Just in the case of going grocery shopping when hungry sometimes you get home realizing you have a whole mess of things to eat and go through all for the week. This is how I felt when I went through to the last stretch of this series.
Finally we have arrived at the file section: Defensive Coaches
DC: Michael Hutchings & co-DC/DB Coach: Da’Von Brown
Probably my favorite of the two coordinator signings due to his proximity to my favorite of the NFL defensive gurus: Brian Flores of the Vikings. And so far he has had an immense influence in the NFL and the way we think of defenses. I expect him to bring the core concepts of Palms/Quarters looks with some real sicko blitzes.
“A unique, almost psychotically aggressive style, that is rewriting the way modern defense is played” - Brett Kollman
In the video linked in the quote above it goes deeper into the way DC Flores deployed the blitz. Keeping it short: the blitz under Flores is often paired with their a 2 of 4 deep shell unlike the traditional 3 deep, 3 intermediate zone looks. By deploying a zone blitz with varying coverages in the back-end forcing opposing offenses to settle on disciplined quick passing game.
Can DC Hutchings translate this very sexy defense to the collegiate level? Does he appreciate the unique challenge of having wider hashes leading to more space field-side and less space in the boundary? Can he coach his players knowing that the OL can go 3 yards deep on RPOs and not 1 yard like they do in the NFL?
I think the addition of co-DC/DB coach Brown serves as a counter balance in experience his Coach Brown comes from WKU where he also served in the same role
DL: Darrion Daniels & Assistant DL: Eddy McGlivra
DL Coach Daniels and his assistant Coach McGlivra come in as extremely young additions to the staff. Daniels worked with HC Lupoi in Oregon and has shown enough coaching acumen to merit a quick promotion to lead a room in the P4 level despite being in college less than a decade ago as a standout defensive end for Oklahoma State.
For Coach McGlivra there is an interesting nugget where most of his accolades come from the private coaching he provides to top tier NFL prospects and players.
"It's a combination of the precision and the methodology, and understanding the 'why' — understanding what a player does well and doesn't do well, and trying to fine-tune and find what works for a guy and help him master that," said LaBoy. "And the players are also invested in the coach — it's a coaching style, it's an attitude, it's an energy. And the players that I've had who have worked with Coach Ed, they really gravitate toward him, and how he speaks to them and connects and communicates with them.
EDGE: Bryan Barazza & Assistant EDGE: Lorenzo Alexander
Here we have a study of contrasts in the eyes of Cal fans. EDGE Coach Barazza is another Oregon based hire who came with HC Lupoi with a relatively thin resume on and off the field, but must’ve impressed him to have him come and coach. On the otherside, the other coach needs no introduction:
ILB: Bob Gregory & Assistant ILB: Sione Ta’ufo’ou
Here is a fun fact to tack on more the theme of pairing youth and experience. Bob Gregory began collegiate coaching in 1987 which is 39 years ago, Sione Ta’ufo’ou began his collegiate coaching career in 2023 at UAB before coming to Cal in 2025 as assistant DL/OLB coach which is 3 years.
They will have a lot on their hands developing a very inexperienced but highly touted room replete with capital A Athletes who are all eager to make an impact on the field. The combination of opportunity and scheme will guarantee that Cal fans will know the names of the ILBs whether for good or bad.
co-DC/DB Coach: Da’Von Brown & Assistant DB Coach: Duke DaRe & Safeties coach: Connor Boyd
Cal DB room has always been the strength of the Wilcox era, HC Tosh decided to invest into the room by having co-DC Brown being apart of the room with Safeties Coach Boyd and DB Coach DaRe inheriting the right to form their own form of the TAKER crew.
Now much to say about the scheme that hasn’t been mentioned before. We have the most amount of youth on the team with DaRe and Boyd being relatively new in the coaching world.
Defensive Pass Game Coordinator: Keith Heyward
Coach Heyward returns to Cal after taking time with UNLV, the Raiders, and Oregon State (also the only Cal coach with an active lawsuit with his former employer… huh I heard this one before). He has had a bevvy of experience across the defensive position rooms as well as defensive coordinator experience with Oregon State providing valuable insight into the way the collegiate passing game differs from the NFL one.
I feel, I think, I know
I want to end every segment of this series with some feelings, thoughts, and beliefs I have on the group of players discussed, based on the level of evidence and confidence.
I feel that…
We will have a coach become a top tier defensive coordinator from this staff, and a coach whose name will become a curse word on the lips of the Cal fans for the 2026 season. Which one of them will it be? I don’t know but the variance of outcomes dictates that both can be possibilities and this is strange to conceptualize.
I think that…
We will have game where the scheme will outsmart itself and there will be game where the defense will absolutely bring the opposing offense into a Wilcoxian chokehold. I think that it will depend on how Pro-Style centric the opposing offense is, the more they lean into NFL concepts the more likely it is for Cal to shut them down, but if we were to face a triple option team we’d be turbo fucked.
I know that…
That we will see some wild blitzes and some complex pass coverage concepts… whether they are successful is a very very different story. But scared money don’t make money.
and with this the Elephant is eaten and I am ready for Cal football to begin.