I'm a huge fan of Justin Wilcox. He's a very good human being, he's a great role model for the kids and he understands Berkeley. That being said I believe its time for a change. Why? Because we keep making the same mistakes and keep fielding teams that are not well coached and we keep losing close games that with better coaching including better play calling and better execution, we should win. I think the decision to hire Bloesch was a disaster. I keep hearing in the weekly press interviews the same reasons about why we are not winning, but I hear no solutions, none! Bloesch has just turned into a recording. We know the problems but they can't tell us the solutions. That means they don't have solutions. Time for a change. We have ballers on this team. They need a coach who can help them realize their potential. Forget the fans, do it for our players.
It’s like the same bad movie with the same script over and over. Drive-killing penalties by the O line, constantly being forced into long yardage situations, inconsistent execution, uninspired play calling like continuously running straight into a loaded box, missed field goals, three quarters of inspired defense that finally gives out at the end from the offense lacking any ability to sustain a consistent drive.
If his recruiting speeches are anything like his pressers, then I can see another factor to flat recruitment.
He has built a culture of honor, good defense, clean living, and scholarship, but failed to build a culture of winning. If we continue, the program will surely die. Alums and we diehards will continue some manner of support, but losing will never win or keep the non-alumni ('dirt road alumni") fans. And losing is the exact opposite of building our brand at this crucial time.
Maybe:
1. Wilcox will let us pay his buyout over time.
2. Someone like Ron Rivera, Tedford, or even Sirmon, could be interim HC.
3. Someone like Cignetti could be the permant HC. Indiana has high academic standards and a recent decade of irrelevance. Admittedly, Cig brought in a bunch of his own ringers, but, I reckon he could find more, if he were here.
Something needs to happen. The PAC 12 was the first Titanic event, this unbelievable exposure of an all Care Bear side of our tendency to fold up in the Fourth Quarter (BTW- I think there's a pre-Wilcox history of Fourth Quarter fails).
I'm emotionally exhausted and completely fed up.
Of course, my mood is not helped by climbing that damned hill all the way from the BART station, while being so out of shape.
Bears forever. It's time to repurpose or replace Justin. He could be a decent DC or Athletic Director.
You made a good point though. You can’t tell me his ringers from James Madison are more physically gifted 5 star recruits or something. He’s coaching them up. Or he’s hired people capable of coaching them up.
The fact that we are stuck with a buyout, so great after, no results to warrant it, is the biggest problem. Jim Knowlton is clueless about how to run a P4 program, successfully, I imagine he and Christ thought it all they were supposed to was have a football program, not one that ranks comparably to our academic reputation.
Pan et circi.
Knowlton needs to go, first, or, at the least, have HC hiring decisions taken from him.
Right now empty seats, and donors who would commit NIL$$ to a winning team but aren't are costing us way more than his buyout. Give him till the end of the season then give him a gentlemanly exit. This season is fucked. Recognizing this we can still be classy. Now the big question is who do we go after?
Curt Cignetti intrigues me because he’s coached at the FCS level but has remained successful which means he knows how to maximize potential from less heralded players. Exactly what we need.
If he's the stand up guy that we all seem to give him credit for, he should resign...sadly...I don't think he is as much a stand up guy that we think he is. He got his FU money, he should resign since he's failed in his responsibilities...miserably I'd add.
As an early adopter to Wilcox, today I am firm he needs to be fired and the sooner the better. What FINALLY tipped it? When Morris missed the field goal, Wilcox was shown walking down the sideline with his hands on his head. That is the worst body language a leader much less a HC of a team (any team/sport) should be displaying to their team. In fact, I'm not sure I have ever seen a coach do that! But that was the final straw.
Additionally, I've tired of his "football is hard"; "we were 1 play away (no you aren't)" and the constant hiring of friends. He has created his fears. He is committed to attempting to win by one score (scored in the last minute) and does not have a killer attitude. In short, his coaching philosophy is so ingrained that even with a huge NIL and plethora of talent, he would coach/scheme/manage to win ugly and make everything much harder than needed. He is who he is.
I could go on and on. Even if he wins out this year, he needs to go. It would be best if that happened on Monday. The change is over due.
Taco: There was another coach whose body language said it all: Sonny Dykes. I clearly remember how he looked during his disastrous first season when we went 1-11. Constantly scrunched over. looking down at the field. We know how his tenure turned out so we need to cut our losses with Wilcox now or at the end of the season.
Personally, I was nonplussed when JW was hired, and disappointed that he did not take the Oregon position. That said, welcome to the replacement club. Now we just need to find $15m.
And why we are at it, several more mil so we can replace JK.
Letting him go mid-season would at least let our conference mates know that we care about our program. Not doing so cements the worst stereotypes about Cal. Alas, maybe those stereotypes are just simply fact at this point.
Our Golden Bears never cease to amaze when it comes to finding new and inventive ways to lose close, winnable games. Our o-line is ATROCIOUS! Our kicking game is GOD AWFUL! Like everyone else, I hold my breath when the field goal kicker comes out for an attempt. 5-22 in one score games is simply unforgiveable. I like Wilcox and at one time I thought that he might be the guy to lead us to something resembling the Tedford glory years. Now, it is plain to see that he is just not the guy to get us over the hump. Personally, I think that he checks a lot of the boxes that we want to see in a coach and program builder. His players graduate and there isn't any off field drama and his defenses (for the most part) have kept us close to winning multiple games. BUT HE JUST CAN'T GET OVER THE HUMP!!!!! Call him cursed, unlucky, whatever but the sad truth is that it is time for Coach Wilcox to move on. As I've said in previous posts, there are plenty of hungry, undiscovered coaches who can turn Cal into a respectable football program. We just have to be able to find them and give them a chance.
Wilcox lost me at the Colorado game two years ago, which I attended. This was the only game a truly horrid CO team won all year. Coaching was inexplicable. And yet, I allowed myself to get sucked into the excitement this year. I’m done. I’ve been a season ticket holder off and on, dating to student days in the late 1970s — perhaps 20 years total. No more.
Has lost to winless Arizona, winless Colorado and winless FSU.
He has had 3+ game losing streaks and in each season he has been at Cal.
He lost the 2021 Big Game due to poor special teams and kicking.
He lost two games last season due to field goal kicking.
He lost 3 games this season due to field goal kicking.
Wilcox has had so much institutional support, NIL support, and patience. He is on his 4 OC, he has had multiple staff fires and new hires. He has had so much time to learn on the job and prove he can win at Cal. In that time, all that he has proven is he isn’t a good head coach. He needs to be fired immediately.
Thanks for the correction. All the heart breaking Wilcox losses are hard to keep track at this point because he has so many and usually multiple each season.
Before signing off indefinitely, I want to thank everyone here for letting me vent my grievances and even liking a few.
It was my version of Cal therapy.
I simply won’t allow myself to watch these games anymore and waste 3-4 hours.
The only thing I end up being is disgruntled and angry for the next few days. It’s just too much of a waste when I can do more positive things with my life.
See you on the other side after Wilcox is let go and in the words of a wise dolphin, “So long and thanks for all the fish”.
No lead is safe with Wilcox at the helm. 8 seasons of poor performance. In the previous 7 years he has won only one minor bowl game, which is his high point. Good players if they care about having an NFL career should jump ship but perhaps we can stop that from happening by bringing in a promising coach (Ron Rivera would be my pick). A competent coach would be an improvement.
I am usually against in season head coach firings but I feel like it is completely justified and needed at this time.
That being said, not only will Wilcox be allowed to finish this season as our HC, he will be back next season as our HC! Even more puzzling, fans will continue to defend him!
But if you fire Wilcox who are you going to have take over as interim HC? Bloesch is the problem in my mind. They should fire him, let Saffel take over O-line coaching duties and let Sterlin Gilbert take over play calling. Then get rid of all of them at the end of the season and start from scratch. Nick Saban anyone?
Let Sirmon take over. It doesn’t matter at this point because this season is over. All the problems are Wilcox’s, he hired this staff, he gave Bloesch the promotion to OC and decided not to hire a dedicated OL coach. This mess is Wilcox’s and his alone. He didn’t inherit this, he built this mess
Wilcox is the problem. He hasn't been committed to a good/great offense for 8 years. With an old fashion coaching philosophy, he hasn't created the OL/DL to succeed in that philosophy. Yet, he is committed to it regardless. As the CEO, he has completely failed on the offensive side of the ball, the side that fills seats. He want to win 17 - 14 or with a last second field goal. Fans want to see points and their team stepping on their opponents neck. Wilcox doesn't have that in him. He needs to go.
Good thinking but now way in hell would Saban come out of retirement to come to Cal. He quit because he hates the NIL. He's right. It's ruined College football. And for that matter, all college revenue sports.
As a Seattleite, this team situation feels very similar to the Mariners, and it’s beyond frustrating. Both teams have ample talent, supported by loyal fans who’ve stuck with them through thick and thin, always hoping for greatness. But our patience is wearing thin.
That loyalty has limits. Just like Wilcox, Scott Servais is a man of integrity. He can deliver solid seasons and come tantalizingly close in high-stakes games. But “close” isn’t cutting it—too often, he falls short when it matters most.
It’s time for management to wake up and realize that change is overdue & decisions need to be made. Pretty much anything's better than being stuck in the purgatory of mediocrity.
Yes, his persona is, IMHO, a halting, quasi-intellectual sermonizer with the same repeated phrases. So, stultifying and empty that Christ and Knowlton must have joined hands in reflective satisfaction that their locked-in choice of head coach gave the university a perfunctory offering of football, with no chance of an unruly, overly popular rival to the pastoral environment. Wilcox is toeing the line of his bosses. I am quite sure this is not how he would have run the Oregon program should he have been selected. But, hey, Cal, in Wilcox's lifetime and apart from our ascension with Tedford, was never a championship caliber program, so why not give the bosses what they want, just enough football to placate the masses.
Pan et circi.
We need to rival Michigan, not University of Chicago.
I’ve watched this same season for 8 years now. Different conference, same result. It’s time to move on from Wilcox. Unless 5-7 or 6-6 is the goal. In which case: Congratulations! You got your man!
I'm a huge fan of Justin Wilcox. He's a very good human being, he's a great role model for the kids and he understands Berkeley. That being said I believe its time for a change. Why? Because we keep making the same mistakes and keep fielding teams that are not well coached and we keep losing close games that with better coaching including better play calling and better execution, we should win. I think the decision to hire Bloesch was a disaster. I keep hearing in the weekly press interviews the same reasons about why we are not winning, but I hear no solutions, none! Bloesch has just turned into a recording. We know the problems but they can't tell us the solutions. That means they don't have solutions. Time for a change. We have ballers on this team. They need a coach who can help them realize their potential. Forget the fans, do it for our players.
It’s like the same bad movie with the same script over and over. Drive-killing penalties by the O line, constantly being forced into long yardage situations, inconsistent execution, uninspired play calling like continuously running straight into a loaded box, missed field goals, three quarters of inspired defense that finally gives out at the end from the offense lacking any ability to sustain a consistent drive.
If wilcox has lost Rugbear it truly is over
I can hear Milli Vanilli's "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You"
He is at his HC ceiling.
Maybe even reaching beyond his grasp.
If his recruiting speeches are anything like his pressers, then I can see another factor to flat recruitment.
He has built a culture of honor, good defense, clean living, and scholarship, but failed to build a culture of winning. If we continue, the program will surely die. Alums and we diehards will continue some manner of support, but losing will never win or keep the non-alumni ('dirt road alumni") fans. And losing is the exact opposite of building our brand at this crucial time.
Maybe:
1. Wilcox will let us pay his buyout over time.
2. Someone like Ron Rivera, Tedford, or even Sirmon, could be interim HC.
3. Someone like Cignetti could be the permant HC. Indiana has high academic standards and a recent decade of irrelevance. Admittedly, Cig brought in a bunch of his own ringers, but, I reckon he could find more, if he were here.
Something needs to happen. The PAC 12 was the first Titanic event, this unbelievable exposure of an all Care Bear side of our tendency to fold up in the Fourth Quarter (BTW- I think there's a pre-Wilcox history of Fourth Quarter fails).
I'm emotionally exhausted and completely fed up.
Of course, my mood is not helped by climbing that damned hill all the way from the BART station, while being so out of shape.
Bears forever. It's time to repurpose or replace Justin. He could be a decent DC or Athletic Director.
You made a good point though. You can’t tell me his ringers from James Madison are more physically gifted 5 star recruits or something. He’s coaching them up. Or he’s hired people capable of coaching them up.
yes, he is a great person.
But as Bill Parcells used to say, 'you are who your record says you are.' And nice guys finish last.
Yep
Concur
Folks, he's 5-22 in one score games since 2021. What is the counter-argument to his termination at this point?
He’s 20-games below .500 v conference foes, man.
It’s baffling that he’s still employed.
It's breathtaking.
Other than it costing too much, no.
It’s honestly very hard to be this consistently bad in crunch time. You should be able to win a few more on sheer luck alone.
The fact that we are stuck with a buyout, so great after, no results to warrant it, is the biggest problem. Jim Knowlton is clueless about how to run a P4 program, successfully, I imagine he and Christ thought it all they were supposed to was have a football program, not one that ranks comparably to our academic reputation.
Pan et circi.
Knowlton needs to go, first, or, at the least, have HC hiring decisions taken from him.
$$$$$$$$$$&&
Right now empty seats, and donors who would commit NIL$$ to a winning team but aren't are costing us way more than his buyout. Give him till the end of the season then give him a gentlemanly exit. This season is fucked. Recognizing this we can still be classy. Now the big question is who do we go after?
We've been "classy" enough for far too long with Wilcox. A departure on Monday would not bother me.
Seriously.
If he were classy he’d call Knowlton and resign.
Knowing bonehead Knowlton he’d think he was saying Re-Sign.
Too soon for Davis Webb to be a HC?
I like the approach.
Thanks.
Think he needs at least some coordinator experience…but that’s where I’m looking.
Curt Cignetti. It CAN happen.
Curt Cignetti intrigues me because he’s coached at the FCS level but has remained successful which means he knows how to maximize potential from less heralded players. Exactly what we need.
#PoachCignettiForCal
What about Pat White
And the negative revenue cost to keep him?
If Cal terminates Wilcox without cause, buyout increases $3.9 million in 2024, $4.05 million in 2025 and $4.2 million in 2026.
Fine. Demote him for the remainder of the season and then fire him at the end of the season. But until then, no decision making responsibility.
How is his terrible win-loss record not a cause?
Performance is not for cause. Failing to adhere to UC policies or moral turpitude is for cause.
That wouldn't hold up in court
Can we pull that off?
Yes.
The NIL takes a hit, but yes.
And you’d have to.
Maybe he'd be willing to negotiate a payout over time.
If he's the stand up guy that we all seem to give him credit for, he should resign...sadly...I don't think he is as much a stand up guy that we think he is. He got his FU money, he should resign since he's failed in his responsibilities...miserably I'd add.
I don't really see anyone rallying to Wilcox's defense.
His offense has the bigger problem rallying.
(But, yeah, I think the only thing keeping him employed now is the buyout.)
Save for the tacit endorsement of the administration, the only group that matters in this scenario.
As an early adopter to Wilcox, today I am firm he needs to be fired and the sooner the better. What FINALLY tipped it? When Morris missed the field goal, Wilcox was shown walking down the sideline with his hands on his head. That is the worst body language a leader much less a HC of a team (any team/sport) should be displaying to their team. In fact, I'm not sure I have ever seen a coach do that! But that was the final straw.
Additionally, I've tired of his "football is hard"; "we were 1 play away (no you aren't)" and the constant hiring of friends. He has created his fears. He is committed to attempting to win by one score (scored in the last minute) and does not have a killer attitude. In short, his coaching philosophy is so ingrained that even with a huge NIL and plethora of talent, he would coach/scheme/manage to win ugly and make everything much harder than needed. He is who he is.
I could go on and on. Even if he wins out this year, he needs to go. It would be best if that happened on Monday. The change is over due.
Taco: There was another coach whose body language said it all: Sonny Dykes. I clearly remember how he looked during his disastrous first season when we went 1-11. Constantly scrunched over. looking down at the field. We know how his tenure turned out so we need to cut our losses with Wilcox now or at the end of the season.
Personally, I was nonplussed when JW was hired, and disappointed that he did not take the Oregon position. That said, welcome to the replacement club. Now we just need to find $15m.
And why we are at it, several more mil so we can replace JK.
Harbaugh threw his punter under the bus after his botched punt cost Michigan the Big Game with MSU.
AI could write more interesting pressers, IMHO. Here are the recurring talking points from Wilcox pressers:
"We need to do a better job...."
"We need to focus...."
"We need to coach that better..."
"We need better execution..."
Uh, yeah, I feel badly. Thought he was our wunderkind, but it's clear he's in over his head.
Playing down to the competition is one thing. We play just under the competition.
Letting him go mid-season would at least let our conference mates know that we care about our program. Not doing so cements the worst stereotypes about Cal. Alas, maybe those stereotypes are just simply fact at this point.
Our Golden Bears never cease to amaze when it comes to finding new and inventive ways to lose close, winnable games. Our o-line is ATROCIOUS! Our kicking game is GOD AWFUL! Like everyone else, I hold my breath when the field goal kicker comes out for an attempt. 5-22 in one score games is simply unforgiveable. I like Wilcox and at one time I thought that he might be the guy to lead us to something resembling the Tedford glory years. Now, it is plain to see that he is just not the guy to get us over the hump. Personally, I think that he checks a lot of the boxes that we want to see in a coach and program builder. His players graduate and there isn't any off field drama and his defenses (for the most part) have kept us close to winning multiple games. BUT HE JUST CAN'T GET OVER THE HUMP!!!!! Call him cursed, unlucky, whatever but the sad truth is that it is time for Coach Wilcox to move on. As I've said in previous posts, there are plenty of hungry, undiscovered coaches who can turn Cal into a respectable football program. We just have to be able to find them and give them a chance.
Wilcox lost me at the Colorado game two years ago, which I attended. This was the only game a truly horrid CO team won all year. Coaching was inexplicable. And yet, I allowed myself to get sucked into the excitement this year. I’m done. I’ve been a season ticket holder off and on, dating to student days in the late 1970s — perhaps 20 years total. No more.
That's when he lost me too.
Wilcox is now 5-22 in one score games.
Has lost to winless Arizona, winless Colorado and winless FSU.
He has had 3+ game losing streaks and in each season he has been at Cal.
He lost the 2021 Big Game due to poor special teams and kicking.
He lost two games last season due to field goal kicking.
He lost 3 games this season due to field goal kicking.
Wilcox has had so much institutional support, NIL support, and patience. He is on his 4 OC, he has had multiple staff fires and new hires. He has had so much time to learn on the job and prove he can win at Cal. In that time, all that he has proven is he isn’t a good head coach. He needs to be fired immediately.
Correction he lost the 2020 Big Game, we kicked ass in 2021.
Thanks for the correction. All the heart breaking Wilcox losses are hard to keep track at this point because he has so many and usually multiple each season.
We're in Holmoe-Gilby territory.
Those were much shorter experiments
Before signing off indefinitely, I want to thank everyone here for letting me vent my grievances and even liking a few.
It was my version of Cal therapy.
I simply won’t allow myself to watch these games anymore and waste 3-4 hours.
The only thing I end up being is disgruntled and angry for the next few days. It’s just too much of a waste when I can do more positive things with my life.
See you on the other side after Wilcox is let go and in the words of a wise dolphin, “So long and thanks for all the fish”.
No lead is safe with Wilcox at the helm. 8 seasons of poor performance. In the previous 7 years he has won only one minor bowl game, which is his high point. Good players if they care about having an NFL career should jump ship but perhaps we can stop that from happening by bringing in a promising coach (Ron Rivera would be my pick). A competent coach would be an improvement.
I am usually against in season head coach firings but I feel like it is completely justified and needed at this time.
That being said, not only will Wilcox be allowed to finish this season as our HC, he will be back next season as our HC! Even more puzzling, fans will continue to defend him!
Agreed as our incompetent AD extended him and doesn’t have funds for buyout
But if you fire Wilcox who are you going to have take over as interim HC? Bloesch is the problem in my mind. They should fire him, let Saffel take over O-line coaching duties and let Sterlin Gilbert take over play calling. Then get rid of all of them at the end of the season and start from scratch. Nick Saban anyone?
Let Sirmon take over. It doesn’t matter at this point because this season is over. All the problems are Wilcox’s, he hired this staff, he gave Bloesch the promotion to OC and decided not to hire a dedicated OL coach. This mess is Wilcox’s and his alone. He didn’t inherit this, he built this mess
Wilcox is the problem. He hasn't been committed to a good/great offense for 8 years. With an old fashion coaching philosophy, he hasn't created the OL/DL to succeed in that philosophy. Yet, he is committed to it regardless. As the CEO, he has completely failed on the offensive side of the ball, the side that fills seats. He want to win 17 - 14 or with a last second field goal. Fans want to see points and their team stepping on their opponents neck. Wilcox doesn't have that in him. He needs to go.
Exactly. The Wisconsin way only works if you have the Big Uglies up front. We have just been unable to recruit any top 3* OL, much less a 4*.
Good thinking but now way in hell would Saban come out of retirement to come to Cal. He quit because he hates the NIL. He's right. It's ruined College football. And for that matter, all college revenue sports.
It's worth a try.
Imagine how well he could recruit.
It's no more bizarre than when Cal brought in the already successful Pappy Waldorf.
At least ask Saban to consult and help identify the problems.
I'm trying to imagine Saban dealing with our administration lol
As a Seattleite, this team situation feels very similar to the Mariners, and it’s beyond frustrating. Both teams have ample talent, supported by loyal fans who’ve stuck with them through thick and thin, always hoping for greatness. But our patience is wearing thin.
That loyalty has limits. Just like Wilcox, Scott Servais is a man of integrity. He can deliver solid seasons and come tantalizingly close in high-stakes games. But “close” isn’t cutting it—too often, he falls short when it matters most.
It’s time for management to wake up and realize that change is overdue & decisions need to be made. Pretty much anything's better than being stuck in the purgatory of mediocrity.
Wilcox postgames pressers are like a season of Black Mirror, only more dark and unsettling.
Yes, his persona is, IMHO, a halting, quasi-intellectual sermonizer with the same repeated phrases. So, stultifying and empty that Christ and Knowlton must have joined hands in reflective satisfaction that their locked-in choice of head coach gave the university a perfunctory offering of football, with no chance of an unruly, overly popular rival to the pastoral environment. Wilcox is toeing the line of his bosses. I am quite sure this is not how he would have run the Oregon program should he have been selected. But, hey, Cal, in Wilcox's lifetime and apart from our ascension with Tedford, was never a championship caliber program, so why not give the bosses what they want, just enough football to placate the masses.
Pan et circi.
We need to rival Michigan, not University of Chicago.
He has to go
I’ve watched this same season for 8 years now. Different conference, same result. It’s time to move on from Wilcox. Unless 5-7 or 6-6 is the goal. In which case: Congratulations! You got your man!