One of the great limiting factors is money. We have a small budget due to Cal-specific dynamics. We can't pay assistants a lot of money.
Cal's 2020 assistant coach base salary pool totalled $3.655m (average 365.5k/per 10 assistant coach). This is compared to:
$5.2m for Washington,
$5.1m for Oregon
$4.3m UCLA
$4.3m Utah
$3.9m WSU
$3.7m ASU
$3.655 Cal
$3.5m OSU
$3.4m Colorado
$3.4m Arizona
n/a: Stanfurd
After adjusting for the cost of living, Cal pays the lowest salary in the Pac-12 (albeit with some great perks of being in the Bay Area).
So if we're looking to hire a new coach, we can't offer a lot of money. We have to offer other opportunities - a pathway to DC by giving a position coach a new assignment (Heyward), a chance (Browning, Watson, Thompson, Tosh Lupoi), or a place to rebound after a recent flop/purge (DeRuyter, Sirmon, Ragle, Yates, Greatwood).
Anybody can ask why we can't get a great, experienced, proven coach and the answer is because we can't afford them. Although this is amateur sports, it's still a business and we're the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the uneven, unfair world of college football.
Wow. Really feels like Wilcox is building a Pac12 winning coaching staff. Between recruiting and coaching. He seems to really know what Cal needs to be at the top. We've already been beating Oregon, UW and U$C. A bit more consistency and we are Pac12 champions. Other than ST, I like all our coaches across the board. This will be a year of many new coaches though, and time will tell if the combination of recruiting chops and coaching chops can take us to the Roses!
Great hire imho. He comes in as a first-time bonafide DB coach and it's not like he's being dropped into hot water, he has an abundance of support from Wilcox, Heyward, and Conry when it comes to coaching, he's young, already got a strong track-record with the Oregon secondary and be a boon in recruiting due to his age and story as a walk-on. 10/10
When I was writing answers to GB49's comment, I actually started to write Browning since he was the first one that came to my mind. Then I did fact check and was reminded that he was DL coach for about 5 years prior to coming to Cal.
Zach Yenser - LA Tech (GA/non-full time assistant coach) to OL coach 2013. He had one year of assistant coach experience at Div II program in 2008, but zero in Div I, not even FCS.
Well, Wilcox has worked with both these coaches and knows they can coach, Coach Sirmon knows his sh#t, AND Wilcox (in who I trust) is a defensive coach himself. I doubt there isn't a lot of crossover between some position groups when it comes to how someone's experience lends to their craft in their current position.
Like the two new hires. It’s great to have young recruit-relatable guys like Watson in the mix, particularly because he’s at the young apprentice stage where hopefully he’ll be developing his chops and stick around for a couple of years.
I’m excited about Chryst’s deep background in analytics. Should provide some MUCH NEEDED help in game management. Plus he and Musgrave have worked together recently, and so hopefully can form a brain trust like the one that has worked so well on the defensive side.
LOVE this hire, mainly for the fact that he's someone who can relate to the kids not only on an athletic level but also personally. That's crucial for the college experience and I value that a lot with the coaches, as opposed to older coaches where time passed them by.
What more could Cal do to prove they're the best place for DB recruits? The staff has coached up players such as Jaire Alexander, Camryn Bynum, Adoree' Jackson, Kevin King, Marcus Peters, Ashtyn Davis, and Jaylinn Hawkins. Not to mention even the secondary staff themselves get picked up the NFLand turn players into First Team All-Pro.
Great point – reading (too much) into things, I'd guess Heyward will be getting some additional titles every year or two until he's ready to take on a full DC role (either here when Sirmon leaves or elsewhere).
Looking at the Cal football staff page, it doesn't look like anyone has the Associate Head Coach title right now – it was previously held by DeRuyter and by Sirmon before the title flip last year. Before that, Beau had the Assistant Head Coach title.
One of the great limiting factors is money. We have a small budget due to Cal-specific dynamics. We can't pay assistants a lot of money.
Cal's 2020 assistant coach base salary pool totalled $3.655m (average 365.5k/per 10 assistant coach). This is compared to:
$5.2m for Washington,
$5.1m for Oregon
$4.3m UCLA
$4.3m Utah
$3.9m WSU
$3.7m ASU
$3.655 Cal
$3.5m OSU
$3.4m Colorado
$3.4m Arizona
n/a: Stanfurd
After adjusting for the cost of living, Cal pays the lowest salary in the Pac-12 (albeit with some great perks of being in the Bay Area).
So if we're looking to hire a new coach, we can't offer a lot of money. We have to offer other opportunities - a pathway to DC by giving a position coach a new assignment (Heyward), a chance (Browning, Watson, Thompson, Tosh Lupoi), or a place to rebound after a recent flop/purge (DeRuyter, Sirmon, Ragle, Yates, Greatwood).
Anybody can ask why we can't get a great, experienced, proven coach and the answer is because we can't afford them. Although this is amateur sports, it's still a business and we're the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the uneven, unfair world of college football.
Based on him having a giant beard, I'm already in favor.
Wow. Really feels like Wilcox is building a Pac12 winning coaching staff. Between recruiting and coaching. He seems to really know what Cal needs to be at the top. We've already been beating Oregon, UW and U$C. A bit more consistency and we are Pac12 champions. Other than ST, I like all our coaches across the board. This will be a year of many new coaches though, and time will tell if the combination of recruiting chops and coaching chops can take us to the Roses!
first he would have to have a winning pac-12 record, something he hasn't achieved in four seasons.
Buzz killer...... : )
Great hire imho. He comes in as a first-time bonafide DB coach and it's not like he's being dropped into hot water, he has an abundance of support from Wilcox, Heyward, and Conry when it comes to coaching, he's young, already got a strong track-record with the Oregon secondary and be a boon in recruiting due to his age and story as a walk-on. 10/10
Andrew Browning was a GA, Who was then elevated to DL coach when Tui Tuioti left for Nebraska. He is probably the best recruiter on staff.
Gerald Alexander had two non consecutive years as DB coach at Indiana State and Montana State.
Browning has many years as DL coach at UTEP before coming to Cal though
Ah you are 100% correct. Mean culpa
Mea
When I was writing answers to GB49's comment, I actually started to write Browning since he was the first one that came to my mind. Then I did fact check and was reminded that he was DL coach for about 5 years prior to coming to Cal.
Jacob Peeler - GA to Inside Receivers coach 2015. He was TE coach at JC in 2008 for one year before becoming GA at LA Tech/Cal.
Zach Yenser - LA Tech (GA/non-full time assistant coach) to OL coach 2013. He had one year of assistant coach experience at Div II program in 2008, but zero in Div I, not even FCS.
Kevin Daft - GA (Offensive Line) to QB coach 2007
We've hired assistant coaches with one or zero assistant coach experiences.
Tosh Lupoi - GA to DL coach 2008, age 26
Well, Wilcox has worked with both these coaches and knows they can coach, Coach Sirmon knows his sh#t, AND Wilcox (in who I trust) is a defensive coach himself. I doubt there isn't a lot of crossover between some position groups when it comes to how someone's experience lends to their craft in their current position.
Like the two new hires. It’s great to have young recruit-relatable guys like Watson in the mix, particularly because he’s at the young apprentice stage where hopefully he’ll be developing his chops and stick around for a couple of years.
I’m excited about Chryst’s deep background in analytics. Should provide some MUCH NEEDED help in game management. Plus he and Musgrave have worked together recently, and so hopefully can form a brain trust like the one that has worked so well on the defensive side.
I'm happy with any DB coach that can, apparently, jump as high as Coach Alexander could.
LOVE this hire, mainly for the fact that he's someone who can relate to the kids not only on an athletic level but also personally. That's crucial for the college experience and I value that a lot with the coaches, as opposed to older coaches where time passed them by.
What more could Cal do to prove they're the best place for DB recruits? The staff has coached up players such as Jaire Alexander, Camryn Bynum, Adoree' Jackson, Kevin King, Marcus Peters, Ashtyn Davis, and Jaylinn Hawkins. Not to mention even the secondary staff themselves get picked up the NFLand turn players into First Team All-Pro.
yeah, who needs Akina when we got the best secondary coaches in the country!
Sounds like a great hire!!!
I looked up alma mater of all the assistant coaches under Wilcox.
Wilcox - Oregon
Musgrave - Oregon
Sirmon - Oregon
Greatwood - Oregon
Alexander - Boise State
Browning - Boise State
Thompson - Boise State
Yates - Boise State
Tuiasosopo - Washington
Watson - Washington
Baldwin - Central Washington
Edwards - Easterm Washington
Toler - Cal
McClure - Sacramento State
DeRuyter - Air Force
Ragle - Eastern New Mexico
Tuioti - Hawaii
Azzinaro - American Indian College
Baldwin was at Central Washington before Eastern Washington. He won the Natty at EWU with Troy Taylor as his OC and had the best QB in the country.
Oh I forgot Heyward - Oregon State
While on this subject, as it has previously been brought up on this site,
2011 Tennessee DC Wilcox, LB Sirmon
2012 Washingon DC Wilcox, LB Sirmon, DB Heyward
2013 Washingon DC Wilcox, LB Sirmon, DB Heyward
2014 USC DC Wilcox, LB Sirmon, DB Heyward
2015 USC DC Wilcox, LB Sirmon, DB Heyward
2018 California HC Wilcox, LB Sirmon
2019 California HC Wilcox, LB Sirmon
2020 California HC Wilcox, DC Sirmon
2021 California HC Wilcox, DC Sirmon, DB Heyward
After 5 years, the gang is back together.
I knew there was history, but I didn’t realize how much these guys had been together, at so many schools.
correction: LB Heyward.
And both defensive coaches in the same system. They think alike. No wonder Coach Wilcox elevated Sirmon.
And no wonder Heyward joined Cal from Oregon in what appears to be a lateral or even a downgrade move. There's a lot of trust among the three.
Great point – reading (too much) into things, I'd guess Heyward will be getting some additional titles every year or two until he's ready to take on a full DC role (either here when Sirmon leaves or elsewhere).
Looking at the Cal football staff page, it doesn't look like anyone has the Associate Head Coach title right now – it was previously held by DeRuyter and by Sirmon before the title flip last year. Before that, Beau had the Assistant Head Coach title.
I was confused at first because he has the same name as a former Cal running back that transferred to Texas
Interesting that Longshore is coaching tight ends. He sure looks more like TE than a QB now.
Kenwick Thompson and Al Simmons coach at UNLV too
Thompson was a long time LB coach for us after Wilcox left. Simmons was our DB coach for few years during that same time
He worked for utility company after graduating from UW