The Big Game result meant a big decision in Berkeley was that much easier to make for California.
Following Saturday’s loss to rival Stanford, the Golden Bears’ third defeat in their last four games, the school fired head coach Justin Wilcox with one week to go in the regular season. That ends his tenure in Berkeley after an unremarkable nine seasons and a 48–55 overall record. The Bears occasionally punched above their weight given the limitations the school has in general with the football program, but the veteran defensive mind never could quite get things fixed on the offensive side of the ball to take Cal to the next level—or at least return them to the highs they experienced under former coach Jeff Tedford.
Now comes a fascinating search in the shadows of Strawberry Canyon. The school has promised greater resources moving forward under a new chancellor but will also have to contend with a fairly new general manager in Ron Rivera as the guiding hand of the football program and an on-going search for a permanent athletic director that should pick up steam next year.
Who could Cal turn to? Here are 10 candidates who could be making the trip out to the Bay Area.
Bryan Harsin, Cal offensive coordinator
There are likely to be two internal options for the Bears if they want to go in that direction, starting with Harsin. He led Boise State to a Fiesta Bowl and flamed out at Auburn but is well respected inside the building for what he’s been able to do this season despite seeing most returnees in 2025 leave for the portal. If Cal wants any hope of keeping QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele in the fold for next season, it could involve bumping Harsin to the big chair.
Nick Rolovich, Cal interim head coach
Rolovich was controversially fired at Washington State during the pandemic but did do a quality job turning around Hawaii during his first head coaching job. He’s been an analyst around the team this year before getting the first crack at replacing Wilcox and is a Bay Area native. Rolovich could be a tough name to sell to key boosters however.
Jim Mora, UConn head coach
Mora has done one of the more remarkable coaching jobs of the season in leading the Huskies to nine wins for a second straight year. He had two 10-win seasons at fellow UC system school UCLA and knows the West Coast well. His NFL background will likely appeal to Rivera even more than his ability to maximize resources at places that are difficult to win at.
Sean Lewis, San Diego State head coach
There is a brewing UC battle over Lewis as he’s in the mix at UCLA too after turning the Aztecs into one of the favorites to win the Mountain West. He’s an offensive mind who could be appealing for Cal after the defensive-minded Wilcox. Lewis finds ways to win big in places where that is far from the expectation. One question Cal could face is whether he is aiming for a much bigger job than the one in Berkeley.
Jason Eck, New Mexico head coach
The author of one of the best stories this year, Eck inherited a blank page with the Lobos and has guided the team to an 8–3 mark, good for the program’s seventh eight-win season since World War II ended. He’s got Big Ten roots despite spending time in charge at Idaho so could wait around for his alma mater Wisconsin to make a decision on Luke Fickell next year.
D’Anton Lynn, USC defensive coordinator
Lynn has done a good job making the Trojans’ defense respectable and understands the lay of the land out West from his time in Los Angeles (including at UCLA). He’s still young at 36 but is ticketed to become a head coach sooner rather than later, plus he’s got plenty of familiarity with Rivera as an assistant in the league and through his dad, former NFL head coach Anthony Lynn.
Brent Vigen, Montana State head coach
Vigen’s name figures to come open with every Midwest and West Coast opening this cycle. He’s 57–12 in charge of the Bobcats and just led them to the No. 2 seed in the FCS playoffs after beating rival Montana for the Big Sky title (his third in four years).
Tim Plough, UC Davis head coach
Plough was the Golden Bears’ tight ends coach two years ago and has gotten off to a great start at his alma mater up the road. The former quarterback is 19–6 over two seasons and is widely viewed as an up-and-comer in the coaching ranks who will be a Power 4 head coach in the near future.
DeSean Jackson, Delaware State head coach
A Cal legend, Jackson just isn’t a former player angling for a job at his alma mater but someone who has a quality resume to put forward beyond being an All-Pro player in the NFL. He took over a Delaware State program that had won seven combined games in the three seasons prior to Jackson’s arrival and promptly went 8–4 this year—the school’s best record since 2007. It’s a big jump from the FCS ranks to the ACC but don’t be shocked to see a few boosters push to bring the biggest name they can home.
Steve Wilks, New York Jets defensive coordinator
A former assistant coach under Rivera, Wilks has bounced between college and the NFL the past few decades and could be an interesting option if the school’s general manager wants someone he trusts to get the job.
More College Football on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ten Candidates for the Cal Coaching Search After Justin Wilcox Firing.
