Cal Football Completes the Offensive Staff by Adding OL Coach Bloesch and TE Coach Tim Plough
Youth and Potential, Backed by Experience
With the full revamping of the offensive staff, Cal adds OL/RGC Bloesch and TE Coach Plough to join OC Jake Spavital. Both of whom are in their 30s but have substantial experience coaching in the college ranks. Both of them replace OL Coach McClure and TE Chryst coaches from the previous regime, and both present a very different profile from the previous two.
OL/RGC Mike Bloesch
He comes from Texas and has coached in the Southwest throughout his entire coaching career from HS to college.
Season: Team – Position (Postseason, Notes)
2023: California – Offensive Line/Run Game Coordinator
2022: North Texas – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks (Frisco Bowl)
2021: North Texas – Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line (Frisco Bowl)
2020: North Texas – Co-Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line (Myrtle Beach Bowl)
2019: Tulsa – Offensive Line
2018: Tulsa – Offensive Line
2017: Tulsa – Offensive Line
2016: Tulsa – Offensive Line (Miami Beach Bowl)
2015: Tulsa – Quality Control Tight Ends (Independence Bowl)
2014: Houston – Analyst (Armed Forces Bowl)
2013: Temple High School (Temple, TX) – Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line (District 8-5A Champions)
2012: Temple High School (Temple, TX) – Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line
2011: Temple High School (Temple, TX) – Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line
2010: Cooper HS (Abilene, TX) – Offensive Line (District 3-5A Champions)
2009: Cooper HS (Abilene, TX) – Offensive Line (District 4-4A Champions)
He came into the college ranks via Houston where he played as an OL. Then moved to Tulsa where he coached a very good OL in 2016, and a very bad one in 2019 (per football outsiders OL data). His 2021 and 2020 OLs at UNT were decent to good with exemplary work protecting the QB with low sack rates on any type down and very good power success rates, especially in 2021 his last year as OL coach:
If Bloesch can replicate his success with the Cal OL: “Lord have mercy cause Ott will not.”
TE Tim Plough
Season: Team – Position (Postseason, Notes)
2023: California – Tight Ends
2022: Boise State – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2021: Boise State – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2020: UC Davis – Associate Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks (No Fall 2020 Season Due To COVID)
2019: UC Davis – Associate Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2018: UC Davis – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks (FCS Quarterfinals)
2017: UC Davis – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2016: Northern Arizona – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2015: Northern Arizona – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2014: Northern Arizona – Wide Receivers
2013: Northern Arizona – Wide Receivers (FCS Playoffs First Round)
2012: UC Davis – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2011: UC Davis – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2010: UC Davis – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2009: UC Davis – Quarterbacks
2008: UC Davis – Student Assistant
UC Davis legend who QB-ed the 2005 Aggies squad that upset Stanford and then was the AHC/OC/QB coach for the Aggies 2017-2020 under Dan Hawkins is another young and hungry OC who didn’t reach his potential as OC of Boise State in 2020-2022.
And even in his 2022 tenure that ended with a dismissal in September for leading a FBS bottoming offense.
And before that in 2021 his Broncos unit was also in FBS averages:
In both cases there are questions how much of his scheme and how much was dictated by HC Andy Avalos.
One thing worth wondering is how well he can coach TEs. One can argue that after QB TE is the most mentally demanding position in any offense using a TE. Having to handle OL level run/pass blocking concepts while running a full slot-WR route tree is taxing on a player. However, his only experience in coaching skill players was at NAU with WRs. How well he can coach the TEs is a question of how well he can convey the way a QB sees the field to a TE.
Concluding Thoughts
This is a pair of young and experienced hires. I am very bullish on the Bloesch hire and have questions about Plough at TE coach. Combine this with the Spavital OC hire we have a offensive staff filled with young coaches who have been raised in varying offensive systems from the Air Raid with Spavital to a run heavy scheme with Bloesch.
I am encouraged by the process of the hires. I cannot emphasize enough how process matters in the case of football hirings and what Wilcox has learned from his previous experiences. McClure, Chryst, and Musgrave were old hands in football with pro and CFB experience, Baldwin was an up and coming FCS coach with a good track record but an older coach (Baldwin is 50 this year).
Spavital, Bloesch, and Plough and in their 30s and all have a reason to work hard and achieve. Whether it is to avenge a poor HC or OC tenure or to establish themselves as a P5 level coach.
Mr. Plough, that's his name.
What everyone is overlooking here is that all three new hires have OC experience. Bloesch’s units ranked in the top ten for rushing offense and fewest sacks allowed. Hank Bachmeier had his best year under Plough last year at Boise St, and that he entered the transfer portal almost immediately after Plough was let go in week 3/4 of this season. That should tell you how highly a 4 year starter thought of his OC being fired.