Dan Lanning’s staff is Kenny Dillingham, who won a Big 12 title with Arizona State last season.
Scott Turner: The son of former NFL head coach Norv Turner, Scott has worked for the Rivera in Carolina and Washington. The Cal GM fired Turner after a subpar 2022 season, but he has since landed jobs with the Raiders and Jets. Turner lacks high-level college experience (he was an offensive analyst with Michigan in 2017), but he’s not likely to land an NFL head coaching position anytime soon and could be intrigued by the chance to run his own program.
