Cal Football Adds Oregon Analyst Darrion Daniels as Defensive Line Coach
Tosh Lupoi goes back to the Oregon well to make a host of first-time hires as full-time coaches.
Cal announced a slew of assistant coach hiring on Saturday. Tosh Lupoi went back to Oregon and made it clear that he was bringing in a host of coaches who fit his vision—young, on the rise, and ready to make their mark. All of these coaches hired on Saturday were currently on the Oregon staff as analysts, which in modern college football are practically position coaches who are not allowed to recruit off-campus, but otherwise serve as position coaches.
Here’s one of the four hires:
Darrion Daniels - Defensive Line/Pass Rush Specialist, 1st Year Coach
Continuing on the theme of youth, Darrion Daniels’ coaching resume has one line on it: Oregon defensive analyst, where he served in 2024 and 2025. Despite the title, it appears Daniels has spent much of the last season assisting the defensive line with current Oregon D-line coach Tony Tuioti (formerly at Cal).
Despite a significant overhaul to their defensive interior and a youth/portal movement up front, Oregon’s run defense was stout this season, averaging 3.36 yards per rush allowed (17th in the nation) and allowed 30 10+ yard rushes all season (tied for fourth).
Before that, Daniels played at Oklahoma State and Nebraska, where he served as team captain in 2019. He spent two years with the 49ers and one year with the Atlanta Falcons before finishing his professional football career at the USFL Champion Birmingham Stallions.
He also has one of the best social media handles that is appropriate for a Cal coach. Welcome @Big_Ursa_!
Here’s a current look at the announced 2026 Cal football coaching staff that has been hired to this point:
Tosh Lupoi, head coach (Oregon defensive coordinator)
Jordan Somerville, offensive coordinator (Buccaneers assistant QB coach)
Nick Rolovich, quarterbacks coach (returning)
Keith Bhonapha, running backs coach (Michigan State RB/ST coach)
Steve Haunga, tight ends coach/RGC (Oregon offensive analyst)
Michael Hutchings, defensive coordinator (Vikings safeties coach)
Da’Von Brown, defensive backs/co-DC (Western Kentucky, same roles)
Darrion Daniels, defensive line coach (Oregon defensive analyst)
Connor Boyd, safeties coach (Oregon defensive analyst)
Zach Tinker, special teams coach (Oregon special teams analyst)
He had me at Big Ursa....
Big Ursa. One of the most Berkeley handles that ever Cal'd.