Cal Football Hires Sterlin Gilbert as QB Coach
Experienced OC/QB Coach with lots of time across the country rounds off the staff on offense
HC Wilcox and OC Bloesch finalize their offensive staff by hiring Ole Miss Offensive Analyst Sterlin Gilbert. The new QB coach will also be given the title of Pass Game Coordinator.
In the last decade of collegiate coaching he has consistently been an OC and QB coach up until the 2022 season where he served under HC Lane “Joey Freshwater” Kiffin.
Season: Team – Position (Postseason, Notes)
2012: Eastern Illinois – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks (Ohio Valley Conference Champions, FCS Playoffs First Round)
2013: Eastern Illinois – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks (Ohio Valley Conference Champions, FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals)
2014: Bowling Green State – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks (Camellia Bowl)
2015: Tulsa – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks (Independence Bowl)
2016: Texas – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2017: South Florida – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks (Birmingham Bowl)
2018: South Florida – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks (Gasparilla Bowl)
2019: McNeese State – Head Coach
2020: Syracuse – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2021: Syracuse – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2023: Ole Miss – Offensive Analyst (Chick-Fil-A-Bowl)
2024: California – Passing Game Coordinator/Quarterbacks
He has strong ties with OC Bloesch as both as his coach co-worker, and mentor:
[He] also spent one season as a graduate assistant for offense on the collegiate level at Houston in 2005 when recently elevated Cal offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Mike Bloesch was a player on the Cougars' offensive line. The duo also worked together in 2011 at Temple High School and again in 2015 when Bloesch was on Gilbert's offensive staff at Tulsa in quality control with the tight ends position group.
Welcome to Cal!
Opinions on Sterlin’s chops are all over the map, though one thing that has remained pretty consistent is that he seems to be universally unpopular with the fanbases at his former stops, especially at USF, Syracuse, and Texas.
The only thing that really matters is whether he works well with Bloesch to forge an efficient passing game while helping to develop Mendoza and Rogers. If this team can move the football through the air and benefit from consistent, improving play at the QB position, who really gives a schitt what fans in Tampa and Austin think.
Go Bears.
I'm not sure how to feel about this hire. He has experience as an OC, including within the ACC. But it's not like coaching under Charlie Strong is going to make your resume shine. Might be good in this role, though.