Cal football coaching job profile: Money questions and an odd realignment reality to overcome – The Athletic
The Justin Wilcox era at Cal is over.
Cal fired Wilcox on Sunday, one day after a 31-10 loss to Stanford dropped the Golden Bears to 6-5. They are bowl-eligible for the third consecutive year, but Wilcox’s inability to get the program any further reached a breaking point. He finished 48-55 in nine years with just three winning seasons (if you count 2025), posting a losing record in conference play in every season.
“I want to thank Justin for all of his contributions to our football program, our athletic department and our university,” general manager Ron Rivera said in a statement. “He has always comported himself with class and professionalism. After careful consideration, we believe the time has come for new leadership. We wish Justin the best of luck in his future endeavors.”
How good is the Cal job? What names could get in the mix? Based on conversations with industry sources, here is a report card for the job and the potential candidates to watch.
Recent history/tradition: B-
The ceiling is low. The Golden Bears have won more than seven games just once in the last decade and have only three 10-win seasons since 1950. Fan support has ebbed and flowed, and while Cal’s online fan base can be a lot of fun, California Memorial Stadium sellouts are rare. The Miami game in 2024 was the first non-Stanford sellout since 2013. In a Bay Area full of pro sports options, Cal and Stanford have struggled to build consistent support.
On-field outlook: B-
Wilcox showed it was possible to get to bowl games regularly — going to three in a row is rare at this place. Things aren’t hopeless. However, much of this grade hinges on the future of quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, who has thrown for nearly 2,800 yards this year. Will he stay or will he transfer? JKS’ upside was obvious in the highlight-reel throws he made this year (many of which were dropped). He also had his bad moments, not unexpected for a freshman. Still, he’d be a foundational player for the program if he stayed.
Sagapolutele has said publicly he plans to stay at Cal, and the school has prepared to try to keep him, but that was before his head coach was fired. The transfer portal doesn’t open until Jan. 2, or five days after a new coach is hired, which will perhaps give Cal a chance. One year after losing starting quarterback Fernando Mendoza to Indiana and running back Jaydn Ott to Oklahoma, Cal continues to struggle holding on to players.
Money matters: C-
It’s not good. Hundreds of millions of dollars in stadium debt remain, though the university has shifted much of that burden off the athletic department. The school’s move to the ACC came with a dramatic drop in Cal’s TV rights payments, and it will receive just a 30 percent share of ACC revenue through 2031. Travel expenses are up to navigate the cross-country schedule of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Wilcox’s $4.8 million salary was on the lower end of the ACC and is barely in the top 50 nationally.
Cal is on the lower end of the Power 4 in revenue, while also offering 30 different sports. That makes for a difficult financial situation and no easy fix.
University stability: C+
University support for football has been an issue for a long time, but things appear to be moving in a positive direction. The hire of Rivera to run the football program was an important step — note that Rivera was the one who was quoted in the announcement of Wilcox’s firing. Chancellor Rich Lyons, who took over in 2024, has been more active with athletics, but the department is also operating with two “co-athletic directors” in Jay Larson and Jenny Simon-O’Neill, who were appointed in July to 12-month terms. There’s also the question of power dynamics between a new coach and Rivera. Who will truly run the program?
Coach pool: B
Here are potential names to watch.
Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi: He played at Cal in the early 2000s and has long been viewed as the favorite for this job if it became available. Lupoi has been Oregon’s defensive coordinator since 2022, and this year’s defense is ranked eighth nationally in points per game (14.9). His departure from the Cal staff to Washington in 2012 upset people, and he was investigated for potential violations of NCAA recruiting rules more than a decade ago, though there were no penalties. He knows Cal; he’s one of the best West Coast recruiters in college football; and his return to his alma mater would be an obvious fit.
UConn head coach Jim Mora: The California native, who has already received interest from Stanford and Oregon State in this cycle, has done a remarkable job at UConn, with a second consecutive nine-win season and three bowl appearances in four years after taking over a moribund program. His run as UCLA head coach from 2012 to ‘17 was more successful than his successor, Chip Kelly, and he knows the UC system from that experience. Mora’s NFL career, including two stints as a head coach, also gives him rare experience that can help in college football’s new era. Going back west would make sense, but is Cal a good enough job to make a move?
San Diego State head coach Sean Lewis: He has the Aztecs at 9-2 and atop the Mountain West in his second season. While Lewis’ background is in fast-paced offense, his San Diego State team is No. 2 nationally in scoring defense. He’s still just 39 years old but has seven years of head coaching experience.
Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb: He spent a combined seven years as an assistant at Fresno State and Washington, then one year with the Seattle Seahawks before rejoining head coach Kalen DeBoer at Alabama this year. The 49-year-old has helped develop Ty Simpson into a Heisman Trophy contender and knows the area well.
UC Davis head coach Tim Plough: Another coach in the UC university system. Plough is 19-6 in two years as the Aggies’ head coach and is going to a second consecutive FCS playoffs with another top-15 team. The San Diego native has played and coached at UC Davis for a long time, and he spent 2023 with Cal as the tight ends coach.
Delaware State head coach DeSean Jackson: The former Cal receiver went 8-4 in his first year at Delaware State after taking over a 1-11 program, an impressive turnaround. He also spent 2024 as a high school assistant in California. It may be too early in his coaching career for a jump to a Power 4 job, but Jackson could be a name to watch for bigger jobs in the future.
Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith: The Pasadena native has spent much of this season on the hot seat, and still no announcement has been made on his future, leading some sources to wonder if Smith could leave for another job rather than be fired by Michigan State, which would come with an expensive buyout. He went 34-35 as head coach at his alma mater Oregon State and turned a struggling program into a solid Pac-12 outfit, winning 10 games in 2022, but he’s 8-15 in two seasons at Michigan State, where seemingly nothing has gone right. His struggles may also limit his appeal for other jobs, if he were interested in leaving.
Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson: The California native is 22-7 leading the Broncos, including a 12-2 season and a College Football Playoff appearance last year. The 37-year-old has encountered more bumps this year with a 7-4 record, but Boise State still has a path to a third Mountain West championship in three years.
New Mexico head coach Jason Eck: He has the Lobos at 8-3 in his first season after taking over a program that lost almost all of its major contributors to other schools in the offseason. Before that, Eck turned Idaho into a top-10 FCS program. He has shown he can do more with less, and his New Mexico team beat UCLA at the Rose Bowl this year.
Overall grade: C+
There is a path to bowl games in Berkeley, but winning more than that has been tough. If Cal can somehow keep some of its bright young stars, that outlook could change, but the financial struggles and awkward realignment situation make Cal and Stanford feel a bit lost at the moment. This isn’t a hopeless situation at all, and Rivera’s presence has ramped up the seriousness with which Cal is finally taking football. Still, it remains an uphill climb.
